The Washington times., 1914-07-19
CHAMPIONS LACKING
IN AGGRESSVENESS
If They Had That, Says Ty Cobb,
There's No Telling What
They Would Do to Foe.
BY TY COBB.
(World's Greatest Ball Player).


Aggressiveness is one of the mos'
valuable qualities that a ball player
or a ball club can possess, and ]
would almost put it down as one OF
the essentials. 1t is true, however
that the Athletics, who have estab-
lished themselves as a sort of pen.
nant trust in the American League,
lack scrappiness to some extent, but
then the Mackmen have such a Won
derful aggregation that they can af-
ford to spare something.
If the champions were a hard
ighting, aggressive lot like the
Iigers. there is no telling what they
would do to this league. Our club
makes every ball game a fight and
he minute the bell rings we forget
al friendship and play to win re-
Eardless of the other fellows feel
ngs. We are always riding" the
other side and some of the things
hat we call opponents cannot help
but worry them a lot.
On the other hand, the Macks are
always quiet and smooth. They never
"cuss" anybody, it seems, and go
about the work as though playing
bal were as prosaic task as adding
up figures or selling shoes. 1 be-
lieve that they would be considerably
more formidable if they adopted a
more boisterous air, but probably
they know their business best.
The Red Sox of 1872 were noted as q
handshaking club" They never seem
ed TO want to argue or fight with any
nat they would be able to land the
Gunting for this reason. 1 doubt wheth-
er they would have won il at that il
they hadn't caught the American League
IN one Of its weakest years. when the
pitching was particularly had. That
same outfit wouldn't have a chance this
season when there are a dozen pitchers
~hom 1t is almost impossible to hit.
The result Of the present campaign
1ught to prove the relative importance
"f several departments of baseball.
ght now the three clubs which look
lost dangerous, Athletics, Tigers and
y, hite Sox, are exponents Of three diff
Trent types Of teams. Philadelphia has
weak pitching staff, great hitting
} over and excellent fielding Detroit
Fas high-class pitching, a good deal of
ting strength though less than the
acks. and ordinary fielding Chicago,
ne third Of the bunch, has a superfine
urlinS department, is very weak in bat
1g, and has only mediocre fielding
lility.
II would naturally be supposed that
me team which would show the highest
ggregate strength would be the PEN
ant winner, but this L2ay or may not
so. The Athletics have won their last
rec penants largely by slugging. while
. Sox OF 1906 grabbed theirs by the
b liant performances OF the pitchers.
1907, 1905 and 1903. Detroit had good.
ough not wonderful pitching and a
: eat deal Of hitting power. which COW
I'd up fielding that couldn't be called
tier than fair. In fact, the cham
onship Detroit clubs were weak in a
lple of positions, this being particu-
rly true in 1907 and 1888 when OLeary
y IS beginning to go back and We were
. u well fortified at third base. When
~. got Bush and ASoriarty our defense
J ~ked up wonderfully
Should the Sox, by any possible
q 7ance, win this years pennant, it
"uld be purely a victory for pitching.
outside of the mound department