Evening star., 1924-11-15
NeW Phases
CHAPTER XIV.
BY II, Ct. SALSINGER.

Ty Cobb began revolutionizing base
ball in 1907. Having discovered a
way to cross up the fielders in batting,
Cobb set about to discount the advan-
tages other batting leaders had In
weight and power. He realized that
Lajoie, Crawford or Wagner was
much easier to handle than a bat in
his hands.
Cobb decided that this handicap p
could be Offset by using three bats.
Just before his turn at bat he would
pick up three bats and swing them
until he took his position at the
plate. Then he would throw away
two of them and the weight would
be reduced two-thirds. That is what
he practiced, and he discovered the
idea correct He was the first player
to carry three bats to the plate. and
nearly all players do that today.
BY using what was regarded as a
freak position at the plate, and by
swinging three bats until the pitcher
was ready to deliver the ball. Cobb
overcame the physical handicaps.
Instead Of planting his feet fiat and
Arm and getting set for the delivery,
Cobb was on his toes. He used q
snap swing. a quick chop, and there
fore 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 pitch
er delivered and place 1t. Where the
orthodox 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 a fraction of q Sec
ond In chopping. instead of swinging.
His eye, wonderfully quick and ac-
curate, helped.
Cobb's style revolutionized batting.
He perfected the chop stroke and With
his stand at the plate, the quick
changing shift, he perfected the
scientific style Of hitting. There are
not six players in the major leagues
today who are on the Lajoie-Wagner-
Crawford 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 hitters,
men that stand firmly at the plate
and swing. always in the same fash
ion. The others shift and mix their
style.
Cobb proved that his style enabled
him to hit in any direction. Fielders
found 1t impossible to play Cobb ac-
curately. He had no specified lane.
He has hit to center. left and right
bat. Fielders found 1t impossible to
play him accurately. He could place
a ball as well as any man who ever
lived and he always tried to get one
infielder out Of position and pull the
ball through the opening. If the team
Detroit opposed had Q good first base
man, Cobb never hit in his direction.
We do not remember Hal Chase ever
fielding ball batted by Cobb. If the
opposing team had a good third base
man Cobb never hit the ball in his
direction. If the opposing team was
weak at either corner Cobb would
invariably try to pull the ball out
side the fielder.
Mastered Them All.
Cobb could hit any kind of ball
that he could reach. Some pitchers
stopped him for a while, but sooner
or later he mastered them. Field
ers became nervous whenever he
came to bat. He almost always had
them crossed up. No man ever took
quicker cognizance Of an opening in
the defense: no man ever took quick
or advantage Of 1t. 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.
1t was Cobb who first used the
system OF swinging hard on a ball.
fouling 1t off or missing it alto
gether, with the purpose of driving
back the infeld, sure that he in
tended to hit. And then, with the
inheld back, Cobb would bunt. Or
he would reverse this order. He
would miss hunt or bunt foul for
first strike, pull the infield In, and