Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-24
Special Dispatch TO Tho Star.


NEW YORK, July 2+-You may talk
about Mathewson, Chase. Chance, NC
Graw, Lajoie, Doom. Jennings, Connie
Mack and other great lights in the base
ball world. but the baby of them all Is
Tyrus Cobb, the Empire state express of
base ball and center fielder of the Tiger
team. The subway question and the case
OF DR.. Wiley may be Of some Importance.
but every base ball fan in the entire
country has been watching the move
ments Of Ty Cobb. He Is without doubt
or debate from the old-timers the greatest
ball player who ever played in the major
leagues. This Is q broad statement to
make, but there are few who will give
you an argument on the subject.
In looking over the batting averages
you will find that Cobb leads in every
thing for both leagues but sacrifice hits,
and he told the writer that he did not
believe in those. which goes to prove that
he might be leading in that column, too,
if he had his mind on it,
Wagner. in the National League, is bat
ting .364. Cobb has been pounding the
cork-center pill for an average of 43J.
he is not falling off in his work In the
least. Speak to any of the pitchers who
tell you that he has no weakness Catch
ers have tried all ways and means to
stop him on the bases, but they have
failed Ed Sweeney. the Yankees catch
er, seems to have struck the brightest
idea i'll getting Cobb stealing bases. Here
1t is. When Cobb is on first and you
think he is going to steal. make bluff
to throw the ball to second, but hold it
and then catch him coming home.
Where the Georgia peach proved to the
I,nu 1,,,1 =
of the stage was in the series with the
Athletics in which the Tigers won the
four games. In one of the games he
raced in from second base on a sacrifice
fly. Then, just to be consistent, he came
back the next day, stole second. third
and home In rapid succession. That was
not all. The next day he got a base on
balls and came all the way home from
first base on base hit just because the
relay was not handled with neatness and
dispatch. 1t is doubtful II there is an
other instance on record where a. ball
player has pulled off the stuff mentioned
in a few days and against such a team
as the Tigers were battling for the lead
ership The four games played had a
great deal to do toward deciding who will
win the pennant in the American League.
Cobb marches through every city and
performs the same kind of work There
1s only one pitcher We know of in the
American League who can hold him close
to first base in order to make it a little
easier for the catcher, and that is Jack
WARRIOR. The latter proved that in the
series the Tigers and the Yankees played
here when Warhop caught the Tiger
off first. Cobb gets a good lead on every
other pitcher in the business. He has a
the bag must be on the job or he will
wiggle in to the base safely.
Cobb is like young race horse going
to the post. He is nervous and kicks
about like two-year-old waiting for the
bell to ring. He comes up to the plate
swinging three bats and looks as if he
would like to be in the limeight, accord
ing to the base ball fans. He can't help
but get in the spotlight. judging from
the many tricks he pulls off on the ball
field every day. Another remarkable
thing about the wizard of the American
League is that he never gets injured. and
We can't recall once where Cobb was
out of the lineup owing to injury. He
goes along day after day bouncing
around the bases with the fall away
slide and the hook slide. and still he
stays in the game. There is no doubt
that he is half of the Tiger team, and
Sam Crawford is the other half. with
Delehanty helping out in case either OF
the halves go bad.
Ty has had some trouble with his
teammates. but he is always in a high
temper while in the game. and things
generally get patched up. One would not
want to meet a better fellow. A number
of the fans have the impression that his
head is very much enlarged owing to his
great work as ball player. That's his
way on the field. Other ball players have
that strut which indicates their being
of the swell-head type. But this Is not
come to different conclusion about
Cobb.
Willie Keller once told the writer that
Cobb had no weakness and that he was
the greatest ball player he had ever
seen in his time and Keller has seen a
the diamond. Every base ball manager
who has seen Cobb work comes out with
the statement that he is about the best
ball player in the business now and IN
the old days, and there have been some
great ones.
When Cobb broke into the big league
he looked as though he would get the
can tied to him before the season was
over. and, what, is more, he came near
being a Yankee, as he was offered to the
New York Americans for Bill Hogg. bu!
Cobb looked SO punk that the deal did mol
go through. But he picked up, dear
brothers, he picked up. He could not be
bought now for any price. He Is a DIG
card around the American League circuit
and around the hotels in every city one
can hear it often said: Lets go out
and see this fellow Cobb play"
He has been often accused of spiking
PLAYERS but We don't believe he does II
Intentionally. He comes along like fast
train which is late, and he must be given
the right of way. Just to demonstrate
his speed Jack Warhop tells a good story
on Cobb in a game on the hilltop when
Warhop was pitching.
There was a man on second base,
said the Yankees pitcher. Cobb came
to Sweeney took a bad bound and rolled