The Washington times., 1914-06-28
Georgia Peach" Delivers Himself of Some Red-Hot
Opinions About Fans Who Howl at Players
and Umpires- They Never Have
Nerve toGarry Through
Their Threats.
By TY COBB.

CWorld's Greatest All-Around Piayer).
One Of the most peculiar things
about big league ball players is that
almost every man has ambitions to
play some other position than the
one he is in. If you will talk with
any of the diamond heroes, you will
find that he would much rather do
something else in the game that
what he is doing, and is confident
that he would have been d great sue
cess if he had taken up outielding
instead of pitching, or shortstopping
instead of catching.
will admit that l am this way
myself. I always have wanted to be
a pitcher, and think that if had
taken up this branch of the game /
could have made good at it, too. That
is why I warm up with somebody
almost every day. Some of the fans
have been unkind enough to insinu-
ate that do this pitching so as to be
as close to the grandstand as pos
sible, but they are badly mistaken.
! am no such publicity seeker as
this, and would be glad many times
II / didn't have to get near enough
to the stands to hear the 'knocks"
of fellows who seem to come to the
games purely to abuse and insult
players who cannot resent their re-
marks while in uniform.
There seem to be a lot of moral cow
ards, with less courage than rabbits,
who pay for a seat in a ball park Just
for the privilege of getting away with
a lot Of mean remarks which they would
not dare utter except when properly pro-
tected from vengeance. They take It
out on the bali players and umpires be-
cause neither can go into the stands
without risking a fine, and in the case
OF the arbiters, probable dismissal And
It isn't worth while paying a good stiff
fine for the fun of punching some yellow
dog who wouldn't be able TO give you
battle.
I have often wondered what one CT
the fellows who are always yelling.
boob y" TO the players, or "Robber" and
ali that sort of thing TO the umpires.
would do II he had to call the men
names TO their faces 1t would be worth
a lot of money TO have one OF these
fellows introduced TO the man he had
been abusing from the grandstand and
asked TO repeat his remarks. But, or
course, there is no chance. ! never yet
have met the fellow who had nerve
enough TO go up TO player or an ar
Ill = ~
he thought of him. 1t would be rather
risky business, to say the least, ior'
give a baseball man a fair chance 10
show his feelings, and he will defeno
his honor just the same as anEDTJs yCis
20 take care of himself in an alteration
than the grandstand critics.
Going back TO my original statement
I certainly would like to be a pitcher.
That would give me a chance TO nave
the same duel Of wits and skill with
every batter that ] now engage IN with
the pitcher when come to the plate.
But now ! only get four or fiVe chanCeS
TO hit in a game, while as PItcLer
these encounters in every game
worked.
Trying TO put II on the other fellow Is;
OF course, the very life OF baseball, ana
that is why the hurler seems to me To
have the most fun He is always actve-
ly engaged, while some of us out In the
field may have to stand around week
before we get anything to DO
A. one time / was ambitious to be-
com. an infielder. but you may rest
assured that I have put that behind me
/ tried 10 play second base with tho
Tigers once in 1912. Our club was padIy
crippled up. and in a game agalnst me
Athletics, / volunteered for duty on the
keystone sack. From what the papers
said about me; and what nv friends
confided after the game, I must nave