Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1941-01-27
Jones Making Wnawy Hot Derby Candidate Has Rival Trainers Other
The
SPoRTLIGHT
Long Training Handicap
In Baseball, Cobb Holds
Ry GRANTLAND RICE,
6pecial Correspondent Of The Star.

LOO hN1ELES, jail. ~ N1N.h'
N.AD.--Ty Cobb was talking. Not
atout himself, but about champions
and what makes champion.
Ty Cobb led the American League
In hitting IL out of Is consecutive
years. Think that one over. All
he had to beat were a few fellows
by the name of Shoeless Joe Jack
son. the greatest natural hitter Of
all time; Napoleon Lajoie, almost
as good; Iris Speaker, Hap Felch,
Mig Clarke. Elmer Flick, Bill Brad
ley, Stuffy McInnis, Home-Run
Baker, Eddie Collins-on and on
on and on. And Cobb set the pace
against this greatest collection of
hitters baseball ever has known.
81 still think" he told me, they
are playing far too many exhibition
games They are wearing ballplay-
ers out before they ever come to the
pennant season, which Is all that
counts.
Spring training should mean get
ting in shape-not paying expenses
for a training trip. I know the
ballplayers know this. I know most
of the club owners know this. II
they don't, they should.
StoIeness Of Veterans
Must Be Avoided
st believe in getting the rockies,
who need instruction, and the pitch
ers in ahead of time. But not the
KEY men you count on. They need
something in reserve when those
hot days come in July and August.
never pretended to be smart. But
at least I was smart enough not to
wear myself out before the season
even started. I still could add up
figures. And I knew there were 154
games ahead that counted in the
standing of the clubs, which is all
that means anything.
You can't keep in condition phys
ically when you are stale or tired
mentally"
whats your idea?' I asked the
Georgia Peach.
my idea" Cobb said, would be
to start the training season later
and then keep the players in Flori-
da or California or Texas or New
Orleans-under the sun-until few
DAYS before the season started. Work
for physical condition-not for gate
receipts A 154-game pennant race
Is a hard physical and mental strain
when you are out there hustling.
81 know they'll tell you a ball
player only works two hours day
what a soft life he leads. But
those are two hours of hard COM
petition. After all, the average
prize fighter works only an hour a
night-weeks or months apart. A
fighter doesn't get one-tenth of the
competition a ballplayer gets.
Neither does professional golfer
Just a comparative few play in 80
important tournaments year. That
means 90 hours of competition in a
year. But ballplayer has to face
well over 300 hours of hard COM
petition each year. And unless you
are in shape, those competitions can
take plenty out of you.
The average college football
player has about 10 hours season
to handle. I'm figuring on nine
games. The ballplayer who is really
hustling and fighting and trying to
win has the longest and the hardest
hours in sport. They shove him
into action around early March and
they keep him on the firing line
until October or later.
only those in both mental and
physical condition can 60 the route
and hold up.
Must Pace Self to Keep
In Trim Mentally
lone of the main things" Cobb .
told me, sis to fight off or keep
away from staleness. I know what
staleness means. There was time
I got dead tired and went to bat "a
times without getting a base hit.
I still knew how to swing a bat
I still knew what the opposing
pitchers we're throwing. But
simply couldn't make my muscles
respond. I was feeling pretty good
physically. But I was dead tired
mentally.
Il had crowded myself too fast
I felt like race horse which was
three lengths in front down the
stretch, but which suddenly couldn't
run any more I hadn't paced my
self the right way. You can force
yourself to do just so much. But
you can't go beyond a certain point
mot against some one who happens
to be keen. That's where most of
these so-called upsets take place.
They only are upsets on the sur
face-not under the skin-not in
the brain or mind.
That goes for any game you
play. You must keep in shape physi-
cally, but you also must pace your
self to be right mentally-to be
keen and ready"