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16
GEORGIA GAVE TO BASEBALL ITS GREATEST PERFORMER
Tyrus Cobb Without an Equal in National Game
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Born and Trained in Empire State of the South
By Percy 11. Whiting.
JUDGE HOWELL COBB, a very
distinguished Georgian} had
just died. Two Atlanta law
yers on a New York train were
reading papers.
"T see Cobh is dead,” said one to
♦he other.
A drummer, seated next them,
pricked up his ears, groaned and
then wailed:
“Well, that ruins Detroit’s
chance for the pennant."
• • •
'PHIS historic joke must serve
as an Introduction to this story
of Ty Cobb—not because it is par
ticularly funny, but because we.
have to start some way.
Writing about Ty Cobb, in the
limits of an ordinary newspaper
article, is like trying to narrate the
life and crimes of N. Bonaparte on
the back of a postage stamp. One
doesn't know where to begin, and
even less where to leave off.
* • •
T T is tolerably remarkable that
J there should be a “Best Mall
Player In the World." TheiJß'irA4i’t
one before Ty Cobb’s day “ A Titres
agreed that Wagner was best of
the shortstops, that Iztjcus; "rlMg, a
thundering good second
that a gent named Collins wtwy’tito
some of the inside points of pWylng
third, and that C. Mathewson <as
the pick of all pitchers. But there
wasn't any "One Best Bet until
Cobb.
It Is even more remarkable that,
out of the many places of birth
that Cobb might have picked, r he
selected—or had selected for him
a little cottage, hardly more, than a
cabin, located In Banks county,
Georgia.
But so it happened, AmJ so it
fell to the lot of Georgia to present
to the world the only player of all
time upon whom all men could
agree in conferring the title of the
“Greatest Ball Player in the World."
♦ ♦ •
qpYRUS RAYMOND COBB was
born on December 18, 1886. His
father was William H. Cobh, edi
tor. school teacher and state sena,
tor a man of much education and
less money.
Many tine young incidents have
been dug up about Cobb's boyhood
career mostly fictitious. About all
that anybody knows of his early
days is that he was a skinny, light
haired lad, with a leaning toward
baseball —a good, lively, smart, two
fisted kid. When he was a bit of
a lad in short pants, his family
moved to Carnesville. Gn.. and
there Ty played his first baseball,
in the games between the East Ski
ers and the West Riders of that
burg
A bit later Cobb's family, with Ty
trailing, moved to Royston and set
tled there. By this time Ty had
grown large enough to play with
the Royston second team, an organ
ization of kids and scrubs, against
which the regulars worked out. So
long as playing with this team did
not interfere with Ty's studies or
his farm work, the elder Cobb of
fered no objections. At length,
however, the Royston team had a
game scheduled with Elberton. The
regular center fielder was away.
Cobb was the most likely substi
tute available. Robert McCreary
managed the Royston nine in those
days, and It took a stiff line of talk
to persuade Senator Cobb to let his
son go on the trip. This game
was Cobb's first appearance "on the
road." and a wonder.
The opposition of "Fattier" Cobb
continued strong, and finally. In an
effort to overcome it, Senator Cobb
was lured out to a game between
Royston and Commerce. Cobb
played good ball from the start,
but nothing senational until the
eighth. Then, with the bases full
and two down, a Commerce batter
ripped off an awful wallop. Cobb
played a hunch that the left fielder
would m’iss it, and started on a
run to back him up. True to his
suspicions, the left fielder just got
his finger tips on ft. and it fell to
Cobb s lot to make a running dive,
scoop the ball up with one hand
and retire the side When he re
turned to the bench, he was show
ered with money but what was
more to the point, he found that
his marvelous playing had made a
fan out of Senator Cobb and had
swept away all objections that
were raised to Ty's playing base
ball. In a flash his threatened "ca
reer" at the University of Georgia
and the medical education for which
Ty had always hankered were
swept away and "The Greatest Ball
Player in the World" was started
on his glorious career.
* • •
'J' HERE is a story that the jealous
members of the Royston team
kidded Cobh into going into profes
sional baseball. Knowing Ty's im
pulsive nature and his restiveness
under criticism, it is believable that
the constant taunts of his fellow
players <hat he was "too fresh"
and that he couldn't make good in
real baseball, might have driven
him to try the professional game
At any rate, in 1904 <'obb packed
a grip, secured letters from hi
minister and his manager and head
ed for Augusta, where he present
ed his credentials to <'on Strouth
t ers. then manager of tin Augusta
Strout Iters, a peao loving soul.
Cobb's Fielding and Batting Figures in Big League
Year. G. A.B. R. H. P.C. P.O. A. E. P.C. S.B.
1912 85 347 146 .421
1911 .. 146 591 147 248 .420 376 24 18 .957 83
1910 . . 140 509 106 196 .385 305 18 14 .958 65
1909 .156 573 116 216 .377 222 24 14 .946 76
1908 150 581 88 188 .324 212 23 . 14 .944 39
1907 150 6Q5 97 212 .350 238 30 ’ 11 .961 49
1906 ..97 350 44 112 .320 107 14 * 9 .931 23
1905 103 411 60 134 .326 149 15 13 .927 40
1904 37 135 14 32 .237 62 9 4 .946 4
•Totals 979 3755 672 1338 .356 1671 157 97 .949 379
•Exclusive of this year.
Here is another one of Percy
H. Whiting’s sparkling stories
on Georgia boys who are mak
ing good in baseball. He will
havje others in the near future
just as interesting. Yon don’t
want to miss ore of ’em.
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SPEARING A LOW LINER.
found Cobb a problem. He could
field and he could hit, but he was
awkward and hard to control.
Finally one when Cobb was
ordered to bunt, he hit a home run
instead. This wasn’t Strouthers'
notion of baseball, and It was too
impetuous for staid Augusta. Cobb
was, therefore. Incontinently
canned. Strouthers tried to get SSO
for the coming wonder from the
Charleston club, but failed. Then
Ty was sent, to Anniston, Ala., to
'play on a semi-professional team
there.
They tell big stories of what
Cobb did tn Anniston. At any rate,
he was not long In proving that he
was too good for that burg. So he
was recalled to Augusta, where he
stuck until Detroit bought him for
S7OO. Today he la worth far in ad
vance of a hundred times that sum,
and the deal that sent Ty to De
troit will go down in the history
books as the one big “buy” of base
« ball.
•■ • •
z~'OBB’S career In the big leagues
Is worth a couple of pages. So
what' can a man hit on who has
less than a half column more of
space available?
Cobb joined the Detroit team a
raw, country lad; with an impetu
ous spirit, small knowledge of
baseball, but marvelous natural
ability. Fortunately for him, his
lot was cast with that master of
men and baseball —Hughie Jen
nings. It took Jennings but a few
days to see shat Cobb was to be
come a star. Thereafter he worked
with him until he perfected Ty in
the art of playing baseball.
Cobbs early days were tempes
tuous. The free language of the
ball players was new to him. One
term in particular, used among
them often as a term of deepest
friendship, was "fighting talk" with
him. The players, on their side,
considered him a "fresh kid," and.
as he developed quickly into a mar
velous performer, they became not
a little jealous of the young Geor
gian.
Now, all his life long Cobb has
fought whenever thert seemed need
I of fighting. Vnd it wasn't long be
foie he leg.in witling Into the' lie
THE ATLANTA GEORGIAN AND NEWS. SATURDAY, JULY 27, 1912.
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HIS “FIGHTING’’.FACE.
A FEWASSORTEDFACTS ABOUTCOBB
lie is six feet tall, weighs about 175 pounds when in training.
He bats left-handed, but throws right-handed.
He is an all-wool 1 Democrat, of course, and hopes to vote for Wilson.
Cobb is a crack shot with a rifle and gun, drives an automobile well and has but one regret—
that ho didn’t have a chance at football.
In a game at Cleveland once he singled, stole second, third and home without even breaking
his stride.
He invented the art of scoring from first on a single.
He admits that his own position in the outfield is easy to play and says that the catcher has the
hardest position.
He likes best to play in Detroit —next to that Boston.
The pitchers who trouble him most are Ed Walsh and Walter Johnson. When Joss was alive
he had Ty’s goat.
The style of pitchers who worry him most are those -with a side arm delivery or those who turn
their back before they pitch.
He admits that a spit ball, especially a low one. is the most difficult thing for him to hit.
Cobb's early ambition was to be a surgeon. He has tried his hand at selling automobiles and at
acting and doesn't like either.
He is investing his money in hank stock, farm lands, baseball clubs and sporting goods stores.
He will probably go into the sporting goods business when he retires.
He has, been a chronic scrapper since a boy but is as quick to forgive an injury as he is to fight.
Ty learned to plow when he was a boy and can drive a mule with the best of ’em.
Cobb is a man of moderate habits, drinks little and smokes little.
Cobb stirred up a lot of rough talk by spiking various basemen but fair-minded men, even
among his enemies admitted that the spiking was always accidental.
This spring the Detroit team went on a strike when Cobb was suspended for dashing into the
stands at New York and beating a spectator who had been rough in criticising him.
When Cobb first joined the Tigers his chief warfare ivas with Catcher Schmidt. Cobh has stiick
it out to see this big boob go back to the bushes.
Cobb is the only man who has batted as high as .420 since the foul-strike rule was adopted.
Only five men in the last 20 years (Duffy, Boston. .438: Turner. Philadelphia, .423: Burch, Brooklyn,
.423; Burkett. Cleveland, .433; Lajoie Philadelphia,.422), have beaten Cobb's 1911 mark.
He has gone as many as 40 consecutive games without failing to get a hit.
trolt papers. Younger, lighter and
less versed In the arts of pugilism
than many of his teammates, he
not Infrequently got the worst of it.
Rut gradually, by fighting and by
playing, he won their respect, if
not their friendship
Almost from the first Ty Cobb
was a marvel. In fielding he could
cover a little more ground and
make a trifle more difficult catches
than any other outfielder. At bat
ting he was and is unequaled. Year
after year he has led the American
league—usually in batting. in
hitting two and three baggers,
in scoring runs and in base steal
ing.
As a ball player Ty t’obb has no
equal. Batting, fielding, running,
thinking at all of them he is with
out peer.
• • •
ANE question about Tj t’obb folk*
ar< asking themselves ’How
iong wIII he last.'' According to
HERE HE US!
KKNG OF ALL
SMASHING OUT A HOMER.
V : X' Z
the statistics. Cobb lacks several
months of being 26 years old. He
has been playing baseball about
eight years.
Folks said, at the first of this
season, that Cobb was skidding. He
foolishly went on the stage last
winter, and unquestionably he did
not start the season in as good
trim as in the past. At that he
has managed to build his batting
average up mighty close to the
.425 mark which may be "skid
ding." but it, at least, isn't upset
ting.
Cobb's speed may last him until
he is 30. It would not be surpris
ing if his batting ability stuck by
him until he is 35.
There isn't a manager in base
ball today who could get Ty Cobb's
services for the next fen years who
wouldn't willingly plank down
3100,00(1 cash for it'. \nd that
would ho cheap enough tot The
Gi.-itest Bali Player in tile World.
City Clerk Selects An All-Star Baseball Team
+•+ +•+ +•+ 4 , «v
Walter Taylor's Combination Is a Peacherino
By Walter Taylor.
(City Clerk of Atlanta, formerly
dean of Southern Sporting Writers)
PICKING an all-star ball club
Is an easy thing in some of the
positions and a hard one when
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The Big Race
Hfere is how ths "Big Five” In the Amer
lean league are hitting right up to date.
a7b.~h. jAvi'r,
Cobb .77. 347 146 l“42»
Speaker 361 141 391
Jackson 354 128 362
Collins 325 109 .335
Lajole . | 216 72 333
No games were played In the American
league yesterday.
BURNS ANO WHITE SIGN.
SAN FRANCISCO, duly 27.—Frankie
Burns and Jack White, the Chicago
lightweight, have been signed for a
ten-round bout in Oakland. August 7.
Burns' friends deviate that recently he
is lighting in his old-time work.
CAIRO BEATS QUITMAN.
QI’IT.VIAN, GA.. July 27.- Cairo won
the second game of the series with
Quitman. 11 to to. The Quitman team
is to he materially strengthened today.
The features of yesterday's game were
the playing of liivis, of Quitman, and
Roddenbery. of Cairo.
Here’s Walter Taylor's All-Star Team
Cobb, center field; Jackson, right field; Speaker, left field; Chase, first
base; Collins, second base; Baker, third base; Wagner, shortstop; Bees'
nahan and Thomas, catchers; Johnson and Rucker, pitchers; Connie Mack,
manager.
it comes to some of the others. Os
course, it is very simple to put the
name of Cobb down for center
field. And again it is simple to
place the name of Wagner on the
list for shortstop. It is also equal
ly as simple to say that Hal Chase
is the best first baseman. Then aft
er that it becomes to some extent a
question of personal likes,and dis
likes of some man’s special style.
Jackson has proven the wonder
of present day baseball, because
he made his leap into fame from a
cotton factory and had little if any
experience before he began to at-,
tract attention. I heard of Jackson
through a friend who happened to
be in a little South Carolina town
and saw him play two years before
his name appeared among the pro
fessionals. He had no education
and had never, I was told,, been
outside of the little place where he
was born.
Speaker a Natural Batter.
Speaker is a natural hitter. He
swings his bat almost entirely with
the wridt motion and does not lose
either time or sight of the ball as
some players do who use their
shoulders when batting.
Collins is entitled to the choice
of second basemen because of his
FODDER FOR FANS
Josh -Devore, of the Giants, has acci
dentally developed a new bunt. It is
really nothing but a “cut" similar to
that used by tennis players. The beauty
of it is that the man who fields It doesn’t
know how ft will bound.
• • «
Hal Chase seems to have made up his
mind to play real baseball for the rest of
this season, whether the Yanks do any
thing or not. Maybe he's afraid Wolver
ton will sell him to the Browns.
• • •
The American league has purchased
Umpire Joe O’Brien from the Ohio State
league. Wonder If Ban Johnson knows
about Dan Pfenninger?
• • •
Ed Sw-eeney pulled a grand play the
other day. He was caught flat-footed oft
second, nut the throws were messed up,
Martin, who had been on third, scored and
in the excitement Ed got over to third
safely, for a stolen base.
• A •
A few more disbanded leagues: Wash
ington State and Mountain State.
« » »
"Doc” Gordon, of the Norfolk team, re
cently struck out 15 Petersburg batters
in one game—the season’s record in the
Virginia league.
♦ • •
Merely because Hugh Jennings said he’
didn't want a "lot of handshakers" on his
club a St. Louis baseball writer called him
a "poor, paleolithic throw-back.’*
« • «
Wise sayings of baseball: "All scouts
are bad, but some are worse than others."
• • •
Bill Killefer says that St. Louis teams
will never win a pennant. It looks like
it, at that. But Bill has an alibi. He
says that on account of the heat, humid
ity and general cussedness of the weather
the players have no "pep."
• a •
Anenl Jimmy Lavender's allegation that
he "can’t see the Giants” we have only
to say that It’s lucky there are plentj' of
good oculists in "old Chi."
a a a
July 31 has been set aside for "boosters
day" at the Nashville park. At that time
they'll make a heroic effort to raise
enough money to last out the season.
a a a
All of which makes Atlantans thankful
that their Dall club Is owned by a "soul
less corporation" which takes its losses
when It has them without passing the hat.
a a a
If- Nashville sells Its franchise in the
Southern it might get one in the Kitty
league. The salary limit is lower there.
a a a
Wilson Collins, of the Vanderbilt foot
ball team, has decided to retain his ama
teur standing intact, despite offers to
play baseball with Washington, and will
be back with Commodore machine
next fall.
a a a
A Nashville paper says the funny thing
about Al Demaree is that he looks like a
pitcher. To us the real humor of the
NEWS FROM RINGSIDE
Jess Willard, Charlie Cutler's ‘‘hope,"
will get into action Monday night, when
he is scheduled to meet Arthur Pelky, of
Chicopee, Mass. The bout will be staged
in Gotham.
• • •
Lee Barrett and Jack Dorman make up
the main card at the Fairmont A. C., in
New’ York, tonight.
• * •
Nat Lewis says he is yvilling to bet
SI,OOO Charley White can defeat Johnny
Kilbane. White Is anxious for a match
with the champion at 126 pounds.
■ • •
Frank McFarland, a nineteen-year-old
brother of the famous Packey, was
drowned at Chippewa Falls recently,
where lie was spending his vacation.
• • •
Ray Temple will appear in Memphis
again on Monday when he meets Joe
Sherman in a ten-round fight. Temple
finds fighting in the South a tough propo
sition. as the heat affects him to such a
degree that he fainted twice while train
ing for his recent bout at New Orleans.
Joe Mandot will arrive in Memphis to
morrow and will leave Tuesday or Wed
nesday for Los Angeles to start training
for hts 20-round bout Labor day with
Mexican Joe Rivers
• • •
Jem Maloney, manager of Bombardier
Wells, says Mike Gibbons is the best
middleweight In the present ranks Ac
cording to Maloney's views should Mike
ever visit Great Britain he would make
a tremendous hit.
• • •
Abe Attell has at last come to himself
ami has decided to carry through his
tight with Tommy Murphy, scheduled for
August 3 However, it Is likely the date
will be moved back a few days in order
give the boys more time to train
* • ♦
Attell has agreed to meet Young Shur
grue in New York the first of next month,
great ability and his youth. Rut it
is a hard matter to set Nap Lajui.e
aside for any man in the game
Baker is the man for third.
In my opinion there is no chair »
for an argument when it comes o
shortstop. Hans Wagner, accord,
ing to my judgment, is entirely ir, a
class by himself when it comes to
the short field.
As to catchers. I would take
Bresnahan and Ira Thomas. The
latter has demonstrated his ability
under the most trying circum
stances and that, too, after having
been turned away by two big
league managers before Connie
Mack took him up. Bresnahan has
shown his worth, both as a player
and manager.
Picks Johnson and Rucker,
As to pitchers, Johnson and
Rucker look mighty good to me. If
the Georgia Peach was with a real
ball club he would be the greatest
slabman, in my Judgment, this
country has seen in many a day
Connie Mack is my choice for
manager. He has the gift of
handling men, knows a ball player
and has kept himself and his iluh
always up to the highest personal
standard. I think his ability as a
manager and his personal integrity
entitle him to first choice.
thing seemed to be that he didn't look
like a pitcher.
a a a
Several post-season series will be play».l
next fall. There will be the Giants-Hed
Sox affray (maybe), not to mention games
between the two Philadelphia teams and
between the two St. Louis teams
a a a
The Carolina league is alive - but that's
all. Anderson has had enough and has
quit with the team right up in the race
a a a
To the question: "What's the matter
with the ball club?” Indianapolis fans
answered as follows:
"Buy 'em bigger bats.”
"Try the needle.”
"Hop their salaries.”
"Put a dictograph in the dugout."
"Build a Are under 'em."
"Send for Detective Burns."
• * ♦
O'Leary has had plenty as manager of
the Indianapolis club and there is talk of
letting him go.
If Doc Johnston "goes up” this fall
Dave Bunting may play first for the Peli
cans next year.
• • a
The Pirates have grabbed Ralph Ca
pron, speed specialist.
Up in Cincinnati they maintain that
J. McGraw is a real sportsman. They al
lege that he could dress a Chinaman up
in uniform, label him Mathewson and win
every game with him. But in spite of
that "Muggsy" insists on sending In a
different pitcher every day against the
Reds.
• * *
Up in the big leagues, where the.' sell
"eats” at the ball parks, a New York ca
terer has invented a dogless sandwich
that he claims will last fifteen games,
with any ordinary' care.
♦ ♦ •
Tesreau Is the biggest man in th- big
leagues. He weighs 241 pounds. He is
wild, but not savage.
* • •
Tom Downey, former Southern leaguer,
has been grabbed by the Cubs from the
Phillies, who were trying to pass him out
over the Waiver Short line.
* • *
The Clarksville team has two .Ddlys -
Abe, and Bus. They aren't related but
both are grouches.
Cy Barger has won one game and lost
eight this year for Brooklyn.
They’ve been breaking bad for Ping
Bodie lately, as follows:
1. Fountain pen ran amuck and rutneu
a white vest.
2. Left Chicago in a hurry, bringing
three right-foot shoes.
3. Struck out five times In succession
in Boston.
4. Got to New York and ordered can-
taloupe five minutes after the last portion
was served. ~ .
5. Then went out to the ball park dn-i
fielded the first ball hit with Ins "are
head.
but the Hebrew can easily have the gc
postponed.
Billy Papke has accepted terms to fight
ten rounds with Eddie McGoorn '
Kenosha Labor day. McGoorty has n
signed the contract yet.
The board of fire and police commission'
ers have put the lid on boxing at 1 •
cah. Ky., where boxing matches h»'’
been staged for some two or three ment
Luther McCarthy has at last secured »
match. The big pug lias signed ariici'-
for a ten-round scrap with Jim ■' >'
in New York August 3.
Although Jack Johnson has on J
in the saloon business little more ■ ■ ,
week, John McWeeny, chief of p ,
Chicago,, has started a suit ng.'" ;
negro pugilist for keeping his ph*' • '.
in violation of the 1 o'clock closing
nance.
• * * r®
Young Ketchel and Chuck Lar ...
scheduled to go ten rounds a’
Haute, Ind . Monday night
— —■ I ■ ■■ ■» «■'
KITSON STOPS WALSH
IN THE FOURTH ROUND
NASHVILLE, TENN . July -
George Kitson-Eddie Walsh mi '7
to an abrupt end in the four'' ‘ *
last night when Walsh went
floor for the county with a stlf* '
to the Jaw. It was one of th
one-sided affairs ever seen in
ville, Kltson having everythin!:
way.
'i ni
In an eight-round bout '
Schwart anti Leslie Winter* dre*-