The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-12-20
By H. G. SALSINGER

THY COBB took precautions to save his legs and ankles and to prevent
 being hit by pitched balls, but these were only part of the system that carried him through 20 seasons of terrific competition where he was forced to play at top speed always to win batting and baserunning cham pionship, to defend it or to try and re- gain it.
 Many players have had their ca-' -eers curtailed by being hit by pitched balls. Cobb was hit fewer times thaLgL any other player When he was hit it: was generally because he wanted to be, hit to reach first. It was sometimes fHle baseball policy to get hit. Most of Ule times when pitched ball struck Go bb it was because he managed to stop 'the ball with his body. But he never in tentionally stopped one that might in any way injure him. He was toQ, in telIigent and clever for that.
 Other Precautions
 Still. 10 last as long as he did, Cobb had 10 take other precautions. t'ne ot the most important was food and ot Just as much importance was the otf season, the weeks between the close of the base ball calendar and the start of the next: To keep muscles from going :flabby a man must continue to work them. A ball player, who exercises every day through seven months of the year, goes into absolute idleness during the other five He takes no exercise. T bat Is the result? The muscles become fIAbby and as soon as that happens they begin to deteriOrate. Players tlVat loaf be- l .A 1, .,lo,, I,or rfInr to get into playing shape. They slow down rapidly and find sln untlmely end to their careers. Cebb argued the matter out and decided that he would have to do something through the winter months. He dec ided to hunt.
 The idea may not bave been original with him. He had two fine examples in the leaders of his profession when he broke in. There Vas IIonus Wagner and Larry I.ajoie, both "lasters," the sports term for men. that remain ac- tive over long streN th of years. Neith- CT of these two rPVnained idle between seasons. Wagner etired to the woods as soon as the season closed and spent his time hunting and fishing. Cobt decided he wouDi spend his vacation periods hunting. That would keep hin in the open air and also provide the necessary exercise.
 Dog His Hobby
 He became interested in dogs. Dowr where he now lives, and lived at thai time. in Aug'nsa. Ga, one tlnds hunters parad ke. Nowhere in the coun try can more quail be found than 1T that part of Georgia. Nearly everyone in the sectin,L where Cobb lives owns d Pointer or Setter.
 Cobb favored the Setter over the Pointer and he took to Setters He oD tainerd semsa good ones. The pride oi his kemp el is Cobb's Hall and rightly so for Qobb's Hall was the greatest tlelt trial performer of the Settlers of his time. H!he greatest field trial dog th' country has produced was Mary Mont rose, "a Pointer, owned by the million aire sportsman, William F. Tiegler Marry YIontrose retired undefeated II field tHials and the only time she cam' clo!e to losing was in q race wltl CJ bs Hall. This Setter ran d deaC hyat with Mary Montrose. the champion jI' the field trials and run-off wa nJ .cesSary to decide the American cham yiorShip at Grand Junction, Tenn Mary Montrose was given the decision ovet Cobb's Hall in the run-off but i was a close verdict.
 As soon as the season closed Cobt retired to his home at Augusta ant started hunting. He would take hl Settlers to the woods day after day Settcrs in the south work much taste ! than in the north. The sportsman dGWi there follow them on horseback. Cobl S followed his Settlers on foot. Sometime ne walked 10 miles q day, rarely less often twice that far. Men that hav l hunted with Cobb will tell yau that h a really does not walk but trOts.
 Legs, Heart, Lungs
 No track athlete ever performed nor