The Washington times., 1914-01-25
Georgia Peach" Tells Times
Readers About His New
York Scrap.
REGRETS WHOLE INCIDENT
Widest Bugs in BIeachers Are
MiIdeSt in the World Off the
Field.
By TY COBB.
(Big Leagues Best Batsman0

mas had as much experience with
crowds as l have. Once, 1 went into
grandstand because a fan irritated
me beyond endurance by the names
he called me, and again l was threat
ened with being shot if l played in
Philadelphia after the time I unfor-
tunately spiked Frank Baker.
The crowd makes the ball game,
How much pepper, how much enthu-
siasm, and how much baseball do YOU
suppose a player would show if the
games were played to empty seats ?
Probably nearly every spectator who
has ever attended big league con-
test has noticed that he sees the best
baseball when the crowd is biggest
and most partisan and noisiest. This
makes the players work harder be-
cause they want to show the specta-
tors, if they are roofing for them,
that they are there, and, if the root
ers are against them, they want to
show that this doesn't make any diff
ference with their playing.
Many big leaguers claim that the
crowd and its roofing has no effect on
! them. This is not generally true. /
! know it has big effect on me Most
ball players, however. like to give the
! impression that they are Indifferent to
the roasts or applause of the crowd.
| The two worst towns on the American
League circuit for rOoters riding visit
ing ball players are st. Louis and Phila-
| delphia-
With their club generally a tailender
and hopelessly out of the race. there
! does not appear to be any occasion for
/ the fans of ST. Louis to be so rabid, but
: 1t seems as If about half of the spec
tators that go to the ball park there at
| tend the game for the fun of panning
/ the visiting players. The names that
| the occupants of the bleachers call the
| outhelders could not be printed on as
bestos paper. If they ever get a winner
! in St Louis, every visiting ball player
will have TO have police protection each
time the home club loses a close game
Easier to Understand.
The sentiment of the Philadelphia
fans is easier to understand, because
they have winning club. to support
but still it is unusual. since, otherwise
Philadelphia is a nice. quiet, well-be-
haved city where the citizens go to bed
| early. After l was accused of delibeT-
| ately trying to spike Baker when the
Athletics were fighting for the flag back
| in 1910. / received numerous letters tell
| ing me that / would be badly treated
| the next time the Tigers played in Phil
adelphia. The spiking incident occurred
| III Detroit. One of these comElunica-
! tiCns stated positively that If l played
IN this next series l would be shot by
man standing on top of one of those
| houses outside the right Held fence tho
| roofs of which raise themselves over
! the enclosure. so that it would be an
| easy shot for any one used to a rife
Here is the letter:
"Ty Cobb.
''Detriot Baseball Club.
IF you play against Philadelphia, you
viii be shot from one of the buildings
outside the park. We know you are
GLOW because you showed it when you
spiked Baker. Now let's see If you re
game enough to play in that next serieS.
II YOU DO. YOU are done"
Mrs. Cobb did not want me TO play,
but figured that the writer was bluff
ing and was just trying to scare me so
that I would stay out OF the lineup and
weaken the team, and, anyway, l could
not anOTd TO remain out of the game.
So | worked through the series, but l
make no pretcnce of bravery for my
action. 1t would have required more
courage for me to stay out of the game.
because most OF the newspapers had
printed stories about the letter at the
time, and / would have been called
yellow by all followers Of the sport
If ] had not played
| would rather take a chance on
being shot than have that epithet ap-
piled to me. I do not want to pose as
hero in this incident and will freely
Admit that ! spent several uncomfOrt-
able minutes during the series in ms
exposed position in center field.
| recall that, in the second contest Of
the series. l was beginning to get used
to the idea that some bug might be
crazy enough to pot me in the back
during the game, when there suddenly
came a report like that made by "A gun
from the outside OF the park behind
the right field fence. must have
jumped about eight feet, for Sam Craw-
ford, playing in right field, yelled at
me
whats the matter. TYP"
What vas that l shouted back
to him.
Some guy blew odt an automobile
tire outside the right field fence" he
replied. The message brought me great
relief. IF you don't believe this noise
will scare You. try standing out there
with the idea in your mind that Il sharp
shooter is making you his target and
let som" one blow u shoe. 1t is no
nerve tonic.
PhilIy Fans Ride" Cobb.
The fans of Philadelphia have al
wavs ridden" nc hard, prOba bly, b"-
cause / Lave had trouble there from
time to time. and ] generally play
my best ball against tho Athletics.
like opposition from the crowd. II
makes me work harder. I once broke
up in Philadelphia the longest batting
slump | ever experienced after having
-ure to the hat seventeen times with
ont getting a hit. was nearly
"nutty' after the seventeenth appear
ancc, when we went along to Phila-
IClnhia the next day 10 play a series.
The fans had been reading in the
newspapers about my lOEG slump. and
the crowd was out at the park ready
TO ride" me. The first time | went
TO the bat II seemed as if every
spectator in the park joined in the
chorus of that time-hOnOred chant:
"Strile him OUT Strike him out
Now this did not disturb me aS it
Frequently docs some batsm"n. II
only made nc fight the harder. and
I got 50 sore | could Sc" nothing but
the pitcher winding up and hear
nothing but an indisCCTnible din in
my ears. However. | WAS aware that
they were still shouting:
Strike him out! Strike him OUT
pitching for tHc Athletics. threw was 2
curve. and lot it go. Then set my
self for fast one, guessed II risit, |
hooked the ball and drove a three !