Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 135, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 June 1914 — TRISTRAM SPEAKER RECEIVES BIG SALARY [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

TRISTRAM SPEAKER RECEIVES BIG SALARY

Tristram Speaker is thirty years old, stands five feet eleven Inches in his shoes and weighs a shade over 180 pounds. He halls from Texas, where he began his professional baseball career eight years ago. In 1908 he joined the ranks of the American league with Boston, and has played on that team ever sintie, batting (with the exception of bis first year, when he played only 32 games) an average of over .300 each year, his poorest being .309 and his best .383 In 1912. V His average for the five years of regular play Is .345. He is left-handed

both in batting and throwing. He started in the Texas league with a salary of $65 a month and has just been re-engaged by the Boston Americans at what amounts to $18,500 a year on a two-year contract. Christy Mathewson gets $15,000; Ty Cobb, $12,500; Tinker, $12,000; Wagner and Evers, SIO,OOO each. The highest salary paid in the old days of baseball was to John Ward, who was accredited with receiving the then phenomenal salary of $4,000. Rusie, that star pitcher, at his best received only $3,200. Playefrs then considered this big money.

Trie Speaker of Boston Americans.