The Washington herald., 1913-12-27
OFFER S5OO,0OO
FOR TY COBB
At Least Is Would Pay New
York Yanks to Put Up
This Amount
FOR A DRAWING CARD
Georgia Peach the Greatest Asset to
Ball CIub-Gotham Scribe
Tells Why.
FOR A DRAWING CARD

New York, Dec. 26.-And now the old
question bobs up: IF Ty Cobb were
placed on the auction block how much
would he bring?"
It's a question that may never know
an answer. for the Tiger owners think
quite a bit of the said Mr.. Cobb, and may
keep him on their roster until his playing
days are over. But if We owned the
New York Yankees, says a Gotham
scribe, and Cobb was for sale, we'd
start bidding for him with a mention OF
$4,000, and if there was any further
competition we'd shove the amount up
to $4,000.
half million dollars for one ball
player seems like a lot of money. But
IN five years time as a member of the
Yankees, Cobb would bring in something
like $4,000 interest on the $4,000 pur-
chase price The money he would bring
in after that because of being drawing
card would be what is termed in poker
circles velvet"
We don't think Cobb would be worth
that amount to any other club than the
Yankees. And here are the reasons that
make us think he's worth that much
money TO the New York American
Leaguers:
Crowds Would Turn Ont.
EVERY Gay IN the year at least O,OOO
out-Of-town people visit New York At
least 10000 of this number come from the
small towRs-towns where big league
baseball had not been played. But In
these towns they have heard of Cobb for
years: have heard of his wonderful bat
ting stunts; Of his dashing, daring base
running; OF his spectacular fielding. They
have heard of Cobb's praises sung day
by day. year after year, and there has
come to them the hope that some day
they may see the peerless Georgian in
action.
Playing with Detroit. Cobb appears in
New York City only eleven times each
year. The Yankees have seventy-seven
home games II Cobb were a Yankee
that would make seventy-seven games in
which he would perform in New York
or sixty-six more than at present.
1t is a safe bet that with Cobb appear
ing in New York uniform, at least 1,5OO
OF these out-of-town people would go TO
see Ty play. regardless of where the
Yankees stood in the American League
race.
So it can be seen that with Cobb as a
drawing card. yearly total of approx
mately $4,000 for the sixty-six extra
days would be received. In FIVE years
the total would be $4,000
Cobb is the greatest drawing card on
the road. his presence on the Detroit
team is the reason for the big profits
made year after year by the Tigers. As
a Yankee he would draw just as well
and as We view it. the road receipts of
the Yankees would be increased about
$4,000 at least each year. or s2JOO0O in
five years.
Sees Chance for Pcnnnnt.
And one thing. Cobb; Cobb alone can
not win a pennant but with a little help
here and there. he can at least put a
team in the Gght.
With Cobb's help the Yankees might
soon loom up as a championship pos
sibility. winning team is always a
good drawing card and as such the
Yankees treasure vaults would be in
creased by at least 100000 or $4,000 each
year Therefore looking at it from our
viewpoint Cobb in five years would put
something like $l,O0o.0o0 real regular dol
lars into the Yankee Golfers. Doesn't it
seem then that he's worth at least $780,
OOO to the Yankees, especially in view Of
the fact that he has something like ten
years of good, first-class baseball in his