The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1925-03-11

pitchers viii admit--Ty Cobb really
never had q batting weakness.
Southpaws and riehthanders looked
very much the same 70 him and he
hit q high fast ball just as often as
Q 3ast one coming low.
I remember the first time had
Cobb at disadvantage about fif-
teen years ago. Three infield err
rore had filled the bases with Cobb
Ct bat. / settled down to q hard
Job and managed to strike him
out. Not only that. but the next
two bAktera. eehaefer and Rossman
followed his example.
/ believe that was the first
timeAAnd 61e G the few times
In his entire careeT-that Cobb
ever struck cut with three men
on base. And iHA the ninth In.
ming, % ohe u1Aplre waved him
away from the plate, he kicked
TIE dirt - fhUueh disgusted with
himself and looked toward the
pitchers box . minute. An he
said was: oy, you've got the
we were playing a series in
y
asked me TO take spin In his new
automobile. Driving out over the
Grand Boulevard, the temptation
to speed was strong and Cobb
stepped on the gas. A motor cop
soon Tagged III and filled out one
OF those llnWelooine invitations to
meet the traffic judge. Cobb took
Il like q good sport and Just as we.
we're starting up, yelled at the
officer Here, you were pretty de-
cent about II, even IL you did give
us q ticket. Take these" and he
handed the officer two tickets for
that days game.
Thus SURPRISED and embarrassed,
the policeman said that on second
thought, he would tear up the
court summons. You 90 out there
and knock two homeruns this after
noon and wen call It square," was
his final warning.
When the game started, saw
the motor cop sitting in a grand
stand box. apparently with his best
girl Along about the sixth inning.
hoIiered to Cobb. sThat cops UP
there waiting Tor those homeruns.
Better hurry or he'll pinch you
Cobb came through ali right and
drove the ball out Of the park in
the seventh inning. When he came
up again in the ninth he looked
over toward me and pointed toward
the traffic officer. Then he shout
ed. so everybody. In the gfandstand
heard; "If I don't get another one,
you can phone for the wagon
No one but the cop and myself
appreciated Ty's remark, but just
the same, he caught hold OF the
first ball pitched and planted It up
In the right field bleachers for his
second home run Of the day.
Cobb's last unusual achievement,
at the expense Of my pitching, was
in 1913 when he tied the game with
a single In the seventh inning and
won 1t in the eighteenth with an
other safe hit. We played . double.
header that afternoon and Wash
ington won the first game. Cobb
had been to bat thirteen times with
only one hit, ana I thought could
handle him In that final Inning. /
had won an eighteen-lnning game
several weeks previous from the
White Sox and tried hard to win
one at Detroit. But Cobb also
wanted a chance to redeem his
batting average and was the victim
OF his winning hit.
AS the run crossed the plate.
he chased over to our bench and
shouted, "WaIter, didn't want
that hit, but did want the
game" lt was typical Of our re-
latiOns an these years. Cobb ID
q hard competitor, but Q fair
one. He always tried to HE my
pitching hard and I always tried
to fool him. But whatever the
outcome, we were always fricndS.
II would be possible to 80 on
indefinitely, discussing the work OF
two such stars as Babe Ruth and
Ty Cobb. The records held by each
would almost fill a book. But after
all, they both stand out brilliantly