Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-08-19
HAS COBB BOOSTED BASEBALL
MORE Than He HAS HURT SPORT?
Chicago Tribune Man Questions if Georgia Peach Has E
waited or Degraded the National Pastime-0pen to Dis
CISSon

sonal friendship. consented 10 accept
the players as his guests, although his
hcstelry had not courted that kind OF
business for years The third day OF
the teams stay in town the proprietor
met the manager Of the team in the
hotel lobby, and after exchanging
greetings, said:
Il thought you were going to bring
your team to stop with meg'
Il did, was the laconic answer. I'VE
came day before yesterday"
But / haven't seen any OF them,"
protested the landlord.
There are three Of them over there,
two more standing there by the door
and several outside" said the mana
ger, indicating different groups OF
players.
They don't act much like ball play
ers." was the hosts comment.
They did not act like his idea of pro-
fessional ball players formed several
years previous from various experienc.
es with them. That was the explana-
ton.
Many patrons who were attracted to
the games found the players did not
act on the diamond much like their
idea of how professionals would act,
and so the game became a national
safety valve for all classes OF men.
women or children who love clean
sport.
Attacked Fan in Gotham.
Has Ty Cobb contributed to that
improved idea of the game or has he
hindered it? How many times has
Tyrus had to steal home from third
to offset the injury he did baseball
when he went into the grandstand In
New York, singled out cowardly,
fool headed rooter who had been roast
ing him. and took a personal revenge
by physical prowess while clad in the
uniform of the Detroit team? Even
those who sympathized with him could
not admire that process of reasoning.
How many first class hotels IN the
country have bid for the patronage OF
the Detroit team because they wanted
the honor OF housing so illustrious
character? We cannot recall any. hut
we do know Of three fairly respectable
earavsnssries that are no longer pa.
trcnized by the Tigers. two Of them
by REQUEST In both cases the great.
est ball player Of all time was alleged
to be the cause In the third case he
fused so hard because the clerk
would not change HIS room that the
team and the hotel were divorced, al.
though it was by mutual agreement
rather than by request.
Cobb's fiery southern temper has led
him into trouble more than once. and
his standing alibi has been that he has
been misunderstood by northerners
who cannot appreciate the different
wy in which southerners look at
things. Does this argument really en-
nance the puhIic's estimation OF the
character of Georgia's citizens as 4
whole? More pertinent to the matter
under discussion Is the question: Has
the explanation of Cobb's various es-
caDades on and on the diamond and In
the clubhouse done baseball more
harm than his wonderful fielding feats
or his remarkable batting ability have
benefited the game?
Let's OF people have had trouble with
their butchers-cr their wives have.
They svmDsthize heartily with Cobb's
action in taking fall out Of the man
who wrangled with Mrs. Cobb over the
age Of certain fish. We all can SYM
pathize with Cobb IN many things he
has done, and still the question re-
mains:
Does baseball owe Tyrus Raymond
Cobb. ANYTHING, or is he in debt to the
grand old game?