20. That was in 1926, in Cobbs final season with the Tigers. The fight finally ended when the watchman produced a gun and struck Cobb several times in the head, knocking him out. Distribution Marketing v. Major League Baseball, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit upholding a 2007 judgement by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, ruled that baseball statistics, as being mere facts, are in the public domain are not the property of Major League Baseball Enterprises, Inc. or any other private or public entity. That guy was superhuman, amazing," said Hall of Fame manager Casey Stengel. Thirty years ago on Tuesday, Pete Rose became the all-time hit king. However, Cobb later expressed the deepest respect for Herzog because of the way the infielder had conducted himself in the fight. [93][94] Both teams were staying at the Oriental Hotel, and at dinner that evening, Herzog walked up to Cobb and challenged him to a fight. Cobb is one of the most celebrated players in baseball history. Allegedly, Cobb suspected his wife of infidelity and returned to the house with a pistol later that night, only to be shot dead by Amanda, who claimed to have mistaken him for a burglar. document.write(update); In all Cobb collected a total of 16 bases, establishing a new major league record for most bases in a single game. On Oct. 4, 1925, he pitched the final inning of the Tigers 11-6 victory over the St. Louis Browns in the nightcap of a doubleheader and retired all three batters he faced. Cobb was selected on all but four ballots cast, or 98.2%. I'll show you something new. Cobb was known for his aggressive base running style and his ability to hit to all fields. Day trip or a week-long adventure. vs. NYY 1 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB. Do you know who was the first player to lead the junior circuit in all three of those baseball statistics during the same season? Ty Cobb was elected into the Hall of Fame in 1936. [128][unreliable source? Or write about sports? Cobb retired a wealthy and successful man. [14] He still holds the career record for stealing home (54 times) and for stealing second base, third base, and home in succession (4 times), and as the youngest player ever to compile 4,000 hits and score 2,000 runs. the most sensational player of all the players I have seen in all my life Casey Stengel, The New York Times, July 18, 1961[144] regarding Ty Cobb shortly after Cobb's death. The Chalmers Award (AL) Year Team League; 1911: Detroit Tigers: AL: Hall Of Fame. Any Tyruses today can thank Cobb for giving the name its initial exposure. Of major league stars of the 1940s and 1950s, Cobb had positive things to say about Stan Musial, Phil Rizzuto, and Jackie Robinson, but few others. [101] He was given the rank of captain underneath the command of Major Branch Rickey, the president of the St. Louis Cardinals. (Source: Al Stump, Algonquin Books, 01/03/1996, Cobb: A Biography, Page 361-362). Rose Hill Cemetery, Royston, GA, High School: Franklin County HS (Royston, GA), Debut: It's also available for football, basketball and hockey. The historian Steven Elliott Tripp has explored the public's reaction to Cobb as a pioneer sports celebrity and "a player fans loved to hate. Sign up to receive our daily Morning Lineup to stay in the know about the latest trending topics around Major League Baseball. And during a game on May 15, 1912, the relentless heckling of a fan named Claude Lueker prompted Cobb to head into the stands and attack him. He then suddenly broke into a run and slid into home plate for the eventual winning run. [107][108][109] Perhaps what angered him the most about Ruth was that despite Babe's total disregard for his physical condition and traditional baseball, he was still an overwhelming success and brought fans to the ballparks in record numbers to see him challenge his own slugging records. The historic No. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Members of both teams were spectators, and broke up the scuffle after Cobb had knocked Evans down, pinned him and began choking him. [44] Cobb later attributed his ferocious play to his late father, saying, "I did it for my father. Cobb's career totals published by Major League Baseball Enterprises, Inc. are shown below:[183]. [176] All of these round to .366. Cobb hit eight home runs but finished second in that category to Frank Baker, who hit eleven. I believed in putting up a mental hazard for the other fellow. Everyone was acquitted. The following year, 1906, Cobb became the Tigers' full-time center fielder and hit .316 in 98 games, setting a record for the highest batting average (minimum 310 plate appearances) for a 19-year-old (later bested by Mel Ott's .322 average in 124 games for the 1928 New York Giants). His new wife was 40-year-old Frances Fairbairn Cass, a divorce from Buffalo, New York. 3. As is always the case, the truth is complicated. Yes, we all remember him at Riverfront Stadium standing on first on Sept. 11, 1985, celebrating hit No. Was it worth risking his career to perpetrate such a big lie? "[45], Cobb was initiated into Freemasonry in 1907, earning the 32nd degree in 1912. Suzuki broke George Sisler's 1920 record of 257 hits and Sisler broke Ty Cobb's 1911 record of 248 hits. On May 5, 1925 in a game versus the St. Louis Browns played at Sportsman's Park III in St. Louis, the then 38 year-old Ty Cobb went 6 for 6 at the plate with three homeruns, one double and two singles. On September 3, Ty Cobb pinch-hit in the ninth inning of the first game of a doubleheader against the Senators and doubled off Bump Hadley for his last career hit although his last at-bat wasn't until September 11 against the Yankees, popping out off Hank Johnson and grounding out to shortstop Mark Koenig. CINCINNATI Pete Rose broke Ty Cobb's career hit record Wednesday night, 57 years to the day after Cobb's last swing. Ty Cobb [1] 1886-1961 American baseball player Ty Cobb is arguably the greatest baseball player who ever put on spikes. Although Cobb was credited with a higher batting average, it was later discovered in the 1970s that one game had been counted twice so that Cobb actually lost to Lajoie. Others included Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams, Home Run Baker, and Eddie Collins. He hit .300 in 23 consecutive seasons. This attributed statement was first published on an April 19, 1913 edition of the Los Angeles Herald. In 1909, he led the league in home runs for the only time in his career and won the Triple Crown. He also established the Cobb Educational Fund, which awarded scholarships to needy Georgia students bound for college, by endowing it with a $100,000 donation in 1953 (equivalent to approximately $1,012,811 in current year dollars [98]). (AP). In 1999, the Sporting News ranked Cobb third on its list of "Baseball's 100 Greatest Players."[2]. 15. This did not come to pass, however. On January 27, 1927, Judge Landis cleared Cobb and Speaker of any wrongdoing because of Leonard's refusal to appear at the hearings. Fellow Southerners Cobb and Jackson were personally friendly both on and off the field. . Bryan, Wright, "Clemson: An Informal History of the University 18891979," The R. L. Bryan Company, Columbia, South Carolina, 1979, Library of Congress card number 79-56231, Clemson Agricultural College of South Carolina, Major League Baseball Players Association, SABR (the Society for American Baseball Research), United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, List of Major League Baseball stolen base records, List of Major League Baseball hit records, List of Major League Baseball single-game hits leaders, List of Major League Baseball player-managers, List of Major League Baseball individual streaks, List of Major League Baseball record holders, "Thorstein Veblen, Ty Cobb, and the evolution of an institution", "Ty Cobb, the greatest Tiger of them all", "Career Leaders for At Bats (Progressive)", "Ty Cobb's label as racist is undeserved, baseball historian says", "How Ty Cobb the truth got lost inside Ty Cobb the myth", "The Softer Side of Ty Cobb | The Saturday Evening Post", "Ty Cobb's Philanthropy Has Lessons for Us All", "Who was Ty Cobb?The history we know that's wrong", "Cobb still revered, reviled 100 years after first game", "1905 American League Awards, All-Stars, & More Leaders", "August 30, 1905: Ty Cobb Plays His First Game As Detroit Tiger | MSU Libraries", "Batting Leaders Before, During and After Age 19", "Facts and Figures Baseball batting champions", "Ty Cobb Sold Me a Soda Pop: Hall of Fame Outfielder Ty Cobb and Coca-Cola", "First Five: The Original Members of the Hall of Fame", National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, "Press Democrat 13 August 1912 California Digital Newspaper Collection", "Detroit Tigers vs New York Highlanders Box Score: August 13, 1912", "Los Angeles Herald 19 April 1913 California Digital Newspaper Collection", "St. Louis Browns vs Detroit Tigers Box Score: April 19, 1913", "Remembering baseball hall of famers who served in the Chemical Corps", "Detroit Tigers vs New York Yankees Box Score: May 24, 1920", "Detroit Tigers vs New York Yankees Box Score: May 25, 1920", "Detroit Tigers vs New York Yankees Box Score: May 26, 1920", "Fat phenoms: are hot dogs and beer part of your training regimen? He was fined $50.[91]. During his 24-year big league career, Cobb captured a record 11 (or 12) batting titles, batted over .400 three times and won the 1909 Triple Crown. They became one of the most successful double steal pairings in baseball history. Do you have a sports website? View Ty Cobb's Page at the Baseball Hall of Fame (plaque, photos, videos). Ty Cobb was not a power hitter per se, any more than George Brett or Stan Musial were principally power hitters. At the same time, his wife Charlie filed the first of several divorce suits;[121] but withdrew the suit shortly thereafter. Cobb spent 22 seasons with the Detroit Tigers, the last six as the team's player-manager, and finished his career with the Philadelphia Athletics. He was (probably) not the monster hes often depicted to be. Ty Cobb weighed 175 lbs (79 kg) when playing. [104][105][106], As Ruth's popularity grew, Cobb became increasingly hostile toward him. When he retired in 1928, he had set some 90 records. Cobb's legacy, which includes a large college scholarship fund for Georgia residents financed by his early investments in Coca-Cola and General Motors, has been somewhat tarnished by allegations of racism and violence, primarily stemming from a couple of mostly-discredited biographies that were released following his death. At the end of the 1910 season, Cobb was in a tight race for the batting title with Clevelands Nap Lajoie. The Highlanders catcher vehemently argued the safe call at second base with the umpire in question, going on at such length that the other Highlanders infielders gathered nearby to watch. "[16] The "overly familiar greeting infuriated" Cobb, who attacked Cummings. [82][83], During his career, Cobb was involved in numerous other fights, both on and off the field, and several profanity-laced shouting matches. [145] Baseball's only representatives at his funeral were three old-time players, Ray Schalk, Mickey Cochrane and Nap Rucker, along with Sid Keener, the director of the Baseball Hall of Fame, but messages of condolences numbered in the hundreds and included notes from Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams. [81], The strike ended when Cobb urged his teammates to return to the field. Could Ty Cobb have been a big-time home run hitter had he decided to? Year 3B Rank; [5] Shortly thereafter, Tris Speaker also retired as player-manager of the Cleveland Indians. He hit .400 three times. He expected his sons to be exceptional athletes in general and baseball players in particular. The elevator operator stated that he could only take Cobb to the floor where his room was. Cobb wasnt just a success on the field but in the commodities market. Back when the ball was bogged down by spit and tobacco juice, Ty Cobb smacked it to the gaps, ran like hell and dictated terms to the rest of the league. [119] He spent his retirement pursuing his off-season avocations of hunting, golfing, polo and fishing. Coupled with the facts that Ty Cobb was impulsive, high strung and enormously egotistical, Keener and Salsinger's account rings true. If the legend is true, Cobb apparently thought he had proven his point and went back to what he called "real" baseball and finished the 1925 campaign with a lusty .378 average but "only" 12 home runs. But then again, he fought with just about anybody. [158], Cobb's father was a noted advocate for racial equality. Ty Cobb died on July 17, 1961, at age 74, and Doubleday rushed to get his autobiography onto bookshelves two months later. [7] He retained many other records for almost a half century or more, including most career hits until 1985 (4,189 or 4,191, depending on source),[8][9][10] most career runs (2,245 or 2,246 depending on source) until 2001,[11] most career games played (3,035) and at bats (11,429 or 11,434 depending on source) until 1974,[12][13] and the modern record for most career stolen bases (892) until 1977. This game went 17 innings to a tie, and a few days later, we clinched our first pennant. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Born: Cobb and Wood admitted to writing the letters, but claimed that a horse-racing bet was involved and that Leonard's accusations were in retaliation for Cobb's having released him from the Tigers, thereby demoting him to the minor leagues. [146][147][145] Family in attendance included Cobb's former wife Charlie, his two daughters, his surviving son Jimmy, his two sons-in-law, his daughter-in-law Mary Dunn Cobb and her two children. [16], In September 1907, Cobb began a relationship with The Coca-Cola Company that lasted the remainder of his life. Ruth hit two homers, a triple, and two singles during the series, compared to Cobb's two hits of a double and a single. He could have gone 0-for-his-last-2,541 and still had a .300 career average. [69], Cobb has been judged by some historians and journalists as the best player of the dead-ball era, and is generally seen as one of the greatest players of all time.[154][155]. [138][139] In December 1959, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, and Bright's disease. On August 19, 1921, in the second game of a doubleheader against Elmer Myers of the Boston Red Sox, Cobb collected his 3,000th hit. [79] The pre-1901 record for the most hits and runs given up in a game is held by the Cleveland Blues' Dave Rowe. They were two runs ahead in the 9th inning, when I happened to hit a home run that tied the score. I see no reason in the world why we shouldn't compete with colored athletes as long as they conduct themselves with politeness and gentility. [5] He then announced his retirement, effective the end of the season,[5] after batting .300 or higher in 23 consecutive seasons (the only season under .300 being his rookie season), a major league record that is unlikely to be broken. And Honus Wagner, Christy Mathewson and Walter Johnson, too. [43] She was acquitted on March 31, 1906. But even still, because of the illegitimate means by which Lajoie reached .383, Cobbs .382 average is, to this day, officially recognized as the best in the AL in 1910. Cobb was mentioned in the poem "Line-Up for Yesterday" by Ogden Nash: C is for Cobb,Who grew spikes and not corn,And made all the basemenWish they weren't born. However, recent scholarship has shown that all parties involved were white. Did you know that Ty, his nickname, still has the highest career batting average in baseball history, the most batting titles in baseball history (including the most consecutive batting titles), the most hits in a career in the American League, and if you search his name, The Georgia Peach appears on more than 3,000 other pages? Ty Cobb is regarded by some as the greatest all-around baseball player who ever lived. One wonders if someone in the public eye like Keener, would stick to this false narrative like he did in subsequent years. On May 6, the man from Royston slammed two more home runs, making it five round-trippers in two games. "[58], Despite great success on the field, Cobb was no stranger to controversy off it. The couple had three sons and two daughters: Tyrus Raymond Jr, Shirley Marion, Herschel Roswell, James Howell, and Beverly. If it had been proven that Cobb didnt say those things before a game in St. Louis in 1925, Keener would have been discredited in his profession. A trip to Cooperstown has something for baseball fans and everyone else. Cobb was allowed to show up late for spring training and was given private quarters on the road perks not offered to Crawford. Among those still standing are his career batting average (.366), combined total runs and runs batted in (4,065), and batting titles (11). No action was taken. In 1936, the first balloting was held for election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Stump would claim say that the collaboration was contentious, and after Cobb's death Stump published two more books and a short story giving what he said was the "true story" One of these later books was used as the basis for the 1994 film Cobb (a box office flop starring Tommy Lee Jones as Cobb and directed by Ron Shelton). Cobbs Tigers teams reached (and lost) the World Series three consecutive seasons from 1907-09, but finished far from first for most of the 1910s. The Detroit star didnt think it took a lot of talent to hit home runs and was convinced that his way of playing the game was vastly superior. [Answer]. The two met an hour later in Cobb's room, where the Tiger outfielder had prepared for the fight by moving furniture out of the way and pouring water on the floor. 2 April 2013. Tyrus Raymond Cobb was born December 18, 1886 to William Herschel Cobb and Amanda Chitwood Cobb in Narrows, Georgia. Total Zone Rating and initial framework for Wins above Replacement calculations provided by Sean Smith. Cobb then pushed him away, which was the last interaction that anyone saw between Cobb and Cummings. I don't think I shall ever play ball again. He accomplished the feat four times during his career, still an MLB record as of 2022. As of April 2021, the Ty Cobb Educational Foundation has distributed $19.2 million in college scholarships to needy Georgians.[149]. "(Ty) Cobb lived off the field as though he wished to live forever. This has since been matched by Stan Musial, Tony Gwynn and Ichiro Suzuki. Somehow it seems like if he were alive, he would still manage to hit .300. [26] By most accounts, he became fascinated with baseball as a child, and decided he wanted to play professional ball one day; his father was vehemently opposed to this idea, but by his teen years, he was trying out for area teams. [170], Cobb has the highest batting average in major league history, .366. "[52] Tigers manager Hughie Jennings later acknowledged that Cobb was targeted for abuse by veteran players, some of whom sought to force him off the team. But if we let the percentages dictate the pecking order, then you could technically say Cobb was the first Hall of Famer. [88] This occured in the same year where Cobb had allegedly grown pesimisstic and was quoted as saying: "It seems I am a burden to the Detroit club, as a trespasser of its rules. Hank Aaron's Greatness, by the Numbers - The Ringer Or absurd, depending on your point of view. Based on quotes from teammates and opponents, Ty Cobb was the most competitive and aggressive player in baseball, often screaming at teammates and talking trash to opposing teams, but it cannot be denied that he was well respected as a ballplayer. But I never tried anything foolish when a game was at stake, only when we were far ahead or far behind. . [101] All of these men were assigned to the Gas and Flame Division, where they trained soldiers in preparation for chemical attacks by exposing them to gas chambers in a controlled environment,[101] which was eventually responsible for Mathewson's contracting tuberculosis, leading to his premature death on the eve of the 1925 World Series. Cobb was 18 years old at the time, the youngest player in the league by almost a year. [142] His first wife, Charlie, his son Jimmy and other family members came to be with him for his final days. This helped to make the other side hurry the play in a close game later on. As described in Smithsonian, "In 1907 during spring training in Augusta, Georgia, a black groundskeeper named Bungy Cummings, whom Cobb had known for years, attempted to shake Cobb's hand or pat him on the shoulder. Baseball (the sport) does not have official statistics. (the meaning of which is unknown) and go in for a hug. In 1887, Richter, and other baseball journalists, formed the Base Ball Reporters Association of America, also referred to as the National Base Ball Reporters' Association. The competition between the two was intense. "Every time at bat for him was a crusade. In C.B.C. On May 15, 1912, Cobb assaulted a heckler, Claude Lucker (often misspelled as Lueker), in the stands in New York's Hilltop Park where the Tigers were playing the Highlanders. [3][4][5][6] His combined total of 4,065 runs scored and runs batted in (after adjusting for home runs) is still the highest ever produced by any major league player. [164], Initially, they had a student-teacher relationship. "Well, he proved it to me, and I told the other players to let him alone. Along with the three long balls, Cobb hit a double and two singles, finishing the day 6 for 6. Many thanks to him. Subscribe to Stathead Baseball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Baseball Reference Database. Following his retirement, Cobb even befriended one of his greatest rivals, Babe Ruth, whose wife Claire was from Georgia. I did it to study how the other team reacted, filing away in my mind any observations for future use. On May 12, 1911, playing against the New York Highlanders, he scored from first base on a single to right field, then scored another run from second base on a wild pitch. [78] For that one game, Detroit fielded a replacement team made up of hastily recruited college and sandlot players plus two Tiger coaches and lost 242, thereby setting some of Major League Baseball's modern-era (post-1900) negative records, notably the 26 hits in a nine-inning game allowed by Allan Travers, who pitched one of the sport's most unlikely complete games. He was divorced on the grounds of cruel treatment, he was reviled by other players and even teammates, and he was an alcoholic.