Despite spending most of his career in Ty Cobb's considerable shadow, Tris Speaker's .345 lifetime
batting average and revolutionary defensive play made him one of Cobb's few rivals as the greatest
player of the 1910s. Speaker's specialty was hitting doubles - he led the league eight times and
still holds the career mark with 793. His shallow play in center field enabled him to record 450
assists, placing him comfortably atop the all-time list. One of baseball's most successful player-
managers, he guided Cleveland to a World Championship in 1920.