Author: Badalian Vardan

Ernie Harwell: Questions remain about fake Cobb diary

Detroit Free Press (Detroit, MI)
July 5, 2009

BY ERNIE HARWELL, FREE PRESS BASEBALL COLUMNIST

Ty Cobb’s diary didn’t reach the literary stature of the diary of
Samuel Pepys. Neither did it reflect the historical significance of
Anne Frank’s diary, but it had achieved a place of honor in the
Baseball Hall of Fame Museum at Cooperstown.

That place of honor no longer exists. The Cobb diary is a fake and
will forever be relegated to the archival basement in Cooperstown.

Brad Horn, spokesman for the Hall of Fame, issued this statement: "We
have found that the 1946 Ty Cobb Diary is an unreliable source, not
representative of an authentic Ty Cobb artifact.. Our suspicions have
been confirmed by the FBI statement that ‘the written entries are not
consistent with the natural writing style of Tyrus R. Cobb..’ The
document has not been on display at the Museum since 2001, but will
remain a part of our library collections. It will no longer be
available as a research document."

The diary was part of a 200-item donation in November 1998 by Major
League Baseball from the Barry Halper collection. Ted Spencer, then
curator of the Hall of Fame, selected the items before the Sotheby
auction of the Halper Collection for $21.8 million.

Horn said the FBI report was not available. Also, Spencer would not be
available for an interview.

I first heard suspicions about the Cobb diary from Ron Keurajian of
Oxford, an outstanding authority on forgery in the field of baseball
autographs.

Ron had read an article about the item in the Summer 2007 edition of
Memories and Dreams magazine, published by the Hall of Fame. The
article, written by HOF historian Russell Wolinsky, reproduced several
pages of the diary and detailed Cobb’s golfing exploits. Keurajian
phoned Wolinsky, requesting a copy of the artifact. Wolinsky told him,
"I can’t photocopy it for you because it is fragile and priceless." "I
remember telling him," said Ron, "that it was not priceless and it was
an amat call had been prompted by another magazine article that
represented the Cobb diary as being authentic. Spencer was more
responsive, saying he planned to send the diary to the FBI for further
investigation.

Now, we get the official word that the once-treasured artifact is
indeed fraudulent.

Here is Ron Keurajian’s analysis of the Ty Cobb diary:

"The quality of the forgery is rudimentary, at best. It is far from
being well-executed, as the hand evidences unsteady lines and the
handwriting seems almost child-like. The entries appear contrived. For
example, there is one about Joe DiMaggio which states ‘he can’t putt
for big money’ and another entry states ‘also drinking too much.’
Anybody who has ever read Cobb’s writings knows that he would not
write in such a fashion. Cobb was well-versed in the art of the
written word and would never write crude comments such as these."

The Baseball Hall of Fame and its president, Jeff Idelson, should be
commended on their decisive action. By admitting that the Cobb diary
is an unreliable source, they have fulfilled their responsibility as a
history museum to maintain the public trust.

However, the story is still incomplete. Many questions remain. Halper
can’t answer them because he died Dec. 18, 2005. The FBI will not
permit the Hall to release details of the report, or names or
divisions of those involved in the inquiry.

Who was the forger? How did he con Halper into buying the diary? Did
Halper have it authenticated? If so, by whom? Do any other copies of
the fraudulent diary exist?

Someday, maybe we will have the answers.

Have a question for ERNIE HARWELL? Send it by mail to Ernie Harwell,
Detroit Free Press Sports, 615 W. Lafayette, Detroit 48226; or by
e-mail to [email protected] with "Ask Ernie" in the subject
line. Please include your name and hometown with your question.

PORTS02/907050453/1048/SPORTS/Ernie+Harwell++Quest ions+remain+about+fake+Cobb+diary

SOUTH CAUCASUS RAILWAY PUT IN COMMISSION ARAMAVIR-YEREVAN PASSENGER ELECTRIC TRAIN OF TIME MOVEMENT

ArmInfo
2009-07-10 16:01:00

ArmInfo. ‘South Caucasus Railway’ put in commission Yerevan- Armavir
passenger electric train of time movement, SCR spokesman Vahe Davtyan
told ArmInfo. The cost of the train makes up 300 drams, the route
frequency – 4 times a day and the way duration – 50 minutes. To
recall, the agreement on putting the new route in commission was
reached between SCR Director General Shevket Shaydullin and Governor
of Armavir region Ashot Kagramanyan.

SCR CJSC is the 100 percent subsidiary of Russian Railways CJSC. In
February 2008 SCR obtained a concession of the state CJSC Armenian
Railway. The agreement of concession of the Armenian Railroad CJSC
for 30 years with a 10-year renewable period was signed in Yerevan
in February 2008.

INDIANS ASSURED OF 2 MEDALS AT RUSSIAN BOXING TOURNAMENT

NDTV.com
17:58 IST, Thursday, July 09, 2009

Press Trust of India
12:25 IST, Thursday, July 09, 2009 (New Delhi)

Indians were assured of at least two bronze medals at Magomed-Salam
Umakhanov Memorial Boxing Championship after Amandeep Singh (48kg)
and Manpreet Singh (91kg) advanced to the semi-finals of the event
in Makhachkala, Russia.

Amandeep defeated local favourite Ginnachmaev V 11:2 in the
quarter-finals.

Manpreet knocked out another Russian, Abdullaev Rustam, in the round
of eight and booked a place in the semi-finals.

Indians had a reasonably good day in other categories as well with
national champion Jasveer Singh (81kg) defeating Iskanderov Khatiz
of Azerbaijan 8-2 in his opening bout.

However, Jai Singh Patil (69kg) lost to Armenian Olympian Ambartzumyn
Edurd 2-8.

Another national champion Kuldeep Singh lost a close bout to Russian
Yron Nikolia 9-12.

MINSK GROUP U.S. CO-CHAIR: SIGNING ACCORD ON NON-USE OF FORCE IN KARABAKH CONFLICT POSSIBLE

Today.Az
09 July 2009 [10:53] – Today.Az

U.S. Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Mathew Bryza says it is possible
to sign an accord on non-use of force in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

"Of course, it is possible and the principle of non-use of force is
a central issue of the work of the co-chairs of OSCE Minsk Group. We
are trying to find ways of to implement it in the negotiations,"
Bryza told a news conference in Yerevan on July 8.

French co-chair Bernard Fassier said the Moscow Declaration reflects
agreement by the parties to the conflict to resolve the conflict via
negotiations and principles of international law.

"We have said many times that the war is not an option, because it
solves nothing," Fassier said.

The French co-chairman noted that currently the mediators are working
on a document that combined all principles (non-use of force, right to
self-determination and territorial integrity), because the prevalence
of one of them will not lead to resolution of the conflict.

REPRESENTATIVES OF SMALL, MEDIUM BUSINESSES IN ARMENIA NEED 4-5 MONTHS OF TAX HOLIDAYS

/ARKA/
July 9, 2009
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, July 9. /ARKA/. Representatives of small and medium businesses
of Armenia need four-five months of tax holidays, Vazgen Safaryan,
the Chairman of Domestic Commodity Producers’ Union, told reporters
on Wednesday.

"Amid the crisis small and medium businesses of Armenia found
themselves in a difficult situation and they need tax holidays to be
able to continue their activities," he said.

According to Safaryan tax benefits should be issued to small businesses
with a staff of less than 15 workers.

As the Chairman of the Union noted, today many companies withdraw
floating funds to pay taxes, which can bring them to crash
soon.

ARMENIA FM MEETS THE FRENCH OMBUDSMAN

armradio.am
06.07.2009 13:03

On July 5 the Foreign Minister of Armenia, Edward Nalbandian received
the Human Rights Defender of France, Jean-Paul Delevoye.

Greeting the guest, Minister Nalbandian highly appreciated the friendly
and high-level relations between Armenia and France and noted that
the cooperation between Ombudsman’s Offices makes the collaboration
between the two countries more complete.

Jean-Paul Delevoye noted, in turn, that he would like the experience of
France to contribute to the improvement of the Human Rights Defender’s
institute in Armenia.

During the conversation the interlocutors exchanged views on the
democratic reforms under way in Armenia.

ARMEN MAZMANYAN: I AM SURE THAT AMNESTY DOES NOT MAKE LEVON TER-PETROSSIAN HAPPY

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
02.07.2009 17:26 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian film producer and one of the activists of
the national liberation movement Armen Mazmanyan shared his political
views at a meeting with journalists today.

"I hail the amnesty, which touched many my friends, although it
is granted very late. I am sure that amnesty does not make Levon
Ter-Petrossian happy, since detained people were token coins in
his struggle for power, " Armen Mazmanyan, creative director of the
experimental theater "Goy" said. "Despite polar difference in our
political views, my friends are now at liberty," he said.

Many journalists asked the opinion of Armen Mazmanyan about major
news the previous day: a voluntary coming of Nikol Pashinyan,
editor-in-chief of "Haykakan Zhamanak" daily to the prosecutor’s
office.

"You can’t compare Movses Georgisyan, a political figure, who was at
the first front line under bullets of the Azeri, with Nicol Pashinyn,
who declared himself an opposition leader and, hiding himself, called
on the rest to struggle with arms. And after a year of rest, while
others were in jail instead of him, he just appeared at the moment
when amnesty announced," Mazmanyan said.

On July 1, being sought, one of the most active participants in the
events of 1 March 2008, chief editor of "Haykakan Zhamanak" Nikol
Pashinyan surrendered to law enforcement authorities. He was arrested
and taken to the "Yerevan-Kentron" penitentiary.

Earlier Nikol Pashinyan had expressed his intention to come out of
hiding and continue his struggle in prison.

In February-March 2008, the Armenian opposition, dissatisfied results
of presidential elections of February 19, 2008, headed by the first
Armenian President Levon Ter-Petrossian held rallies in center of
Yerevan. 1-2 March protests degenerated into riots, resulted in
the death of 10 people. Nikol Pashinyan was being searched by law
enforcers.

ARMENIA AND TURKEY SHOULD START FROM SCRATCH WITHOUT PRECONDITIONS

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
30.06.2009 23:15 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "By leaving the coalition ARF Dashnaktsutyun has
already taken an important step in the Armenian-Turkish relations,
expressing a different view and interests of the Armenian people,"
Armen Rustamyan, MP of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun fraction of the National
Assembly told a press conference today.

"The EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus has repeatedly
pointed out that Turkish society is not ready for such changes. I have
a question, is the Armenian society ready?" Mr. Rustamyan said. He
also stressed that at least one political force (ARF Dashnaktsutyun)
is against it in Armenia.

According to Rustamian, the best way out of the situation can be
only one: to establish diplomatic relations Armenia and Turkey
should start from scratch without preconditions and on the base of
international norms.

USA AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA DEFENDS OBAMA

armradio.am
01.07.2009 15:59

The U.S. ambassador to Armenia learned that President Obama’s
words do have consequences, as she was peppered with criticism from
Armenian-Americans upset that Mr. Obama is backing off a campaign
pledge to recognize the Armenian "genocide."

On a cross-country tour of Armenian-American communities, Ambassador
Marie Yovanovitch has had to defend Mr. Obama while trying to calm
her listeners who are suspicious of a political double-cross, the
Washington Times writes.

"I know there is disappointment and even anger at President Obama’s
April 24 statement," she said at a meeting last week in Arlington,
Mass., referring to Mr. Obama’s decision to avoid using the word,
"genocide," in his address on the annual Armenian Remembrance Day.

"But President Obama went further in his statement than any previous
American president. While we must never forget the past, we also must
work together for a better future."

In his remarks, Mr. Obama referred to the "1.5 million Armenians who
were subsequently massacred or marched to their death" in "one of
the greatest atrocities of the 20th century."

However, during the presidential campaign, he pledged to refer to
the tragedy as "genocide."

ORGANIZATIONS OF ARMENIAN COMMUNITY IN FRANCE AND GREEK AND CYPRIAN COMMUNITIES IN MARSEILLE SIGN JOINT STATEMENT

NOYAN TAPAN – ARNENIANS TODAY
JUNE 30, 2009
PARIS

PARIS, JUNE 30, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The Council on
Coordination of Armenian Organizations in France (CCAF- Le Conseil de
coordination des organisations armeniennes de France), the Cyprian
community of France (Communaute chypriote de France), the Union of
Greeks of Marseille region (Union hellenique de Marseille at de la
Region) and the Greek community of Marseille (Communaute grecue de
Marseille) signed a statement, in which they condemn the envisaged
arrival of a Turkish ship in Marseille from the city of Foca (Turkey)
– the former Greek city of Phocee, within the framework of Year of
Turkey to be celebrated in France.

The point is that on the same day 2,600 years ago a ship from the
above mentioned Greek city was moored to the area of the present-day
Marseille and its passengers founded the city of Marseille,
hayernaysor.am reported, referring to Nouvelles d’Armenie monthly
published in France. The statement says that the Turks have no right
to follow the route taken by the Greeks because it was not them that
founded the city of Marseille 2,600 years ago after having traveled on
that route. According to the statement, to receive the Turkish ship
in Marseille within the framework of Year of Turkey in France means
to consign to oblivion all those Armenians who arrived in Marseille
by ship after surviving the Armenian Genocide and also to forget the
fact that Turkey occupied part of Cyprus in 1974.

It is expected that the ship with Turkish participants in the events of
Year of Turkey will leave Foca on July 1 when these events will start.