Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-02-06
JOHNSON MOST
VALUABLE MAN
IN BASE BALL
FederaIs Rank Jackson Next to
Washington TwirIer and Place
Ty Cobb Third,
By Bill Bailey.

@HICAGO, Feb. The Federal
Leaguers figure that Walter
Johnson the Washington twirl-
er, Is the most valuable man in or
ganized baseball The same fellows
figure that Joe Jackson ranks mex
and that Ty Cobb whom many be
lieve TO be the greatest Of his day, s
third. Heine Zimmerman. the Cub
sIugger, and several fellows on the
Philadelphia Athletics are tied Tor
fourth.
The hest way to find ont what fel-
low really thinks of something he
wants is 10 find out what he Will pay
for it, It's a certainty that he viii
pay the top price for the tning he
values And It's upon this basis that
the worth Of johnson, jackson and
Cobb is fixed
Along about the time that the Fed
erals rea lily began to be taken serl-
ously, which was soon after Joe Tin
ker, Mordecai Brown and Otto Knabe
left the organized ranks, telegram
was sent 10 Johnson, 1t wasn't known
by Tinker and President Weeghman,
OF the Federals. that he was under
contract At any rate, they said they
didn't know The Washington twiri-
er answered that he was under legal
GDigduOnS 10 HldA Win W '0Aii as ~ "
but that lie thanked them for the op-
portunity Just the same.
U(hTHAT would you have given him
Wv a YEAR," Tinker was asked.
Il think Mr. Weeghman would have
told him to insert his own figures in
the contract" answered Tinker
Yes. but in dollars and cents what
would YOU have given him. 1t was
persisted
: We'll think Mr.. Weeghmln
would have given him between $4,000
and $50, 600 n year, answered Joe.
Soon after came a report that while
Cobb had been in consultation win
Frank Navin and and had practically
agreed upon terms that he had not
signed Detroit contract You re-
member the telegram that President
Weeghman sent him? II called for
SIS. 600 year and was 10 run for hVe
years
That's what the Federals thought
Of Cobb.
THE next fabulous sum offered was
i to Joe Jackson. Just short time
ago came a message from Greenville.
8 G the home OF the Nap slugger.
II was to the effect that Jackson had
been offered $50 600 for three Yeas.
That's almost $4,000 a year Which
shows what the Federals thought OF
Jackson.
Now. when the Federals were in
session in Chicago on that memora bic
DAY when the league was advertised
10 blow and when President Weesh :
man demanded show down. one Of
the managers met Heine Zimmerman.
What are the Cubs paying you
IT don't see that II Is any OF vo ir
business" was Heine's retort.
Well we will give YOU 5000 a
year and let you sit on the bench II
the courts hold that we can't play
you, was the come back
NOW. don't get the wrong impress
~ sion Don't for q moment sup
pose that We are trying to tell YOU
that Jackson Is a more valuable man
than Cobb or that Johnson is worth
more than either,
Ball players and the fans entertain
no such opinion The majority Of the
players have an idea that Cobb stands
alone among FEEDERS, batters. base
runners, and that he is worth two
Jacksons. They will tell you that II
is a toss-up when II comes TO rank
ing Cobb and Johnson. BY watching
the crowd YOU Will get the impression
that II is also "A toss-up between the
two so far as their drawing power is
concerned
There's usually a fair crowd at
every leag que game in which Cobb par
ticipates II is also true that there
is big crowd at every game In which
Johnson is advertised To pitch, It's
almost impossible 10 estimate The
value TO the playing strength of a
team of a man like Cobb. He wins
many a contest during the year. But,
then, il is also mighty difficult to fig
ure what a fellow like Johnson is
worth. and especially what he would
be worth to a team fighting for a
pennant.