Tris Speaker
⭐ Hall of Fame 1937
Born: 4/4/1888 in Hubbard, TX, USA
Died: 12/8/1958 in Lake Whitney, TX, USA
MLB Debut: 1907-09-12 | Final Game: 1928-08-30
Bats: L | Throws: L | Height: 5'11" | Weight: 193 lbs
Full name: Tristram Edgar Speaker
Biography
Tris Speaker was a legendary American baseball player, born in 1888, who made a significant impact on the game during his career from 1907 to 1928. Renowned for his exceptional hitting ability and defensive prowess, Speaker played in 2,789 games, accumulating a remarkable 3,514 hits and achieving a stellar career batting average of .345. His offensive contributions included 117 home runs and 1,529 RBIs, alongside a notable total of 432 stolen bases, showcasing his versatility as a player. Speaker's combination of power, speed, and batting precision placed him among the elite hitters of his era, which was characterized by a transition from the deadball style to a more offensive-minded approach.
Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1937, Speaker's legacy extended beyond his impressive statistics. He was a pioneering figure in the game, known for his keen baseball intelligence and leadership on the field. His career coincided with a transformative period in baseball, and he played a crucial role in popularizing the sport during the early 20th century. Speaker's influence was not only felt through his on-field achievements but also through his contributions as a manager and mentor to younger players, ensuring that his impact on baseball would be felt for generations to come.
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2789 | 10195 | 1882 | 3514 | 792 | 222 | 117 | 1529 | 432 | 1381 | 323 | 0.345 | 0.428 | 0.500 | 0.928 | 72777.2 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1907 | BOS | AL | 7 | 19 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0.158 | 0.0 |
| 1908 | BOS | AL | 31 | 116 | 12 | 26 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 0.224 | -194.1 |
| 1909 | BOS | AL | 143 | 544 | 73 | 168 | 26 | 13 | 7 | 77 | 35 | 38 | 53 | 0.309 | 2790.2 |
| 1910 | BOS | AL | 141 | 538 | 92 | 183 | 20 | 14 | 7 | 65 | 35 | 52 | 38 | 0.340 | 3571.4 |
| 1911 | BOS | AL | 141 | 500 | 88 | 167 | 34 | 13 | 8 | 70 | 25 | 59 | 0 | 0.334 | 3357.2 |
| 1912 | BOS | AL | 153 | 580 | 136 | 222 | 53 | 12 | 10 | 90 | 52 | 82 | 0 | 0.383 | 5826.7 |
| 1913 | BOS | AL | 141 | 520 | 94 | 189 | 35 | 22 | 3 | 71 | 46 | 65 | 22 | 0.363 | 4624.5 |
| 1914 | BOS | AL | 158 | 571 | 101 | 193 | 46 | 18 | 4 | 90 | 42 | 77 | 25 | 0.338 | 4523.2 |
| 1915 | BOS | AL | 150 | 547 | 108 | 176 | 25 | 12 | 0 | 69 | 29 | 81 | 14 | 0.322 | 3175.9 |
| 1916 | CLE | AL | 151 | 546 | 102 | 211 | 41 | 8 | 2 | 79 | 35 | 82 | 20 | 0.386 | 5713.4 |
| 1917 | CLE | AL | 142 | 523 | 90 | 184 | 42 | 11 | 2 | 60 | 30 | 67 | 14 | 0.352 | 4495.8 |
| 1918 | CLE | AL | 127 | 471 | 73 | 150 | 33 | 11 | 0 | 61 | 27 | 64 | 9 | 0.318 | 2774.9 |
| 1919 | CLE | AL | 134 | 494 | 83 | 146 | 38 | 12 | 2 | 63 | 15 | 73 | 12 | 0.296 | 2464.8 |
| 1920 | CLE | AL | 150 | 552 | 137 | 214 | 50 | 11 | 8 | 107 | 10 | 97 | 13 | 0.388 | 5834.6 |
| 1921 | CLE | AL | 132 | 506 | 107 | 183 | 52 | 14 | 3 | 75 | 2 | 68 | 12 | 0.362 | 3268.1 |
| 1922 | CLE | AL | 131 | 426 | 85 | 161 | 48 | 8 | 11 | 71 | 8 | 77 | 11 | 0.378 | 4130.3 |
| 1923 | CLE | AL | 150 | 574 | 133 | 218 | 59 | 11 | 17 | 130 | 8 | 93 | 15 | 0.380 | 5821.7 |
| 1924 | CLE | AL | 135 | 486 | 94 | 167 | 36 | 9 | 9 | 65 | 5 | 72 | 13 | 0.344 | 2917.1 |
| 1925 | CLE | AL | 117 | 429 | 79 | 167 | 35 | 5 | 12 | 87 | 5 | 70 | 12 | 0.389 | 3684.4 |
| 1926 | CLE | AL | 150 | 539 | 96 | 164 | 52 | 8 | 7 | 86 | 6 | 94 | 15 | 0.304 | 2424.2 |
| 1927 | WSN | AL | 141 | 523 | 71 | 171 | 43 | 6 | 2 | 73 | 9 | 55 | 8 | 0.327 | 1567.6 |
| 1928 | PHA | AL | 64 | 191 | 28 | 51 | 22 | 2 | 3 | 30 | 5 | 10 | 5 | 0.267 | 5.2 |
Career Pitching Statistics
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9.00 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Pitching
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1914 | BOS | AL | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9.00 | 0.0 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 72 | 12 | 22 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 4 | 0.306 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 | WS | CLE | 7 | 25 | 6 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0.320 |
| 1915 | WS | BOS | 5 | 17 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0.294 |
| 1912 | WS | BOS | 8 | 30 | 4 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 0.300 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 18 | 0 | 147 | 12 | 2 | 19 |
| OF | 2698 | 317 | 6788 | 449 | 222 | 139 |
| P | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1907 | BOS | OF | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 1908 | BOS | OF | 31 | 31 | 58 | 9 | 0 | 3 |
| 1909 | BOS | OF | 142 | 142 | 319 | 35 | 10 | 12 |
| 1910 | BOS | OF | 140 | 140 | 337 | 20 | 16 | 7 |
| 1911 | BOS | OF | 138 | 0 | 297 | 26 | 15 | 5 |
| 1912 | BOS | OF | 153 | 0 | 372 | 35 | 18 | 9 |
| 1913 | BOS | OF | 139 | 0 | 374 | 30 | 25 | 7 |
| 1914 | BOS | P | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1914 | BOS | 1B | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1914 | BOS | OF | 156 | 0 | 423 | 29 | 15 | 12 |
| 1915 | BOS | OF | 150 | 0 | 378 | 21 | 10 | 8 |
| 1916 | CLE | OF | 151 | 0 | 359 | 25 | 10 | 10 |
| 1917 | CLE | OF | 142 | 0 | 365 | 23 | 8 | 5 |
| 1918 | CLE | OF | 127 | 0 | 352 | 15 | 10 | 6 |
| 1919 | CLE | OF | 134 | 0 | 375 | 25 | 7 | 6 |
| 1920 | CLE | OF | 148 | 0 | 363 | 24 | 9 | 8 |
| 1921 | CLE | OF | 128 | 0 | 345 | 15 | 6 | 2 |
| 1922 | CLE | OF | 109 | 0 | 281 | 13 | 5 | 6 |
| 1923 | CLE | OF | 150 | 0 | 369 | 26 | 13 | 7 |
| 1924 | CLE | OF | 128 | 0 | 323 | 20 | 13 | 3 |
| 1925 | CLE | OF | 109 | 0 | 311 | 16 | 11 | 9 |
| 1926 | CLE | OF | 149 | 0 | 394 | 20 | 8 | 7 |
| 1927 | WS1 | 1B | 17 | 0 | 145 | 12 | 2 | 18 |
| 1927 | WS1 | OF | 120 | 0 | 278 | 12 | 10 | 5 |
| 1928 | PHA | OF | 50 | 0 | 111 | 8 | 3 | 1 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 1 |
| First Base | 18 |
| Left Field | 2 |
| Center Field | 2691 |
| Right Field | 7 |
Awards & Honors
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas Wesleyan University | Fort Worth | TX | 1905 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1914 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 12th | 9.0 | 64 | 0 |
| 1913 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 4th | 26.0 | 64 | 0 |
| 1912 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 1st | 59.0 | 64 | 0 |
| 1911 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 6th | 16.0 | 64 | 0 |