Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-06-13
BY j. ED GRILLO.

Ever since Ty Cobb has demonstrated
that he is the greatest ball player the
game has ever developed. much higher
standard is being asked of the young
PLAYERS who come into fast company.
Every player. almost, is compared with
the mighty Cobb. and naturally loses in
comparison. There are not apt to be any
more Cobbs for years. and the sooner the
club owners realize this fact and will be
satisfied with developing players of much
less ability the better they will be off.
Simply because player is not in Cobb s
class does not mean that he cannot be
a valuable man for the team. Cobb should
be eliminated from all comparisons. The
club which turns down youngsters simply
because they do not show the making of
a player of the caliber of the Tigers
star is going to have a hard time building
up a ball team
A club like Washington, for instance.
cannot be too particular in its selection
Of material. 1t must take long chances,
for 1t must be remembered that. regard
less of what happens ii can be no worse
off than 1t is. Twenty bail players may
have to be purchased before one is found
who will furnish the link that is now miss
ing to make the team a winner. and.
judged on recent performance. McAleer
needs more than one link to complete his
chain.
The American League is indeed fortu-
nate in having as good a city as Wash
ington down in the race. There is no
other city in the circuit where a losing
team would be as well supported as here
In the capital. Take other ma jor league
cities where the team has slumped. and
the attendances amount to little or moth
ing.
Washington patrons of the game have
been patient. The public realizes that
the past several years made every effort
to get winner here. The efforts have
failed to date, that is true. but the fact
that the club is willing 10 spend money
for ball players is encouraging and Is a
decided change OF conditions which ex-
listed here before the present owners took
hold. Building up a winning team is no
easy task. Luck cuts lot of figure. Buy
ing young ball players is a gamble after
all, and yet it is by this means only that
the desired results can be obtained. The
Washington clubs experience has been
discouraging, yet there is no alternative;
the efforts must be continued.
Jack Coombs was a great pitcher last
year: he promises to be even better this
season. Unlike most pitchers the chang
ed condition brought about by the use of
the lively ball has in no way affected
have been benefited by the change for he
is working more frequently and with
better results than ever before
A successful pitcher of the Doc White
type relies more on his head than his
arm. OF course. like White. his arm
must be able to follow the dictates of his
mind and on this alone depends his sue
cess. Whites pitching. when closely
studied, becomes art. He is always
playing for the percentage to be on his
side. In the first inning yesterday with
two on and one out he had no intention
of taking any chances with Elberfeld. a
right-handed hitter. So he tried to make
him hit at a wide one. with the result
that he finally hit him and filled the
bases. This put Gessler a left-handed
hitter up and he was disposed of on
strikes. White. like all heady pitchers
never pitches a ball without a purpose
He may err now and then. but when he
is being hit 1t is because the batters are
outguessing him. When pitchers with
long years of service are pointed out
Doc White must not be forgotten. Left
handlers are not supposed to last long
and yet White Is seeing his twelfth sea-
son Of service and in every one of them
he has been a star.
The benching Of Bill Cunningham does