War on the Basepaths
Page 50
43 Joseph Hauck Papers (1914–1965), Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley, California.
44 Letter from Cobb to Joe Hauck dated July 4, 1947, Joseph Hauck Papers (1914–1965), Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley, California.
45 True—The Man’s Magazine, December 1961, p. 38–41, 106–115.
46 Boston Herald, July 31, 1941, p. 19. Cobb offered his all-time list in 1941, 1944, and 1955, and didn’t name himself any of the times. See Oakland Tribune, December 5, 1944 and Nevada State Journal, August 21, 1955.
47 Augusta Chronicle, May 5, 1995, p. C1.
48 The Sporting News, May 26, 1938, p. 7. Also see New York Times, February 6, 1963, p. 16.
49 The Sporting News, August 17, 1955, p. 14.
50 Ty Cobb: My Life in Baseball by Ty Cobb with Al Stump, 1993, Bison Books edition, p. 38.
51 Atlanta Constitution, January 14, 1925, p. 9.
52 The Sporting News, February 11, 1948, p. 23.
53 Some sources believed that Cobb’s net worth at the time of his death was upwards of $11 million.
54 Probate Records, County of Habersham, Georgia.
55 tycobbfoundation.com.
56 tycobbmuseum.org.
57 Atlanta Constitution, August 7, 1936, p. 17.
58 The Sporting News, December 20, 1961, p. 14.
59 Atlanta Constitution, April 14, 1927, p. 18.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
In researching this book, I received exceptional assistance from a number of gracious individuals and helpful organizations. First, on a personal level, I want to express my heartfelt appreciation to my wife Jodi for her love and encouragement. Also, Timothy and Barbara Hornbaker, Melissa Hornbaker, Virginia Hall, Sheila Babaganov, Debbie and Paul Kelley, Frances Miller, and John and Christine Hopkins.
My editor, Jason Katzman, was instrumental throughout the creation of this book, and his tireless efforts are immensely appreciated. Also a special thanks to Leigh Eron and everyone at Skyhorse Publishing.
My sincere gratitude goes to Amy Miller and the Interlibrary Loan team, consisting of Margaret Cruz, Alisa Orange, and Deborah Hicks at the Broward County Main Library in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for their meticulous work in obtaining the resources I needed for this project. Also, the Main Periodicals Department made up of David Hart, James Onessimo, and William Hubly.
A special thanks to Photo Archivist John Horne of the National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum in Cooperstown, Jane Winton and Tom Blake at the Boston Public Library, Geraldine Eastler, Maria Brandt, Ken Samelson, Don Evans, Derek Blount, Bob Hoie, Gene P. Moy, J Michael Kenyon, Ellen Bowers Davenport, Arthurine N. Turner, Wesley Fricks, and James W. Williams.
Additionally, I would like to convey my appreciation to the following for their assistance: Carrie Tallichet Smith of the National Archives and Records Administration, Dawn Milton of the Butte County Courthouse, Oroville, California, Nicole Webb of the Habersham County Probate Court, Clarkesville, Georgia, Mark McCoy of the Banks County Historical Society, Homer, Georgia, Allison Galloup of the University of North Georgia, Wanda Stalcup at the Cherokee County Historical Museum in Murphy, North Carolina, Mary Biaggini of the Douglas County Court System, Minden, Nevada, Sheri Berrong, Town Clerk for Mount Airy, Georgia, Tina Rae Floyd of the Augusta-Richmond County Public Library, Augusta, Georgia, Nicole Carmolingo of the DeKalb History Center, Decatur, Georgia, Mark Bowden of the Burton Historical Collection, Detroit Public Library, Detroit, Michigan, Eryn Killian of the Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, Priscilla Colwell of the Putnam Public Library, Putnam, Connecticut, Rebecca Kilby of the Greenville County Library System, Greenville, South Carolina, the Franklin County Historical Society in Carnesville, Georgia, the Athens Historical Society, Athens, Georgia, Clarkesville-Habersham County Library in Clarkesville, Georgia, and the Records Management Division of the San Mateo Superior Court, Redwood City, California.
Ty Cobb posted a lifetime batting average of .367 and was a 12-time American League batting title champion, which is still the most in Major League Baseball history.
Baseball card of Ty Cobb from the American Tobacco Company, produced between 1909 and 1911.
Cobb, standing at bat, is depicted on an American Tobacco Company baseball card from the famous T206 card series.
The likeness of Ty Cobb as a member of the Detroit Tigers is captured on an American Tobacco Company trading card from the T205 series in 1911.
Reproductions courtesy of the Library of Congress
Cobb is in the middle row, third from the left, in this 1907 Detroit Tigers team photo. The Tigers won their first American League pennant that year, but lost the World Series to the Chicago Cubs in four straight games.
The youthful exuberance of Ty Cobb is apparent as he readies himself at the plate in one of his earliest known baseball photographs, taken circa 1905.
Often relying on his awesome speed, Cobb slides into third for a successful triple during a game on August 16, 1924. His 295 triples are second all-time, only 14 behind the leader, teammate Sam Crawford (309).
Cobb’s sliding style was a relentless source of controversy, with some players and managers contending that he purposely slid with his spikes “high,” intending to injure the baseman. Cobb denied the charges.
Playing the game with a fierce aggressiveness, Cobb took physicality on the diamond to a new level, and when he slid into bases, he did so at full velocity. As a result, collisions with basemen were commonplace.
Cobb always watched each game intensely, looking for ways to capitalize on the weaknesses of rivals. He also liked to prepare for a plate appearance by holding three heavy bats, and believed it measurably increased his bat speed.
One of the more obvious and unique trademarks of Cobb’s batting style was the way he gripped the bat, with his hands a few inches apart.
Although his methods at the plate were unconventional, Cobb hammered out 4,191 hits and held the Major League Baseball record for fifty-seven years. Pete Rose broke his record, making his 4,192 hit in 1985.
Automobiles were another passion for Cobb, and he enjoyed taking a ride prior to games to soothe his natural nervousness.
As hard as it might be for some to believe, Cobb did have a lighter side and, at times, displayed a full smile for photographers.
An amused Cobb stands ready to enter the field of play for one of his 3,034 games. He is fifth all-time for games played in Major League Baseball history.
Freely admitting that he wasn’t a natural hitter, Cobb had to work extremely hard to attain the success he achieved, especially in overcoming his limitations against left-handed pitchers.
During a game, few individuals were more focused than “The Georgia Peach,” but there were times when rowdy spectators shattered his concentration by verbal taunts. Once his breaking point was reached, he was unpredictable and, in 1912, rushed into a New York crowd to fight with a particularly unruly antagonist.
Joe Jackson (right) was another southern product, hailing from South Carolina, and looked up to Cobb in many ways. Interestingly, many people considered Jackson to be a more natural hitter than Cobb, and Ty himself later acknowledged “Shoeless” as the greatest batsman in baseball history.
Three baseball legends, Cobb (left), Joe Jackson (center), and Sam Crawford (right), engage in a little pregame conversation.
For a number of years, Cobb and Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis, the Commissioner of Baseball (right), had a solid friendship. That friendship dissolved as a result of the latter’s actions during a high-profile gambling investigation in 1926–27, which threatened Cobb’s position in Organized Baseball. Cobb was cleared of any wrongdoing.
Cobb and Tris Speaker, longtime American League rivals, became teammates in 1928 as members of the Philadelphia Athletics. Over twenty-two years, Speaker achieved a .345 career batting average and joined Cobb in the inaugural class of the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939.
After twenty-two y
ears with the Detroit Tigers, Cobb joined Connie Mack’s Philadelphia Athletics in 1927 and played for the A’s for two years, retiring following the 1928 season.
Cobb and Babe Ruth (left) had one of the most interesting relationships in baseball history. At times they would go for each other’s throats, ready to fight, while others they were jovial and joking. Through it all, though, they shared a mutual respect.
During the 1924 World Series, future Hall of Famers George Sisler (left), Babe Ruth (center), and Cobb (right) paused to shake hands for the camera.
Displaying their famously joking manner, Babe Ruth (left) remarked about the thinning condition of Cobb’s hair during a charity golf game in 1941. Cobb, who never sidestepped trash talking, undoubtedly prodded the “Bambino” in return, and the two had a good many laughs.
Later in Cobb’s life, he had the opportunity to watch the eradication of baseball’s color barrier and praised many African American superstars, including Willie Mays. When given a moment to bend the ear of a ballplayer, Cobb didn’t hesitate to offer words of advice or encouragement.
In May 1957, Cobb visited the clubhouse of the Milwaukee Braves and took a moment to display his hands-apart hitting method to (from left to right) Frank Torre, Warren Spahn, and Bobby Thomson.
Cobb loved returning to the National Baseball Hall of Fame at Cooperstown, New York, and tried to make it an annual trip. On July 27, 1953, he placed particular importance on attending the ceremonies because one of his protégés, Al Simmons, was being enshrined. Fans always enjoyed hearing what Cobb had to say.
Mourners in Royston, Georgia, pay their respects to Cobb during his funeral services on July 19, 1961, two days after his passing. Cobb was interred in his family’s mausoleum, next to his parents and sister.