Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-05-13
ALL 1T WANTS IS PATRoNA GE

/
to the courts because the club re-
fused to pay O'Connor after the
player had been accused of conduct
unbecoming a gentleman and a man
ager on the ball field" 1t was
most notorious and much-discussed
affair, and it had to do with the
batting ability of one Tyrus Raymond
Cobb, former holdout, and Larry
Laioie who never cut up such FRANKS.
Both players. famous and all that,
were fighting on close margin for
the batting honors of the year 1911.
6
1t was a great battle and the base
ing, noon and night. Cobb was lead
ing by such a small margin that even
-le Off day for him might lose him
the championship. Lajoie was plug
ging along, holding his own generally
and sometimes gaining. Finally 1t
came down to the last game of the
season. Cobb-foxy Cobb-with an
almost certain advantage, didn't play
in the final contest Lajoie had to
play to win, and he not only played,
but everybody on Jack O'Connor's st.
Louis team seemed to be playing for
him. Corridor, who was playing
third base for the Browns, seemed to
be particularly anxious that Lajoie
should make a hit every time he
came to the bat-and Lajoie did. He
hunted and hunted and bunted-just
five times. On each occasion Corri-
don fielded the ball perfectly, threw it
to first with equal precision, but not
once did the bah beat Lajoie out.
Marvellous, if it were on the level, to
be sure, but later evidence proved
that the efforts to beat Cobb were
much stronger that the desire to reA
tire Lajoie.
@
But the cheating, as does mos.
cheating, went for naught. Lajoie
didn't win the prize after all. AL
though on the surface it looked as
if five hits in row would put him
in the lead, Ban johnson, bringing the
figures out to the hundreds of thou
sands. proved that Cobb had done
the better work with the bat by a
very small margin of point. And
that's how O'Connor, who was man
aging the team. got into disrepute.
p1s nh a. hnpn
| imposed upon and Inundated, re-
fused to pay the doughty manager
any more salary. The owners broke
the contract. fined O'Connor, and
even then felt that they had re-
ceived the worst of it. The court de-
cision, however, would seem to indi-
cate that the manager was ill-treated,
and it only goes to show the wide
difference between baseball justice
and civil justice.
| G
| Strange, wonderful player that
Cobb is, players and fans alike, to a
startling number, were pulling and
hoping for a Lajoie victory. Cobb,
| for some reason or other, didn't APP
peal to the fans in the same cheerful
| way as good old Larry" and nat
ural there was a keen desire to see
the F'renchman carry off the honors.
But Cobb outgeneraled everybody.
He apparently knew where he stood
and also knew what Lajoie had done
in his batting. In avoiding play in
the last game. Ty felt, no doubt, that
he was safe, but he was, of course,
severely and generally criticised as a
gutter. Afterward, though, when it
was learned how Lajoie had been ia.
vored in ST. Louis, the fair minded
fans, feeling that the better man had
really won, turned to Cobb and gave
him his just dues. 1t makes an in
teresting story, as recalled by the
court case of O'Connor. Both Cobb
and Lajoie are still very much in the
glowlight Cobb has only recently
hold-out period, and Lajoie is out OF
the game on account of an injury.
C
The Cleveland team can shout
Tough Luck with a vengeance
Here are the Maps well up in the pro.
cession and going like a house or
fire and along comes Mr.. Jinx anC
raises ructions. First, the reliable
Larry Lajoie is put out of the game
by an injury. and then follows, only
yesterday, an accident that has fixed
Manager Birmingham as subject fol
I the hospital. Both men were goine
in particular, great old warhorse tina
he is, seemed to be better than ever
, The luck, of course, has not been al
against the Clevelands. They real
ly have been fortunate, in a way, il
getting such an elegant start Othe
, clubs, practically down and out, ar,
, just chirping to get their heads abov,
water, yet the whale is ever presen
!, | Cleveland, perhaps, is no worse OF
, than some of the other clubs in tn
: American League, but to be right VI
in the lead fighting for your life ant
then encounter two such accidents il
few days is enough to make anyon
t ''cuss' his luck.
g.
r Mathewson is still the topic of base
/ ball discussion, and the "old Master
t lis likely to be attracting attentio
II I4| /. a.