[z28jd]

While researching an article right now I found something too good not to share. After Vin Campbell played a four game series in Boston with the Pirates in early June of 1910, a unnamed Boston "baseball expert" said that by the middle of 1911 he was certain that Campbell would be a better player than Tris Speaker.

He actually gave reasons to back up his statement, saying that Campbell has better habits than Speaker which would help him last longer.

Vin was better at this point in his career than Speaker was at the same point (Campbell was actually 2 months older than Tris)

Campbell was much faster and a better runner and as someone who saw Speaker all the time, he would call them even in that regard, with more room for improvement in Campbell.

It should be noted that in the series, Campbell hit one of the furthest homers in Boston that anyone around could remember.

Campbell was traded even up in February 1912 for another pretty good hitter, Mike Donlin. Both players were known to leave baseball for other business opportunities because they made more money elsewhere