The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-03-05
'N COBB FROM THE
 VIEWPOINT OF A
 NATIONAL LEAGUER
Patriotism or Club Loyalty Has No Place in a Fair Appreciation of the Great est Player in Baseball.

(By John J. Evers in Baseball Maga-
 Zine.)
 own league should be a leading char actertistic of every ball player, and think I have always been loyal to mine. I would like to be able to say that a National League player, parti- cuiarly a Chicago Club player, was the greatest in the game. l have said, and still say. that Manager Frank Chance is one of the most pheno- menal players American has ever known. In fact. I would go still fur ther, and say that he has never had but one superior. But that one su- perior | am forced to admit in fair ness is not a Chicago National player. nor in fact National League player at all. His name is Ty Cobb, and his wonderful record on the Detroit American team ever since broke. into the game has been the sensation of the baseball world.
 I am not alone in this high opinion of Ty Cobb's work. This view of mine, I believe. is shared by practi- cally ever other member of the, Ma tional League. There are good play CTS there-many of them-some of extraordinary ability. It is natural tuGy SIOulQ nave tuelT lTIeuuS dLu packers, and they do have them. But CobD's career has been so extraOrdi- nary, so much above everything that was or could reasonably be expected, that his merits have aroused the at tention of his fellow players, and now demand that recognition which they so richly deserve. ..l
 The day of the 400 hitter was sup posed to have disappeared a decade ago. The introduction of the foul strike rule was designed as the death blow of this remarkable average. The tremendous slump in batting during the years that followed as compared with those which preceded was evil dence of this new factor in baseball. But Cobb ever since he startled the baseball world by his. meteoric rise to prominence, has steadily advanced toward that seemingly impossible goal of the batter. until during the season that has just passed, he finally at tained his ambition, and reached the grand batting average of APO.
 The new cork center ball has been held responsible for much of the good batting in the American League, but it should have had the same inf1u- ence on batting in the National League, for the ball used by both or ganizations was practically the same. cannot say the new ball was not lfvelier, or that it did not favor the batter, because competent judges ev- erywhere admit that it did. and 1t pose.
 However, it did not account for Cobb's remarkable average, nor do I believe it aided him materially in gaining that, average. Cobb has all ways been a star at the bunting game. He has beat out many bunt every season by sheer speed. and in fact de- bends upon his skill in this direction for much of his effectiveness as a batsman. The new ball prevented him from shining in this department of the game, so that he bunted safe ly only two or three times during the entire season. He was compelled to resort to straight batting and depend ed on nothing but driving the ball be- yond the reach of the fielders.s The hits. which made up that remarkable average of APO, were safe hits, Tn every sense of the word so it will readily appear that, the new ball, while it favored Cobb in some ways. handicapped him in others, and was far from being so conspicuous a fac tor. in his wonderful record as has been mmonly believed.
 Cobb's marvellous showing as a bat ter is alone enough to insure his re- putation for all time. Add to this, however, his uncanny ability as q bass runner-an ability in which he stands unequalled, his record break ing feats as a run getter, his all- around brilliancy as a fielder. his quickness, dash and execution of dar- ing featS almost instantaneously, and they place him little above and be- yond the rank of any other player in the game today.
 Cobb is still young man. He has but reached the age when the aver age big league player is beginning to get a reputation. In the nature of things he should have several years of his best work still before him. What he will do in the future no one knows, but he should certainly not go back for several years to come It seems hardly possible that he can better his last years record but for that matter it seemed hardly possible that he could better the record of the year before. Cobb's career has been a constant succession of shattered records and seemingly impossible achievements.
 But whether he improves or not in the next few seasons which are left him for active play, his career up to date clearly entities him to the honor of being considered the greatest play CT in the world of baseball. I believe no fair-minded critic will deny this statement. The Chalmer Commission, composed of leading critics of the game, gave Cobb their unanimo ous tOle-dn IOI1OT WHICH COulU uOl nave been. granted to any other individual now on the diamond. Every section has it's own particular star; every city it1 special favorite, but all sections and all critics, whether or not they agree on any other single topic in baseball. all agree in giving Cobb credit for standing without a peer. He is the universal comparison of the highest ability. It is the greatest praise which can be given a coming star to say that he is a second Ty Cobb. Cobb is the model. the perfect stamp of the truly great ball player.
 Tn making the statement that he is the greatest player who ever lived, one is sure to come in contact with the patriotism of the old-tim CTS those fervent fans who remember baseball in it's early days, and still cling to the memories of De1ehantv, Radbourne, Pop Anson, and the rest. These fans will be slow to ad- init that Cobb, although be may be peerless today, would overshadow the stars of those past decades. I have too much respect for these old-time players, and too much respect for the opinions of those who still revere their memory to argue the question. But when all allowance has been made for the changes in the National game, and the different style of play, am confident that Cobb would be almost universally considered un- rivalled in past or present.
 l know 1t may seem like exagger- ated praise from player of another c1uh and lpagna T haIiaUa that the