"Gentlemen and friends. I am no speech maker and I guess if I had to make
speeches for a liveing I am afraid I couldn't do it but the boys is anxious
I should say a few words about baseball and I didn't want to disappoint
them. They may be some of you boys that has not followed the great American
game very close and maybe don't know who Jack Keefe is. Well gentlemen I
was boughten from Terre Haute in the Central League by that grand old Roman
Charley Comiskey owner of the Chicago White Sox in 1913 and I been in the
big league ever since except one year I was with Frisco and I stood that
league on their head and Mr. Comiskey called me back and I was still
starring with the Chicago White Sox when Uncle Sam sent out the call for
men and I quit the great American game to enlist in the greatest game of
all the game we are playing against the Kaiser and we will win this game
like I have win many a game of baseball because I was to fast for them and
used my brains and it will be the same with the Kaiser and America will
fight to the drop of the hat and make the world safe for democracy."
Well Al I had to stop 2 or 3 minutes while they give me a hand and they
clapped and hollered at pretty near everything I said. So I said "This
war reminds me a good deal like a incident that happened once when I was
pitching against the Detroit club. No doubt you gentlemen and officers has
heard of the famous Hughey Jennings and his eeyah and on the Detroit club
is also the famous Tyrus Cobb the Georgia Peach as he is called and I want
to pay him a tribute right here and say he is one of the best ball players
in the American League and a great hitter if you don't pitch just right to
him. One time we was in Detroit for a serious of games and we had loose the
first two games do to bad pitching and the first game Eddie Cicotte didn't
have nothing and the second game Faber was in the same boat so on this
morning I refer to Manager Rowland come up to me in the lobby of the Tuller
hotel and said how do you feel Jack and I said O. K. Clarence why do you
ask? And he said well we have loose 2 games here and we have got to grab
this one this P. M. and if you feel O. K. I will work you because I know
you have got them licked as soon as you walk out there. So I said all right
Clarence you can rely on me. And that P. M. I give them 3 hits and shut
them out and Cobb come up in the ninth innings with two men on bases and
two men out and Ray Schalk our catcher signed me for a curve ball but I
shook my head and give him my floater and the mighty Cobb hit that ball on
a line to our right fielder Eddie Murphy and the game was over.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account