Show TYCOBB TY SAYS YOU MUST TAKE CHANGES CHANCES TO WIN DETROIT S GREAT FIELDER DE CLARES PLAYER WILL HELP HIS TEAM IF HE GRASPS EVERY opportunity by TY COBB copyright 1910 by joseph B bowles taking chances at all times taking every reasonable chance and some that do not seem even reasonable la Is the way I 1 think a player wins games if he has speed and courage and con flrence and then takes the chances seizes every opening and runs hard and slides harder he will mill help hia his team win sometimes it seems to me that one ball player Is better than another elm sim ply because he has more nervous en ergy and what we call guts than another nowadays the teams are so closely matched and the men so near ly equal in ability that the team to win must have some method or some skilful leader and then something ti to time 0 keep it hustling and fighting all the it if this Is meant for advice to young players just tell them that they must hustle every minute torget forget them selves and dig tor for runs I 1 know that when I 1 get into a ball game all I 1 think ot of la Is to win that game and get around the bases I 1 can t see or hear the crowd and every opposing player Is my enemy no matter how good friends they may be oft off the ball field I 1 think that Is the way a ball player must feel to win he must forget him self forget everything and go after that game with every bit of strength and find speed he has not loafing a min ute and taking every chance possible he ue must run out every ball he hits As for batting that Is more or less natural abilay and de determination tion A man maj mal improve his hitting by steady practise but I 1 doubt whether a man can be taught to hit I 1 think the tho secret of hitting Is not to be afraid of injury and not to pull at all there are lots of batters who pull that Is draw back slightly from the plate when the ball Is pitched and lose the force of their swing in most cases these batters are aa as fearless as if A lil 0 1 10 A s 9 ty cobb any others but they pull unconscious ly IY from nervousness steady practise may help overcome this nervous ness and holp the hitting when a runner gets on bases he ought to have a definite plan of how he Is going to get arouni aroun I 1 and sf signal gnal the batter his intentions but he must not allow that to keep him from ta king any opening he bees sees and he must be watching every instant for a half passed ball and be ready to change his plan in a fraction of a sec ond when I 1 reach first I 1 look around to see the positions of the outfielders and watch the second baseman and shortstop to see which Is going to take the throw if an outfielder Is out of position I 1 want to know it for I 1 may decide to try to take two bases on a hit or take two on anything he a player gets a bati out of position to make ft a str strong ong fast throw A base runner oi 01 to know exactly how op posing players throw and the strength of their arms for a runner may tak a base on one man when he would nat dare to start on another above all things young players ought tu study the game and the oth er placers one can beirn a lot just by watching other players and study ing their actions and experience and knowledge of the other players helps thee Is one more thing always play square I 1 feel ain aln ost as badly when we win a game we don t deserve as wb when en v we e are beaten I 1 don t mean that a player should not take every legitimate advantage but that he should not take unfair advantage the longer I 1 play the more satisfaction there Is in winning in a sportsman like waa wa there Is no satisfaction in winning by trickery and a fellow who docs does some hotheaded gilck regrets it they do not pay the other fel lows are liying as hard and earnest ly as ou are |