The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1914-08-21
HAS COBB Been
HELP To GAME?
Question Is Discussed Pro and
Con by Expert Writer

Baseball mas gwen Iyrus Raymond
Cobb, the Detroit whlrlwind. world
wide fame and comfortable fortune
unless he has spent IL.
He has been named as the greatest
ballplayer OF all time by those whose
opinions carry weight wherever the
American pastime is known. He has
won the Chalmers trophy, with the
highest percentage, OF points ever
awarded any player. He Is, perhaps,
bigger man in his native state today
than its politicians.
In return what has Ty Cobb done
for baseball? asks an Evening Wiscon-
sin writer.
Has lie done the game more good
than harm, or has his connection with
It been more harmful than beneficial
to a nations greatest sport?
The Georgia Peach has drawn many
thousand people through the turnstiles
Of Americas baseball plants to see him
perform. Has he drawn more people
by his wonderful feats on the field than
he has turned away by his eccentric
deeds while out OF uniform? 1t Is said
that he has helped materially to make
a fortune for the Detroit club owners
and has put money into the pockets OF
other diamond magnates. Has he
earned for them more than he has cost
them in the final footing?
Cobb has made the state OF Georgia
as well known as he is himself, but
has he created favorable impression
OF the kind OF men Georgia raises? He
has interested lot OF people in the
game Of baseball because OF the wide
publicity given his career. but has he
improved the general public's opinion
of the sport or of the kind OF men en-
gagged in it?
These are not Impairment but per-
tincnt questions.
Twenty years ago the inability OF the
powers I'm 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 public that the clubowners
were at their wits end trying to find
some way to stop the ebbing tide or
interest II was unusual for hotel
Of the first class to open Its doors To
a professional team. much less offer
reduced rates as an inducement to
tempt that sort OF guests. Even fifteen
years ago the conditions were about
as bad.
Then for period OF year there was
marked Improvement. The advent
Of the American league and it's policy
Of suppressing unruly players did
much to improve the public's estima-
ton of the game and OF its actors. The
Improvement attracted 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 became can be Illustrated
by an incident which occurred only
few years ago TO Chicago team while
on the road.
one hotel proprietor. through per-
sonal friendship consented to accept
the players as his guests. although his
hosiery had not courted that kind OF
business for years. The third day or
the teams stay in town the proprietor
met the manager OF the team In the
hotel lobby, and, after exchanging
greetings, said:
II thought you were going to bring
your team to stop with me?"
Il did" was the laconic reply. we
came day before yesterday
But haven't seen any OF them
protested the landlord.
There are three OF them over there,
two more standing there by the door
and several outside" said the manag-
er, indicating different groups of play
ers.
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
years previous from various experien-
ces with them. That was the explana-
ton.
Many patrons 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 the national
safety valve for all classes or men, wo-
men or children who love clean sport.
How many first class hotels In the