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Show FIS WONDERING IF COBS WILL REPEAT Must Make Great Spurt to Lead Again in Batting. By Tribune Special Sport Service. DETKOIT, July 29. Ty Cobb is confronted with the mightiest task of his career in his attempts to win the 1916 batting championship of the American league. The chances seem to be acainst him for the first time since he flashed into view as n clouting pheiiont. In most of tho other years Ty -led the parade at this time of the summer. sum-mer. Ty had a little "velvet," so to speak. But he hasn't any now. In the by rone days he could fall into a short slump and continue to nile, even though his nuirgin dwindled in the meantime. But now he is something close to 40 points behind the leading Speaker a terrible gap. But what counts largest against Ty ia the fact that ho must overhaul two men to reach the crest Speaker and .lackson. Both are thundering along. In other tears Ty had only one real rival after midseason. All that was necessary to win the championship was for him to beat out that one man. Now he must beat two. It's much easier, vou know, to win a two-horse race than it is to win in a three-eutry field. Must Not Slump. Sneaker may slump, so may Jackson.' Jack-son.' But it is unlikely tht both will do any violent slumpyig. But even if thev should, isn't it fust as likely that Tyrus will slip too! If either Jackson or Speaker bump into a batting vacuum thev have enough "velvet" to protect them for a reasonable time from be-ing be-ing ovortakeu by Tynis. But the fiery Georgian must race at breakneck speed from now on until the finish line is crossed. He dare not slump. If he does his chances of leading the American Amer-ican league for I ho. tenth successive year will go glimmering. And even should he slip along at a whirlwind rate, isn't it just as possible for either Jackson or Speaker or both to meet the challenge, match Cobb hit for hit, and thus, with the lead the' now have, beat him to the crowni Unless Cobb hits from now on at the most terrific clip in his career it seems unlikely that the official returns will show him elected to the championship's champion-ship's office for the tenth successive time. ' |