The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-06-17
COBB THREATENED
BY BAN JOHNSON
Will Drive Star Out of Base
ball If He Wrote Signal
Stealing Article.

z
WASHINGTON, June 17.-If 1t can
be proved that 'Ty Cobb, greatest play
er in the American League, wrote the
story that appeared under his name
in papers throughout the country, that
the White Sox have been stealing sig
nails from other teams, the georgia
Peach" will be driven out Of the
American League.
The case against Cobb, however,
will have to include proofs that Cobb
meant the White Sox when he wrote
under his own name that a certain
team in the league, whose manager
owed his success as bush league
boss to grab signals" as guilty OIL.
crooked work.
President Ban Johnson, who. arrived
in Washington yesterday on his swing
around the circle, was greatly wrought.
up when the gist OF Cobb's story was
told him.
Cobb will have to see me about
that story" said Johnson, "and mad
dition he may have to come before
the national commission. II it is
proved that he himself wrote the story
and that he meant the White Sox
when he spoke about a certain team
whose players have been stealing the.
signals of rival clubs, 1t will go hard
with him.
If he is guilty on both counts I will
drive him out of baseball. don't
care If he is a great ball player. No
player or anyone else am enable to the
discipline OF the American League can
pull anything like that and get away
with it.
81 have never been IN favor Of ball
players lending their names to stories
of any sort having to do with baseball
and especially II they do not write
them themselves. This Is as serious a
case as / have discovered since II
came east. President Comiskey spoke
to- me about It before I left Chicago,
and now l find everybody In the east
talking about 1t.
Ban Praises comlskey.
Gust imagine a man OF Comiskeys
character lending himself to such a
scheme as Cobb writes about. He GER
tainly could not have meant the White
Sox, and 1 have been told that he does
not mention any names. Just think
what it means il he accuses such a
man as Comiskey, the man whose
character always has been above sus-
picion! Could baseball get along with
out Comiskey? don't think So"
The last was brought out with
snap of the jaws and high-pttched
voice.
johnson also indicated that Comis-
key had demanded thorough sitting
Of the charges and j Johnson himself as
serted that he would make a rigid in
yestigation along whatever trail the
charges may lead.
Manager Rowland refused to COM
ment of Cobb's masterpiece, except to
say that somebody would be proved
liar in the near future.
"Our IS and 10 hits In the games
at New York showed that we can hit
the ball on grounds other than our
own,pl he said.t IT. have been asked
10 deny the charge, but II. Is mighty
hard work to catch up with a lie.
Cobb, who, is playing in Philadelphia
with Detroit, was not worrying about
Johnson's statement.
ST did not say, or write that the
White sox were stealing signals, said
Cobb, "and would not make such a
charge unless i saw it myself. Mr.
Johnson has no right osmake such
threats uni less he is sure OF his ground
and he should have asked me for my
side Of the story before taking It for
granted that sc was true.
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