The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1927-01-19
NO %dbDAL IN ].
DISMISSAL OF !.
COBB, SPEAKER
Fired Because Of Incompe'
tency, Says Johnson-No
CrOOkedness Involved

Cleveland, Jan. 11.-GN->-TO.
days PlaindesleR says the base-
bah world 10 Of the opinion that /.
Ban Johnson will be 0wsted Nom
Day - president of tie American
League.
Colonel Jacob Rupert, owner
Of the New YORK Yankees, Ed
ward Barrow, business manager
Of the Yankees and former Red
Sox magnatc. and e. 8. Barnard, :
president Of the Cleveland Club
are being discussed a Johnsons
successor. the paper adds.
Chicago, Jan. 19.--LP)-Hints Of
some dark and sinister history behind
the expulsion of Ty Cobb and iris
Speaker appeared dissipated today by
the statement Of President Ban John
son Of the American League that
they were let go because of incom-
potency, that no crookedness was in
volved and that the Leonard charges
against them were inconsequental.
Johnson revealed number of new
angles to the celebrated case which
Is due for a new threshing over here
Monday, but all related to laxness or
over zealousncss in managerial duties,
and contained no hint Of scandal.
The American League president,
who severely criticized Baseball Com
missioner Lands for making public
the Leonard charges, mentioned
Cobb's handling Of players as mot
to be tolerated in the American
League" and his principal count
against Speaker related TO betting on
horse races.
This new and vital side light on
the Cobb Speaker case, publicity
around which led to the investigation
of 1917 scandal charges. and the un-
loosing Of host Of vague rumors
of other baseball irregularities, CAV.
a rather wan aspect to the possibility
that any sensational disclosures
would be made here Monday.
Johnson's Explanation
Johnson's explanation of the counts
against Cobb and Speaker was given
in these words:
|Ao iSNuCfo VI jucH, tHcy were
failures and they were not giving
their best to the public. The Leonard
charges involving them were incon-
sequental.
"The chief reason why the Ameri-
can League will have no more Of
them, is that they failed to live up
to their responsibilities to the pub
lie. As baseball club manager, Cobb
should have been training marines
at Paris Island. His way Of handling
players will not be tolerated in the
American League.
Speaker allowed his club to drift
into a habit Of daily betting on
horse races and the American League
has always been opposed to betting.
Ball players are paid to give their
best to the public and they cannot do
that if they are thinking of winning
$4,000 pools on horse race. Speaker
has gambled all his life, and if that
betting habit had been stopped,
think the Cleveland club might have
won the pennant last year. .,~
Not Equal to Jobs
Talk Of crookedness had no part
in our decision to demand the resig-
nation of these two managers. They
simply were not equal to their jobs.
and SO they had to 60.
s"Cobb is one of the greatest play
ers the game ever saw, but when he
began to- threaten his players thst
he would railroad them out of the
game, something had TO be done. l
wrote him more than a score of let
tcrs, demanding that he stop his prac-
tice of signalling every pitch to the
man in the box, which delayed games
an hour or more: But he did not
stop. He still Is great player, but
he was a failure as manager"