The Detroit times., 1912-05-22
THOSE TIGERS ALWAYS
ARE DOING SOMETHING
TO ENTICE PUBLICITY
Said Publicity Pays Well In Box
Office Receipts,
Too
THE STRIKE TRAILS GOLD
They Rush Out To the Park at
Washington To See the
Johnson-Baiters
THE STRIKE TRAILS GOLD
By RALPH .. YONKER.

IneIe ID RNF~-
bunch OF Tigers than In any otner
kind OF ball players In CAPTIVITY.
Every known freak that can play paii
and whole lot Of beings who are not
freaks, have been brought togetner
IN aggregations whose object OF eS-
istence was to cavort upon the dia-
mond In order to draw shekels into
the box office.
There are Japs who come over 10
this country to show that the Tar
east isn't behind the west In baseball
Y wits and technical ability. There are
Chinese who prove the awakening OF
h their homeland by their proficiency In
our national game.
There are ball teams Of the only
real Americans we can claim, full
blooded Indians, who combine with
their baseball talents, ability In ex-
ecuting or otherwise numbering popu-
lar and classical music upon band in
struments There are athletic girls
who need the money bad enough 10
play the game in ,bloomers
But none OF these. despite the curl.
ositv that interests thousands In them,
can hold a, candle to the strong light
X OF the Tiger stars when II comes TO-
drawing the fan-moths around them.
And like the moths OF nature. the fan
moths get singed once in while, for
the Tigers don't always play baseball
that Is baseball.
None Of the baseball freaks equal
the Tigers; nor do any OF the legitl-
mates. There may be better COM
bination of players once In while.
hut they don't draw the way the tt
gers do Box Office statistics where
they are given out and fairly close
estimates where the otiieial figures
ere withheld have proved that the tt
gers are the best bug magnets In the
world. #N
And II is cruelty limited now that the
wisest publicity seekers among the
Tigers don't care at-all-at-all now that
they had to 60 back even without
Tyrus: for by the strike they have
made themselves more popular than
ever with the fans in every city in
the American league circuit.
There are hints that President
Narin isn't going to be the goat after
all. but that he viii more than make
up for the loss of patronage be suf-
fered at Shibe park. for the fines he
will have to pay, and for the extra ex-
pense occasioned by the settlement
Of the recent strike. There are sug-
gesfions that the Tigers attractive
ness to thousands OF fans has been SO
enhanced that the increased attend
ance at Tiger games in the future will
more than make up for the coin lost
during the past few days.
Right on the reel comes the first |
proof. Washington turned out as
never before to see the Junglemen. In
spite OF the fact that 1t was known
that Ty Cobb, the recognized attrac-
tion-in-chief, was not going to play.
The Tigers are individually and col |
lectiyely the best baseball publicity |
Betters In the world There Is none
OF them who makes the splurge that !
Christy Mathewson does in his writ
ing, or In presenting his ideas written
by somebody else. There is none OF
them who manufactures publicity for
himself by. his written editorials on
the crucial moments in baseball as
does Eddie Collins
But they manufacture publicity by
their actions, spectacular In one way
or another. II they don't win games
by pounding out 'steen runs In the
ninth, George Mullin pitches a near
no-hit game for them. II they can't
get on winning streak they set off
the most pyrotechnic strike that ever
cometed through the baseball heav-
ems. and q trail of gold follows them
z Through the circuit.
It looks TO even chronic crouch as
II the Tigers are bound to go some
when Cobb and Witt return. Yester-
days game at Washington was
beauty from the standpoint OF the air
tight baseballist Two hits OF George
Mullin, one Of which was an infieid
scratch and the other an outfieId
shortfence buster, looks like COM
F pressed air stuff. The Tigers, too,
were smuggling terribly, as might be ex.
pected with Great Big Walter johnson
In the box for the congressman.
Three hits
Manager Jennings didn't follow the
plan that may be customary soon, that
OF putting In some driftwood to op-
pose Walter on the supposition that
he has the game won before the
start. But Jennings put in the best
\ he had and he proved to be too good
for the Washington sluggers.
But aside from the great work of
George Mullin, the part that Is very