The Washington times., 1914-02-22
WINNING LADS CRAB
OVER THEIR LOSSES
Some of the Best Players, Like
Baker, Are Absolutely With
out Nerves.
By TY COBB.
Words Greatest Player.)

Many fans believe that the life OF
ball player is an easy one, and that
the hours are the best which can be
had, but these fans are surface
thinkers and do not figure on the
long jumps, the morning practice,
and the nervous strain. / have been
asked to write, a story on the
"Toughest Situations of My Career
Right here, l will probably surprise
my readers with the statement that
every game, each contest l enter, il
tough for me. There is no such
thing as an easy ball game.
But / suppose that in the minds
of every ball player some few situa-
tions stand out as being the crucial
ones, and on their outcome has de-
pended largely his future ranking
in the game perhaps, along with
his teams ultimate standing in the
race. These occur most often when
a young player is just breaking into
the big league, although l reckon
that nearly every ball player enters
each game with the notion that he
cannot afford to fall down because
there are generally many clan:orlng
for the place.
This is especially true Of the younger
men who have just been assigned to reg
ular jobs. but who are not sure whether
they are going to hold them or not, and
also of the veterans when they begin TO
slow up. Aside from the natural anX-
iety over the outcome, it is this uncer-
tainity about the job which results in
the great nervous strain of eacn game II
q man has fretful temperament.
don't suppose that Fred Merkle, of
the Giants, will ever forget about the
time he failed to touch second base. Or
if he could the fans would not permit
him to on account of their constant
bowling at him.
Neither do | expect that Fred Snod-
grass will ever be able to let the incident
of the muffed fly in the final game OF
the worlds series of 1912 between the
Giants and the Red Soz, which cost a
worlds championship. slip from his
memory. Those were two tough situa-
,iois There have been countless 9TH
ers. They have cropped UP In the ca
reer of every ball player and manager
Swimming over two or three more
that come to mind, there was I he time
that Connie" Mack was up against the
question of whether he should seno IN
a pinch hitter for Plank in the second
of he
Chance faced a bad outlook when he
went into the extra game In the season
Of 1908 and it was put up to MIN 20
select Il pitcher. On this Selection Wouiu
probably bang the championship ana he
chance at a worlds series purse. AS
matter of fact. the game broke so that
r., could work two pitchers, starting
with Pficster, the ola sOuthpaw. ana
swinging in Mordecai Brown later.
Tough Breaks Are Many.
Frequently [ have been asked what
the toughest situation OF my career was
In my baseball days there has not been
one but several. The toughest series of
situations occurred toward the end OF
the season Of 1907. when the Detroit
team was fighting for the pennant,
which 1t finally won after one OF the
most trying finishes ever made by d ball
1865 so that | was practically q young
ster at this time, when The Tigers TOOK
their frst remnant. Jennings won that
championship with the Detroit team IN
Tho final two weeks Jf the season. most
of the games being piayed on the roah
Ii ! remember rightly. we had to win
twelve out OF fourteen battles to take
the flag, and NJ did II.
The reaGicr should be interested in the
mental :4tuiude of the bali p ayers ult-
..tr ran rod In
rinal victory meant a lot Of money in
the pocket of each Inerlner of the club
whether We won or lost the world ser
les. ASIDE frorn this. there was the
Glury that would so with it.
During those final two weeks ever
member OF n" team was ''crabhins-"
don't believe there vas Il pleasant
look "ivem or a kind word spoken by
anybody. If a man made an error, tn"
rest of the club was ready to do him
bOdil" harm should it cost the victory.
In fact there were several fights be-
tween memners Of the team as the re-
suit Of nerves drawn tight and TO an
edge If u mistake cost a contest. racn
PLAYER thought he haI been done son"
personal ini.rS. intent onally directed At
him, which, Of courSe. sounds ridicu-
ious TO the nor.Lal mind, but We Were
not normal then.
recall - game against New York at
this period that looked like ours up to
ne .'tN N'iihIi illIiHE. wren ono Il lh''
felders lost AN easy double play, which
he would dOuLticss have accomplished
without trfrIb.c il the situation had not
been ro press ng. This oversight put our
opponents IN position to tie the game
up with a hit that was torthcomiEE MS
is alwSIs In" case. / have found. under
such circumstances. with the game
tied the other club won in the eighth.
As soon as the Tigers reached their
dressing room. We all went afteN that
player.
If We did not have lot of Dar.lizei
men on this r!uh. we might have u
chance at the pennant.' squawked one
player. why didn't yon get that
double? I've got Il good mind To Knock
your block off,
Bonehead Spoils Play.
IF you do, you'll get your hands full
of spI,nters or shatter them on the con-
crete construction" declared another
surly player as he stripped off his unt-
form. whats the use in us fellows
hustlng when some bonehead is going
to kick the old ball game away from
yCu?'
IF you guys had mad. as many hits
as | did today. we would have taken
IT," replied the player under FIRE.
Yes. but you hit them all with two
cut and nobody on cracked another
one.
How am L going to hit them with