Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-04-12
TY COBB'S DEMANDS
UNF AIR, SAYS NAv|N
Declares Star 0utfieIder
Wants Too Much Money
for Services.
HAS OFFERED PLAYER
ADVANCE OVER LAST YEAR
Does Not Propose to Make
Any Further Concessions.
Can't Afford More.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
DETROIT. Mich. April 1o-Aside from
statement by President Navin of the
Detroit club. there were no new develop
ments here today in the Cobb hold-out
case Nayin is determined in his stand.
and. despite the fact that the Tigers lost
their second game in row. the Detroit
chief has shown no inclination to meet
the star ontfielder's demand for salary
OF $4,000 to play this season.
We all realize that Cobb is a most ex-
cellent ball player, but possessing that
excellence he cannot force the Detroit
Base Ball Club to pay to him more for
his services than we can Afford" said
President Navin today.
1--WE have made Cobb an offer, having
submitted to him for his approval the
usual contract we tender all the members
of the team. He has seen fit thus far to
turn it down and hold out for a bigger
price than we stand willing to pay.
He has been offered substantial in
crease over the salary he has received In
the past. and we feel that is about all We
can do in the matter. If he sees fit to
stay out Of the game. that is his business.
but in the circumstances We will try to
get along as we'll as We can. 1t is the
aim of our club to make the Tigers a
Detroit institution and not one that might
be styled the All-Cobb Club.
1T is a case from now on of one for
all and not all for one. This is in all
fairness to the other players on the team
who was working as a unit for the best
interests of the Tigers.
Il see Cobb has been reported as say
ing that l remarked to him that he is
worth all he asks. This is all right SO
far as 1t goes. but L did add that he
would be worth the price he puts on
himself to the Standard Oil or some
other tremendously wealthy corporation,
but that to the Detroit base ball club
his pay would have. to be commensurate
with the ability of the company to- pay.
1--WE are going to give Detroit win
ming club. and no one is more anxious
on that score thar myself. But when
we go as far as we are financially able
in the matter of star We feel from a
matter of principle we cannot go fur
Their.
1T occurs to those having the best
interests of base ball at heart that even
a star of CObb's magnitude ought to be
required to be amenable to the rules
of the game and not conduct himself
on or off the field any differently than
the player who has not arrived at his
distinction. All the other stars Of the
game including Mathewson, Hans Wag-
ner. Ed Walsh, Walter Johnson, Eddie
Collins and Iris Speaker, conform to
| the rules of the game as they are laid
down, and l don't see why Cobb should
not.
IF Cobb returns to the fold 1 shall
require him to do his best for the well
fare of the club and conduct himself as
all other members of the team. With
the price we have offered him he ought
at least to conform to the rules and reg
ulations as do those who are not so
fortunate in a financial way.
II feel Il have said all l have to say
in Cobb's case. and can do the affair no
good by continually thrashing out the
points of the case. We have started to
play ball, and let us get down to our
knitting. There is no one player greater
than the whole game. so let us pro-
coed for the benefit of the whole