The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-11-16

the plate and nearly all players do that today.
 By using what was regarded as freak position at the plate, and by swinging three bats until the pitcher was ready to deliver the ball, Cobb overcame the physical handicaps. In- stead of planting his feet flat and firm and getting set for the delivery, Cobb was on his toes. He used a snap swing a quick chop, and therefore he did not have to set himself.
 Could Meet Any Ball
 Being on his toes he could quickly shift his body and using the chop he could meet any kind of ball the pitcher delivered and place it. Where the ortho- dox system demanded that the batter wait until the pitcher put the ball over the plate, or gave him one that he liked Cobb could shift into position quick enough to meet a ball on the inside or outside, low or high, and still have time to hit the ball because he saved frac- tion of a second in chopping, instead of swinging. His eye, wonderfully quick and accurate, helped.
 Cobb's style revolutionized batting. He perfected the chop stroke and with his stand at the plate, the quick, chang ing shift, he perfected the scientific style of hitting. There are not six play CTS in the major leagues today who are on the Lajoie-W Wagner style. All followed this style when Cobb broke into the big leagues. Now, nearly every batter shifts. Only about half a dozen men can be described as natural hit ters, men that stand firmly at the plate and swing, always in the same fashion. The other shift and mix their style.
 Cobb proved that his style enabled him to hit in any direction. Fielders found it impossible to play Cobb ac- curately. He had no specified lane. He has hit to center, left and right fields on three successive times at bat. Field CTS found it impossible to play him &C., curately. He could place ball as well as any man that ever lived and he al- ways tried to get one infielder out of position and pull the ball through the opening. If the team Detroit opposed had a good first baseman, Cobb never hit in his direction. We do not re- member Hal Chase ever fielding a ball batted by Cobb. If the opposing team had a good third baseman Cobb never hit the ball in his direction. If the op- posing team was weak at either corner Cobb would invariably try to pull the ball outside the fielder.
 Mastered Them All
 Cobb could hit any kind of ball that he could reach. Some pitchers stopped him for q while but sooner or later he mastered them. Fielders became nerv- ous whenever he came to bat. He all most always had them crossed up. No man ever took quicker cognizance of an opening in the defense; no man ever took quicker advantage of it. He would bunt when he was expected to hit and he would hit when the infield was sure he intended to bunt. He nearly always did the unexpected.
 It was Cobb who first used the sys- tenn of swinging hard on ball, fouling it off or missing it altogether, with the purpose of driving back the infield, sure that he intended to hit. And then, with the infield back, Cobb would bunt. Or, he would reverse this order. He would miss a bunt or bunt foul for a first strike, pull the infield in, and drive through on the next ball that he liked. If he bunted a foul or missed a bunt for the first strike and the in- field refused to be pulled in, then he would bunt on the next one. He man. aged to cross the infield either way it played him.
 Drove Between Fielders
 With the style he developed Cobb never became slugger. He tried to