The Detroit times., 1913-06-16
Cleveland Joe Has 1t Over All
His Fellows as a Long
Distance Hitter
/. COBB'S SPEED AND HIS
DARING HELP HIM OUT
Lightning Dashes Turn Many
an Infield Out Into Clean
Hit for Him
BY RALPH L. YONKER.

BY RALPH L. YONKER.
Ty Cobb Is fast cutting down the
! lead Joe Jackson has over him In the
American league batting percentages
Cobb lead until q short time ago,
when Joe headed him.
1 Cobb today has a percentage of Just
exactly 400, while Jackson has per-
centage OF .412. In each OF Fridays
and Saturdays games Jackson was at
! bat four times and failed to get hit.
/ In the same days. Cobb got three hits
In seven times at bat. Yesterday. fac
/ ing Boehling and Hughes, OF the Ma
4 tionals, Jackson got two In hve, one
double.
A slump Of another day such az FRI
day or Saturday, with Cobb getting
two or three hits. will place Tyrus
ahead of the Nap slugger.
Jackson has the disadvantage right
now Of being pitted against the Atm
/: letics at time when they are fight
/, ing tooth and nail to head OF the
Maps, their most dangerous pennani
rivals. However, Cobb Is having no
! sinecure, even though hitting against
the New York club. which nestles In
I the cellar. Despite the lowly position
! OF the Yanks, they have thus far won
! two of the three games played with
! the Tigers. Furthermore, Cobb COM
plains that 1t Is difficult 10 hit on the
Polo grounds because OF the back
ground.
I More interest Is being taken In the
Cobb-Jackson race by some than in
the pennant race itself. II has for
several years been Jackson's one am
bition to beat out Cobb for the top po-
sition In the American league batting
averages, but he has not been able
to do 30 as yet This year he gives
promise of putting up his best fight
and OF forcing Tyrus to extend him
self to keep the honor.
In one way 1t Is really remarkable
that Cobb and Jackson should be
Aghting for the same honor. they are
players OF such different types. They
10 almost nothing alike.
Cobb IL the brainy. strategic. dare
devilfsh fox; Jackson is the straight
away slug 'er-Out bear.
Every time they are in a race, and
this has been every year since the
TWO were with their present clubs, dis
cussion has arisen as to the supe-
kiority OF the two men. There seems
20 be no argument to 1t; Cobb Is
without doubt the better ball player.
Viewed from all angles. Tyrus Is
greater than Jackson.
But. nevertheless, there are q few
things that we have to hand to joey
aver Ty Jackson Is by far the better
nlugger. There Is none of this laying
down hunts and beating them out for
him. He either hits 'em out or he
doesn't get a chance to swing
Jackson leads every other batsman
in the American league as slugger
kby a mariners mile this year. In the
Hist Of the ten leading sluggers OF the
EAmerican league he is so far ahead
3of Speaker. who is second, that iris
would have to hit doubles and triples
Bteadily for a month to catch up 10
him. At the same time, Cobb is not
1even included in the first ten. Sam
crawford. who Is hitting about PTS.
Abeing the only Tiger In the list.
They tried to get Jackson TO bunt
the early part of the year. Manager
Birmingham instituted lot OF new
stun for the Maps when he took
charge Of them this spring He pulled
lot Of unexpected plays. Bunting
formed goodly part OF his new pro-
gram. But II made Jackson sore to
have to bunt and he told Birmy so.
Whereupon, Joe decided that his star
slugger didn't need to lay them down
n ne didn't want to.
The only thing that peeves Joe now
Il that the opposing pitchers are pass
ing him purposely a whole lot, not
giving him chance to swine at the
ball He has threatened to carry
camp stool TO bat with him in the
future and take siesta on II while
the pitchers are purposely passing
him.
But after giving Jackson his credit
as the better straightaway hitter ana
s'ugger, we have to turn to Tyrus.
Cobb Is able to beat Jackson to the
hitting honors because he combines a
great hitting ability with brains and
speed. A great many of Ty,s hits are
those he beats out when the ball never
gocD out of the infeld
Once on the bases there is no com
parieon OF the two men. Cobb is prob
ably faster than Jackson. II he is
only as fast, say, he gets a great deal
more out OF his speed than does Joe.
Hc pulls stun on the bases that Jack
son will never think OF and he gets
away with II about half Of the time
too. very often at times when the one
or two runs scored by his maneuver-
ing means game.
OF course. even Tyrus may make a
mistake once In while, such as steal.
ing third with Bush standing on the
bag.
Jackson goes to the plate knowing
that he 10 supposed TO hit the ball and
run. He let's his manager think things
out for him. Cobb does his own think
4 Ing on the baselines and conducts him.
self with . recklessness that only his
marvellous baseball instinct has made
real daring rather than foolhardiness
Both men are among the most ad-
mired o. today's players. Both are
among the greatest drawing cards of
the day.
Tbs fans IKE Cobb for his conf.
dence, Ais speed. his daring, his doing
ri The unexpected. They like Jackson
1oe that clean way that he swings AT
tho ball Ard the rssounaing crack OF
W6 bat - 10 meets the ball square
~ sails Il to the FIR corners Of the
- ~ q q x = r = r - 80 = e "A