The Washington herald., 1914-08-16
Has Tyrus r. Cobb
Helped Baseball? ?
Georgia Peach Has Gained
World Fame and Gathered
Comfortable Fortune.
IS A BIG DRAWING CARD

\
Cobb. the Detroit whirlwind. world
wide fame and comfortable fortune
unless he has spent IL
he has been named as the greatest
ball player Of all time by those whose
opinions carry weight wherever the
American pastiue is known. He has won
the Chalmers trophy. with the highest
percentage of points ever awarded any
player He is. perhaps. a bigger man
in his native State today than its poll
1scians
Has he done the game more good
than harm. or has his connection with
it been more harmful than beneficial to
a nations ereatest sFort2
Has Drawn ThouSandA.
The Georgia Peach has drawn many
thousand people through the turnstiles
of Americas baseball plants TO see him
perforni Has he drawn more people by
his wonderful feats ON the field than he
has turned away by his eccentric deeds
while out of uniform2 II is said that
he has helped materially to make 4 for
tune for the Detroit CLUB owners and has
put money into the pockets of other dia-
mond magnates. Has he earned for them
more than he has cost them In the final
footing2
Cobb has made, the State Of Georgia
as well known as he is himself. but has
he created a favorable impression OF the
kind Of men Georgia raises? He has in
teres.ed 4 lot Of people IN the game OF
baseball because Of the wide publicity
given his career. but has he improved
the general pubhc's opinion Of the sport
or OF the kind Of men engaged in it,
These are not imnertinent but peril
ncnt questions.
Conditions Bad Ycars Ago.
Twenty years ago the inability of the
powers in command OF baseball to con-
troll the actions Of the unruly element
among the players had brought the game
into such low esteem with the general
rubl!c that the club owners were at their
wits end trying to find some way to
stop the ebbing tide of interest. Il was
unusual for hotel of the frst-class TO
open its doors to a professional team,
much less offer reduced rates as an in
ducement to tempt that sort of guests
Even fifteen years ago the conoitlons
were about as bad.
Then for a period of years there was
a marked Improvement. The advent of
the American League and its policy OF
suppressing unruly players did much TO
improve the pGblic's estimation Of the
game and of its actors The improve
ment attracted a better class of young
men into the sport, with the consent OF
their parents. How great the change in
attitude toward the men in baseball be-
came can be illustrated by an incident
which occurred only a few years ago TO
a Chicago team while on the road
Accepted as Guess.
One hotel proprietor, through personal
friendship, consented to accept the play
ers as his guests, although his hostelry
had not courted that kind of business
for years. The third day of the teams
stay in town the proprietor met the man
ager of the team in the-hotel lobby and,
after exchanging greetings, said:
Il thought you were going to bring
your team to stop with me-?
Il did" was tie laconic answer. We
came day before yesterday"
But I haven't seen any Of them" pro-
tested the landlord.
There are three Of them over there
two more standing there by the door
and several outside said the manager,
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 4
years previous from various experiences
with them. That was the explanation.
Many persons 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.
Attacks Gotham Fan.
Has Ty Cobb contributed to that i'm |
proved idea of the game or has he hin
E.p ha
had TO steal home from third to offset !
the injury he did baseball when he went
into the grand stand in New York SIN :
-led out a cowardly. fooIlheaded rooter !
who had been roasting him, and took |
personal revenge by physical prOwess
while clad in the uniform Of the etroit !
team? Even those who sympathize with I!
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, but 1
We do know Of three fairly respectable
caravansaries that are no longer patron |
fzed by the Tigers. two Of them by rel
guest" In both cases the greatest ball 1
player of all time was alleged to be the 4
cause In the third case he fused so hard
because the clerk would not change his l
room that the team and the hotel were /
divorced. although II was by mutual |
agreement rather than by request.
Cobb's fiery Southern temper has led |
him into trouble more than once. and i
his standing alibi has been that he has
been given OF Cobb's various escapades
cannot appreciate the different ways in
which Southerners look al things. Does
this argument really enhance the pub
lies estimation Of the character of Geor-
gta citizens as whole? More pertinent
10 the matter under discussion is the
question: Has the description that has
been given by Cobb's various escapades
on and OF the field and in the club
house done baseball more harm than his
veenderfuI ability has benefited the game?
Lots Of people have had trouble with
their butehers-or their wives have. They 1
sympathize heartily with Cobb's action |
in taking a faH out Of the man who 1
Wrangiing with Mrs. COZ over the exact /
age Of certain hsh. We all can sym
pathize with Cobb in many things he has
done, and stin the question remains:
Does baseball owe Tyrus Raymond Cobb !
anything. or is he in debt to the grand
old game?