Whatever Detroit Does It’s Ty Cobb’s Team
By NORMAN E. BROWN. - April 26, 1926 - East St. Louis Daily Journal
Although he frankly admits that his pitching staff is not a satisfactory one, Ty Cobb has hopes of boosting his Tiger team a notch or two higher in the American League race. Whatever success it may have, the Tigers will be interesting, as usual, partly because of the color Cobb himself lends to the outfit.
And this much can be said. Whatever success the Tigers achieve from now on can be laid at Ty Cobb’s door. For the team as it stands now is of Ty’s making, since he became pilot in the heat of the 1921 race.
Only five members of the club, outside of the Georgia superman himself, were drawing salary from the Detroit bosses when Hughie Jennings turned the managerial reins over to Cobb in 1921.
These five are the veteran pitcher George Dauss, Catcher Johnny Bassler, Catcher Larry Woodall, First Baseman Lu Blue and Outfielder Harry Heilmann.
Two Were Real Youngsters.
And of these five, two were youngsters with their way to make when Jennings stepped out. The two were Lu Blue and Woodall. The latter was a green rookie. Blue lacked the finesse that the campaigns under Cobb’s skillful handling have given him.
Dauss, of course, was one of the mainstays of the team under Jennings. For some 14 years this dependable old righthander has been plugging along under varying conditions and pitching ball that has averaged over .500 per cent for his whole career.
Harry Heilmann, while he had won his spurs under Jennings, can give Cobb credit for teaching him much about playing the outfield while the two were toiling under Jennings. The bunk about Heilmann and Cobb never working well together can be discarded.
Johnny Bassler joined the club the year Cobb took over the reins, after starring behind the plate for Los Angeles for some years. He had received a trial by Cleveland previously, on the recommendation of Ivy Olson, veteran infielder.
Among those who have departed in the last five campaigns are Donie Bush, Eddie Ainsmith, Bobby Veach, Bobby Jones, Pep Young, Ira Flagstead and Howard Ehmke.
Sammy Hale, now with the Athletics, was a member of the team for a time at least in 1921. Whether he was with the team before Jennings resigned available records do not divulge.
Source:
(1926, April 26) East St. Louis daily journal. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/sn92053739/1926-04-26/ed-1/.
