The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1915-05-31
Trnrb CoBB, IKE HARD HITTING
ouTFrELDER TALKS OF
THE "JINX."
Ane Tells How 10 Affects Players, Abu-
Ivy OF reams-Saya Race in
Amsrfcal VIII BE Close.
by TY COBB.
worlds All-ronnd Ball Player.

~ ~ AAA-IOnnd Ball FlAT0T.
This season n stli young. but not
to young TO have developed "A number
az SURPRISES. Not the least OF these-to
ne anyhow-was the dismissal OF Zoe
birmingham from the management OF
The Cleveland club. | do not pretend 70
Know any Of the inside workings which
u strikes me that last winter would
nave been a more fitting time for a
chanEc.
We have had examples enough Of the
d~isadvantaEea Of managerial changes
curing the playing season. These can
not be effected without DESTROYING team
morals to a marked degree. While the
Cleveland clubs game this year under
birmingham did not promise 10 win -
high place In the standing. ~ neVerthe-
less was an improvement over last sea
son. Even al this writing the Forest
Sity aggregation Is much closer to the
ieaCers than many pcnant winners have
been so early I'm the race. New theo-
ries and new doctrines which are bound
70 come With now Management are I'm
lkely TO combine toward immediate inn
proNemeut. The spring training camp
Is the lifting place TO launch a new
management.
birmingham dismissal emphasizes
Tor me the fact that the baseball situa-
ton in Cleveland Is a most peculiar one.
The team has seldom figured seriously
In the pennsnt fight In spite OF the fact
that many times a. has had the greatest
paper strength Of any club in the Amer
lean League. u H. In exactly the same
boat as Cincinnati. OF the National
League.
~ frcr. Cleveland has come TO be re-
Earded by the profession as a hoodoo
town. IL H. a city Of which the ball
player wishes to steer clear. There IL no
doubt In my mind that the psychological
effect OF this has been noticeable IN the
bearing Of the CleN Gland players them
selves. I remember that several seasons
ago when Cleveland kept well az In the
race almost to the cEd. the winning CON
fidcnre that means so much TO "a club
was lacking among the PLAYERS. said
to Larry L.ajotc at the time that I
thought his club a "a mighty good
nance TO cop a ponnant at last.
Maybe so. said Larry. but ! don
working against us. Some one is al
ways being injured or taken SICK when
ne II most needed There seems TO DE
a curse of some Kline on the club
Cleveland split wide upen shortly az
ter mat. iE guile true that injuries
had something To- do with g.. but 10 IT,
also true hat such eminent. prevalent
throughout the ranks, was not OF the
kind TO stand Off any spirited challenge.
Helped
The change or ownership iu the Yam
Bill DunOvau's club. There was 70 club
in which the idea was set that some
against success. a veteran who g. still
with the club told me iu all seriousness
once that an old woman ON her deathbed
had cursed the owners. This PLAYER 10
not particularly supergtitf0ug but he
accepted the tale as e. matter of estah-
lishcd fact. 7 questioned around among
MS companions enough Co find out that
practically every player on the club held
n Ike opinion. They thought their
team was hoodoocd and. linking 80. "a
naturally vas. talked 60 this veteran
PLAYER a short time aRo. Now he Is All
enthusiasm. and ~ has shown in MS
work. Tor no has been a great factor
~ keeping the club 20 prominently In
the light.
Moral assurance i- one OF the great
est assets any club can boast. Take
clarence Rowland. the new manager Of
he White SoN. His PLAYERS are telling
IN all seriousness that Clarence Is pos