The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-08-12
VETERAN TYRUS COBB
SHINES IN 0UTFIELD
And AS TIGER HEAD

NEW YORK, Aug. 12.-Ty Cobb not
only was about the greatest of all ball
players but he darn near is now.
The high tension wire of the Detroit
Tigers has more years on his shout.
ders and more service stripes on his
arm than any other active player in
baseball and he has no idea of quitting.
In his eighteenth year of campaign
ing down the hard major league pike,
he is threatening to take his old place
of batting king with a mark better
than 400.
That's his remaining ambition.
Cobb's eye is still as sharp as fifteen
years ago. He still has the instinct
of camping in the right place for the
centerield drives and his hands still
holds them. Age is showing only in
! his work on the bases.
my old legs aren't as good as they
used to be-" Cobb said during the re-
cent visit of the Tigers to New York,
Il don't steal bases like | used TO.
Not because l have lost too much
speed, but because base stealing is no
longer a big factor in winning.
With the lively ball and the epidem-
ic of hitting, there is no need in risk
ing injury by going down to second for
q OlOSC pay WACn lOu nave just do
much chance to score by waiting on
a double or a triple behind you. 1
think if / wanted to take the chance
and found the need pressing, / could
get out and lead the league again in
base running.
Cobb today is the most inspiring
leader on the field. Speaker has lost
much of his old fire, but the Georgia
Peach is always on the talk, either OF
the coaching line or in front of his
dugout- He has filed his team with
fight and he has lost some of the ultra
critical tendencies that made his
friends fear from his job last summer.
The Tigers have a young shortstop.
Emory Rigney, who looks like one of
the best prospects in baseball. Rig
ney is also a lucky young man.
The Tigers bought him several
years ago from the Texas League and
sent him back for seasoning. Strings
were kept on him but they became 50
tangled in a number of transfers that
Commissioner Lands had to declare
him a free agent.
When Detroit went to sign him
again, Frank Navin had to pay him
$500 to sign another contract.
Detroit also has in Herman Ptllette,
the leading pitcher of the team, a
: youngster right out of Horatio Ayers
fiction.
The Portland Pacific Coast League
club had a pitcher last year, Sylvester
| Johnson, who had done so well that
the scouts of all the major leagues
clubs were making offers of large
| cash.
The Tigers came along with a bid
OF $4,000 and the deal was made.
When the time came for delivery, the
Portland management thought per
haps they had done so well in the
1 transaction that they should throw in
a little extra material.
2 Pillette, a long, ungainly lookine
L rookie, had been sitting on the bench
so long that they tired of him and
thought little of his prospects. He
was thrown in with Johnson on the
deal and sent to Detroit.
Cobb didn't think much Of him and
didn't give him a chance until John
son hurt his wrist and became prsc
tically useless for the season. Pillette
a was thrown in to fill a bad hole ane
he delivered sensationally.
He is not only the leading pitcher
n on the club but promises to develoI
o into n Of the best in the league.
l. Cobb was asked recently what hc
would take for Pillette and he ans
Y wered: DO you think any club would
n go higher than $150,000?"