The Detroit times., 1913-04-17
PLAYING ''fOr Detroit, not Cobb.
Will Make Tyrus as
Solid as Ever
FANS ARE PEEVED AT
1 THE PEACH AT PRESENT
Sympathy in Controversy Seems
To Be With Navin, Presi-
dent of the Tigers
BY RALPH L. Y0NKER.

Il
baseball star. and Frank J. Navin'
president of the Tigers. sit back anu
Sefuse to bulge in their positions lsee
Tom Mays cartoon on the first pace
! looks as if Cobb has lost the great
xr part Of that popularity that his
wonderful ball playing has given him.
To hear the fans talk now. one
would think that they don't care
Whether Cobb ever comes back or
hot.
But a few days after the season has
Begun in real earnest, cater the
Tigers have won few games, IL
Cobb Is in the lineup the fans Will be
IL wild about him as ever Like writ
tng In water will be the episode that
= now stirring up SO much feeling.
I II Cobb 10 not In the lineup, all the
Tigers need to do is to win those
kames anyway and the cams Will be
e daft as ever about some new hero.
It's the same old story. It's the
kame, after all, and not the salary
difference between star and magnate
Mat the fans care about
1 Fan memories are snort. All CoDo
teeds to do II he signs up now Is 10
let into the game, play for all that Is
"a him, give Detroit the best he has
And he'll be solid again.
( The present situation is not dra-
hattie press agent farce, as some have
limited. For q time during the south
krn trip 1t really appeared that 1t was
I'll cooked and dried between Navln
And Cobb as to what should be done.
The rumor that Cobb would report TO
he Tigers at Gulfport and arrange
Ms differences with the club later
lave rise to that idea.
I But Cobb and Navin are bitter at
ZACH other There is no doubt about
that. or course, neither man would
make q public statement to that ef-
tect but the lengths TO which they
lave gone show that they are not CIV
hg out empty vaporings in their
kaustic interviews and acetic signed
otatements.
Much has been said that both club
Ind star have preferred to hush up IN
NE past Reference has been made
10 Cobbs summary leaving OF the
hotel at Chicago just about year ago
because he didn't like the way the
hotel was treating him. Reference
las been made to Cobbs entering
New York grandstand and beating up
= spectator there. Reference has been
made to the Tigers strike, which foi-
Bwed that. All these things both
Cobb and Navin have preferred TO
lush up In the past and now thar
hey are being dug up, II indicates
70 sweetness of spirit.
4 There is always two sides TO ques-
t0n. The press is willing to give
10Th. Navin himself has given out
0gned statement setting forth his rea
GDns for refusing Cobb's demands and
3rcing him to move first. Cobb Is
yfvileged to do the same, setting
birth his side of the question.
Z But serious as the trouble may be.
cobb needs do only one thing upon re-
orning to Detroit to regain the popu-
nrity that he has evidently lost. II
Cobb will give his best efforts 10 De
troit, II he will In the future play 10
vim for Detroit, not for Cobb alone.
he name OF Cobb will again be asso-
dated with the leagues premier bat
ting honors. with spectacular fielding,
With marvellous baserunning rather
han with holding out. deserving his
WAm DeCduS6 lie ID ptcNtu ~ ho1N'
Clerks and punching insulting specta-
tors.
Cobb makes wonderful difference
to the club, even when he is trying
pr base hits for Tyrus rather than
Ihns for the club, because his marvel
(ls worth as a hitter and baserunner
Gbmpels him to be more valuable
than almost any other player. How.
ever, his past worth to the club and
the esteem in which he is held by the
ans can be greatly increased by AZ
apparent effort on his part 10 give the
uest he has for Detroit. rather than
for Cobb alone.
This inclination will manifest itself
in things other than those just IN the
nRme. For instance, If this inclination
nd been dominant this spring Cobb
Would have reported in the spring and
ogned up later. as those In the south
nth the Tigers at Gulfport under
6oOd that he was to do.
Here's hoping that this is the last
hat has to be written along this line
Here's hoping that Cobb will come
cross quickly. put an end to the sus
Eense and set the stands raving again
Axsh hi, xynndorful unrL for DatrOit