Volume 14 , Issue 41

April 1913 - Ty Cobb & Navin Talk of Salary Fight

Remember when baseball players salaries were below millions of dollars? We found this article in The Day Book, dated 22 April 1913, page 6, where Ty Cobb and Navin talk of salary fight, as written by Ty Cobb. Ty Cobb was playing in the Major in 1907 when my Grandpa Bill McGill was a Major league pitcher for the St. Louis Browns. Wonder what Grandpa's salary was back then?!

Cobb considered his first duty to the Detroit ball club and wish to amicably settle my differences with President Navin, although he would willingly play with some other major league team if he could get the salary he asked and the Detroit club would trade or sell him.

Cobb did not consider hi salary demand too high, or unreasonable. (Cobb was reported to have demanded $15,000 and the Detroit club was believed to have offered $12,500) and the figure he had named as the one for which he would play, was NOT the greatest ever paid a ball player.

Cobb knew his worth and asked the Detroit club for that worth. He had some idea of what he was worth tot he Detroit team and many people had told him that he was worth every cent he had asked.

To support Cobb in this, there were Major league clubs willing to pay him the figures he asked for his best services, such as he had always given the Detroit club.

President Navin's statement that discipline prevents him making him an offer was unfair to him. Cobb always gave Detroit the best he had. Ture, he did not report for morning practice every day; neither did other players or the manager of the club.

When a game was in progress Cobb was always in there working overtime, as every one would attest. Cobb considered that his services had been unappreciated to some extent.

Possibly Mr. Navin forgot Cobb's work on the championship teams of 1907-8-9, when Cobb worked for a mere pittance -- being paid $2,100 in 1907 and $4,500 in 1908 and 1909.

Cobb was willing to confer with the Detroit management and the moment they could agree that he was willing to report and play good ball. The statement that Cobb considered himself greater than baseball was scarcely called for. He certainly had no such impression, but he did know what he would play ball for, as he may his position clear.   |  View or Add Comments (0 Comments)   |   Receive updates ( subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

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