The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-10-29
TY COBB HAS A
GRANDSTANO VALUE
ONLY, SAYS D. WITT
DETROIT UTILITY PLAYER TELLS
CALIFORNIA; THAT GEORGIA
PEACH ISN'T BIG ASSET.

BALTIMORE. oct 2s.--Oscar Witt.
Tiger infielder. Ia getting into the lit
rrary- cirrte,- ctsrar turned author
recently, and his first contribution to
a San Francisco paper was on the
most valuable ball player in the
world" Witt picks Eddie Collins, and
also says why he does not pick Cobb,
and tells at length what he thinks of
Tyrus Oscars story follows as 1t Is
printed under his real name:
In selecting the best ball player I
have seen. am picking the man who
does most TO win games for the club
he represents That man is unques-
tionably Eddie Collins, the great sec
ond baseman of the Athletics, to my
way of thinking.
Here Is one PLAYER who is willing
to sacrifice all personal gain to help
his club. When he is on the field IT
is the Athletics he Is trying TO help,
and not Eddie Collins. That is the
reason why Mack's club is SO success
full. He has players on It who are
always playing to win, and not for
individual gain. However. the other
members of the club can hardly be
classed with Collins.
Collins is great whether he is play
ing the defensive or offensive.
AA LEV aEpdE AitSlEiS OF tna game
is he excelIed. He is brilliant field
err. who thinks quickly, and he makes
but few mistakes. AT the bat he has
few supcriors. He has a wonderful
eye, and when he hits the ball he
meets 1t fairly, usually sending n
/ away from the plate on a line for a
( clean drive. He can lay down bunt
( with equal skill, and II Is hard to
figure him when he faces a pitcher.
The point that / admire in Collins
/ is the fact that he never plays to the
grandstand He adopts the play that
4 will help his club, and not the one
that Will win him applause from the
/ spectators.
have seen him in gan'es whore he
has laid down a sacrifice hit TO score
a run. whereas il he had stood III
and whaled away at the bali and sue.
4 ceeded in knocking out a single or q
double he would have been the hero
of the afternoon. That In what like
/ about him, and | don't think there
is another player in the game toda,
who wins as many ball games for hi.
club as does this fellow Collins
You take great player like Col
Inns. who is so sincere in his work
and he naturally becomes prim,
favorite with the other members o
the club. because of his efforts to hell
them. He gets them all in that strtd,
and / attribute Macks success 10 tina
reason.
Cobb is a remarkable ball player
have been with him for two seasons
and, while l consider him create
than Collins in many respects. d,
not think he is as valuable to a clul
as Collins. He is from a flnancia
standpoint, as the Georgian Is un
doubtedly the greatest box office at
traction in the game today. Hi
spectacular style of play Is popuia
with the fans. and, while the Tiger
were rather lowly in the pennan
race, they were good drawing card
because the crowds would go out t.
see Cobb bat and steal bases.
II Cobb would play the game lik
Collins / think he would be the great
] est of them all. but he does not. Cob
! is essentially an individual player. II
! is unlike Collins in this respect. How
ever the fans like to see Cobb, an
, they must be pleased.
Cobb will try to steal a base n
matter whether his club is Ave run
behind. This Collins will not do.
lis not the kind of ball playing tina
will win games. Cobb catches tn
eye quicker than Collins, but | thin
: the latter gets better results for hi
club.