- published: 18 Nov 2012
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Edd J. Roush (May 8, 1893 – March 21, 1988) was a Major League Baseball player who was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. He played the majority of his career in center field.
Roush made his major league debut on August 20, 1913 for the Chicago White Sox. He switched to the fledgling Federal League in 1914 and spent two seasons with the Indianapolis Hoosiers, who became the Newark Pepper in 1915. In 1916, he split the season between the New York Giants and the Cincinnati Reds.
With the Reds from 1917 to 1926, the left-handed hitting Roush never batted below .321, and was an instrumental part of the team's World Series championship in 1919. He won the National League batting title in 1917 and 1919. His best career year in batting average was 1921, when he batted .352. He also led the leagues in Slugging average (.455) in 1918, in Doubles (41) in 1923, and in Triples (21) in 1924. He was renowned as having the best arm of any outfielder in his era. He held out most of the 1922 season over a salary dispute that continued into spring 1923.
Six o'clock in the morning--I'm yawning
Get out of this bed
My heart started racing--now pacing
What was that you said?
Waiting so long for this day
And tomorrow we laugh
Hope the neighbours will open their papers
To my photograph
Chorus:
Of course I love you!
And I'll be careful, oh so careful
But I must win
There's no use waiting--watching, waiting
Got to keep my five-star rating, too
Now I run like the devil, draw level
You're crowding my day
Your concentration gives me stimulation
Get out of my way!
Feel the air rush past my face in first place, without thought to me
Mass attention becomes an extension of winning to me
Chorus
In control, speed kills, speed thrills
We are the power--come closer
Black and white soon in my time
The winning course--it's over
The winning course--take over
The winning course--it's up to me
[Instrumental bridge]
Now I run like the devil, draw level
You're crowding my day
Your concentration gives me stimulation
Get out of my way!
Chorus