Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1911-10-05
MOST VALUABLE
BALL PLAYER
Managers Figure Cobb Worth
More to Club Than Johnson

PITCHER IS Often LIFE SAVER
With Second Division Team TwirIer
Is More vaIuable-SensationaI Out
fielder Is Greater With Winnina
Combination.
Who is the most valuable to a ball
Cuba star twirler Of the Walter
Johnson type or a sensational outfeld-
er Of the Ty Cobb variety?
No doubt If the question was put to
fandom it would result in each player
getting a big bunch of votes. II the
question was put to the league man
ayers it is a certainty that the fielder
would be given the preference over the
crack twirler.
Hughey Jennings was asked one day
last summer if he would trade Cobb
for Johnson. Without the slightest
hesitation he replied hat under no
conditions would he agree to such a
trade on even terms, as he considered
Cobb more valuable to his team than
johnson. Here is the way Jennings
figures it out:
while Johnson might win twenty
five or thirty games for my club by
his great pitching, Cobb will win an
equal number because of his great hit
ting and wonderful base running. Incl
dentally he will say a few games by
his sensational fielding" He also con
siders johnson a far more delicate
proposition thar Cobb. Let johnson
suffer an injury to his arm: that hurts
his effectiveness argues Jennings, and
he has lost practically all his value.
Let Cobb suffer a similar injury to his
arm and he is still a great asset to his
club. He will still continue to win many
games by his hitting. fielding and base
running and lose very few because of
his weak throwing arm. An injury to
a pitchers legs quite often ruins his
effectiveness. for to get his right stride
on the rubber both legs must be in the
best of shape. An injury to one of
Cobb's legs. while it might impair his
fielding and base running some. would
have no effect whatever on his batting
or throwing.
There is surely some sense to the
argument as advanced by the sorrel
topped pilot of the Tigers.
Connie Mack, the foxy leader Of the
Athletics. while coinciding almost en-
tirely with Jennings views on the mat
ter, has one belief that differs with
that Of Hughey. Mack thinks a pitcher
of the johnson type is far more valu-
able to a second division. or losing
team. than Cobb would be. He also
believes that Cobb is Of more value
to a winning or first division club than
Johnson. Here is the way Connie puts
it:
las a rule. a second division team
is generally a bit shy on pitching. The
opposition is usually able to make four,
five or six runs a day IN the average
off its pitchers. On such teams men
like Cobb do not show to advantage as
they do on a winning club. One, two
and three runs are often enough to
win a game with a club that has a
good staff of pitchers. With such a
club Cobb's frequent dashes that net
a run play the deciding part in the
game.
"A fair club with a star. ritchor is
always hard to beat, as is prrv"d "" I
Johnson is on the mound for Washing
ton. That club with the big Swede
doing the twirling is one of the tough
est aggregations to trim in the Ameri-
can league" according to the wise Con-
ME. "Fans always like to see Johnson
perform. He is a far greater card on a
losing team than Cobb; consequently
he is a much better money getter.
which is something every losing club
is generally a tri1e shy on"
1t Is a pretty hard matter to decide
one way or the other. although it is
certain that McAleer wouldn't object
in the least to a Ty Cobb if he didn't
have to give up a Walter johnson to
acquire him, while Jennings would
welcome a Walter johnson with open
arms If his coming wouldn't mean the
passing of a Ty Cobb.