Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-11-12
CHAPTER NJ.
BY n. q. SALSINGER.

n ALL players at the time of Ty
X Cobb's major league debut
- were different type than the
players of today. They were hard,
rough and ready lot, as whole.
They battled on and off the playing
field. A man had to win his position
in those days by showing that he
could take it.
The veterans were clannish. They
held as common enemy any recruit
who tried to break in. They did
everything to handicap him. They
made the youngsters the butt of
coarse jokes, bullied them, ragged"
them.
Such was the feeling, the attitude
and the situation Cobb faced when
he broke in. They resented Cobb's
appearance. They were more re-
sentful than usual because he had
broken into the regular lineup as
soon as he arrived instead of warm
ing the bench for season or two,
as recruits were expected to do.
When the season of 1906 opened
Cobb was in center field. He had
certain amount OF success and
house. Few of his teammates spoke
to him. except to fling some new
insult in his direction.
They Broke His Bats.
Cobb showed ability to bat The
day after he made three hits in four
times up he arrived at the park
and discovered his favorite bats
were missing. He had brought them
with him from Augusta-two black
! bats that he had used ever since
he started with Detroit. Cobb hunted
for the bats. He was told he could
| find them outside the fence. Cobb
| found them in splinters. Some
| of his teammates had taken a
| Ratchet and destroyed the bats. They
believed that by destroying the bats
| they could lessen his hitting ability,
for it is the belief of most ball play
crS that certain bats hold more hits
than other bats. If they are lucky
with a certain bat they treasure it
more than anything else, crediting
most of the hits to that particular
bat. Cobb had such a faith in his
bats and when he returned to the
clubhouse he slouched to one corner
of the locker room-in despair.
Charlie Schmidt then the regular
catcher of the Detroit team. had wit
messed the destruction of the bats
Schmidt wake over to Cobb and ex-
tended one of his own pet bats.
There's just as many hits in this
one as the bats they broke up for
you. Use it." Schmidt told Cobb
IF anybody tries to break up that
bat they'll reckon with me-
Cobb used Schimdt's bat. He made
two hits in that game. The next
day he made two more. He con-
uSir no
there arrived two new bats that he
had ordered. But he had demon
strated with Schmidt's bat that he
could get hits out of a strange bat.
so they did not bother to chop up
the new ones.
Outside the Circle.
That season, as well as the sue
ceeding year and even a few after
| that, witnessed a succession of feuds.
/ Cobb, the tempestuous. found it diff
| ficult to get into the ways and habits
| of his teammates. He did not like
| them and they detested him. He was
| pretty much alone.
! In 1906 Cobb was beginning to find
himself. The spark of ambition that
| Leidy had lighted famed secretly.
Cobb had faith in himself, but this
! faith was not shared by his team
| mates And Manager Armour, who
| had selected him. also had little con-
| fidence in Cobb's possibilities. He
was regarded generally as morn
! ing glory" a flash in the pam" a
gold brick" He'll be back in the
minors inside of another year. they
| said
Cobb played in 81 games in 1905.
He scored "A runs and made liz hits
in $50 times at bat and he stole 90
! bases. His batting average was 500
! and players that can bat 800 in their
| first full season in the majors are
not sent back to the minors. They
| are kept at least until they furnish
proof that they are morning-glories.
"Pnyne Batting for Cobb?'
During this season Cobb, although
| batting above 800, had not con-
WINGED his manager that he was a
sure hitter. In that season Cobb saw
a pinch batter go to the plate for