Evening journal., 1918-02-26
.tOBB'S TRADE IS
YEARS BEST fiction
"Sale" to Yankees Leads
Swatting in the Hot
Stove League
GREATEST PLAYER
PLAYS OWN CANE

Tyrns Raymond Cobb to become a
Yankee was the greatest OF all Febru-
airy baseball fiction. The evidence in
the case is from a baseball reporters
viewpoint that Miller Huggns is sus-
plciously incoherent when questioned
about the matter; that he has been
seen in conference with Frank Nayin,
president Of the Tigers. and that the
Yankees need an outnelder-three Of
them. II possible. Nothing more.
Presumng there Is an actual posi-
blity Of obtaining the Georgia Peach,
T. IL Is doubtful If IL would pay In the
long run II Huggins wants TO make
flash for one season Cobb might make
it for him II the mite manager serl-
Ously proposes TO build a ball team
into a cohesive unit that always VIII
be In the flght the percentage is against
him II he takes over Ty.
Cobb occupies an especial niche IN
baseball He is bigger than any team
he plays with; yet his uncommon
ability IS not great enough TO success
fully combat the finest thing about
, pennani-winning teams, which Is ball
snce.
Those who attempt even an super
fetal analysis Of neirot's play must
reach a hasty conclusion that Cobb
plays pretty much his own game and
Nts the rest Of his team go It's way. lie
is not amenable 10 team play. and
hasn't been for years. He is the gate
attraction with the Tigers, the biggest
. single card In all Of baseball and he is
aware IF the fact Cobb has created
record upon record. When he is In pur-
suit Of a new mark team play has been
sacrificed to the fires Of personal am
, bition and Hughie Jennings has been
made 20 look like a fearfully inadequate
manager.
Perhaps a relevant question is
whether Cobb has made Jennings seem
IKE a bloomer as manager. or Is
Jennings normally lacking in that
rapacity? Jennings seems to be a de-
hcient Judge OF pitching and one who
Is utterly unacquainted with the the
preccpts OF team play. Detroit's game
for years has been: Bush get on, and
Cobb. Crawford and Neach hit him
sround.7 II they in addition hit them
selves around so much tho better.
When Cobb became the star Of the
Tigers those who have played with
lin say, Jennings was forced 10 cater
90 his whims and prejudices TO keep
peace on the team. In the early days,
when the Juugaleers grabbed OF three
pennanls. Cobb was one Of the several
terrific hitting batsmen who kept his
team In the van. But he was not the
.ssiar then-as he has been since. And
30 is more or less relevant that since
he has been the star the Tigers have
never got any place.
u is perhaps unfair 20 blame this on
Cobb Certainly If an Of jennings
players had been as efficient as he De
troit would win nothing but pennants
ON the other hand there are many who
believe the Tigers would have gone
farther If Cobb's play had been 'regu-
lated " Perhaps Miller Huggins would
md ways OF making Cobb more valu-
able 10 his team than Jennings has been
able to.
After "A years of pre-omnence, dur
ing which an Of his desires have heen
rrafined. and during which he has not
figured as a cog in team work, as Ed
die Collins and other stars have, we
doubt. If hc would be Of permanent
value 10 the Yankees in so far as build
Ing them up is concerned 10 is believed
that al first he would be a curiosity
they would pay big at the gate; then
"A commonplace Taking his work with
the Tigers as criterion. we doubt II
Tvrus Raymond's association with the
Tanks would make them well-bal-
nnced team.