The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-09-16

my team was up in the fight or down III
 the cellar. | have played the game 10 tne
 best of my ability and because 1 Knew
 that some fans came out to the games pc.
 cause they wanted to see me perform
 tried never to disappoint them.
 And yet, Jim, in many cities when !
 WAS working with all my power to pfihs
 victory to my team, and to give as good
 an exhibit of baseball as \ could the
 crowds would boot and hiss me. Ana TOT
 what? Other players who were rather iii- M
 different in their work, who dldn try
 and Who rarely attempted play 'n" would give the crowd a thrill, never oleW a hoct or a jeer But with me it was 4
 whole lot different. Oftentimes fans III the stands woudl hurl insults at me; cal me the vilest names possible, abuse ne verbally to the limit of profane vocapu- lary.
 "Thc hooting, hissing and jeerlns-I never minded that. And, frankly, was rather keen every once in while 10 en@ gage in little repartee with some sal
 castle, yet good natured, fan. The klo- ding did an awful lot to spur me on to
 greater effort. Those fellows In the stands who were telling me that was d false alarm and a. joke and that wash even a good bush eaguer, really were friends in digsuise, because thelr JOSH ing always made me try to snow thehi the errors of their opinion. Orolnary spoofing by the fans was all rlght' As acted as an incentive for me
 But there was another kind or attach which some fans levelled at me; vlclous
 bombardment of billingsgate and insults that could rouse the fighting spirit Ill }he
 most peaceful citizen. And that form or
 abuse always puzzled me-
 "All my life have tried to play square with everyone. Those who are my crltics may say many things about me that are Lnkind But none can say that Ty Copo ever dealt crookedly with any man. Through the years that l have been q ball player I have figured in numper of affairs that have caused nationwide criticism of me- Many have seen fit to knock me with considerable vigor because of these incidents. They based thelr at- taciSs only upon the surface appearances. Rarely have they tried to get both sldes of the stcry; rarely have they given me an ever break. But perhaps the fault mas been mine as much as theirs.
 There are always two sides to story. 1 Jim. And my side concerning many or them never has been told in it's entirety. It had been my belief that as long as some rersons were so constructed that | they would seize upon the flimsest pos- l sible excuse to criticize me that an ex- tplanation from me would not alter thelr attitude So I kept silent. Perhaps If had gone to the front with my own story on all these occasions, things might nave been different-and perhaps not. My big league days are done. l have played perhaps the last game of baseball that l ever shall play. It is my hope that
 I will be on tho battlefields of France be-
 fore winter. And I may never, come back Even if I do there is>no assurance
 that HI get back into -adiamond harness
 again. So am going to tell you now, as
 a sort of farewell to my friends and base ball fans in general something that you
 may call Ty Cobbs story of Ty Cobb s | career"
 (To be continued tomorrow)