Barnstorming - Looking for additional information - and specifically Ty Cobb

[BigJJ]

We all know of Christy Walsh's individual barnstorming promotions, specifically of Ruth and Gehrig, also post-career barnstorming by Joe Jackson.

And we know of team barnstorming from the 1860s through the House of David and beyond.

But pre-1920, do we know which - individual stars - or groups of players - barnstormed?

Did Ty Cobb barnstorm pre-1920s?

Does anyone have pictures or information regarding baseball stars or groups of baseball players barnstorming pre-1920, and specifically any information on Ty Cobb, who may have been among the most likely.

Also - does anyone have information on Cobb having barnstormed with a group of Tiger players, billed as Cobb's Tigers, and/or information of Cobb having led local barnstorming teams, as Ruth and Gehrig did with team names "Bustin Babes" and "Larrupin Lous", as "Cobb's Tigers"?

[packs]

Not exactly barnstorming but the Tigers went to Cuba to play a series of exhibition games in I think 1909 or 1910.

There was a 1914 World Tour of mostly White Sox and Giants players.

I think there was an earlier World Tour in and late 19th century. There's a great photo of the players standing on the Sphynx.

[jerseygary]

While very far from comprehensive, Thomas Barthel has a book called "Baseball Barnstorming And Exhibition Games, 1901-1962" that lists many of the big league tours. It's a lot "dryer" than his other books on Ducky Medwick, Pepper Martin and the Brooklyn Bushwicks (all of which I HIGHLY recommend!) but still a good guide to post season tours.

[daves_resale_shop]

I recall seeing a photo of cobb playing in new haven. There is a good article in the new haven register that can be found with the following keywords in google new haven ty cobb 200

[BigJJ]

Thank you all. If you have more info regarding Cobb, please continue to list. David, interesting regarding the Eastern barnstorming, thank you, I did not know. Gary, the book looks interesting, do you recall discussion about Cobb?

[pariah1107]

Cobb played in a barnstorming tour of Japan in 1928. Here's an image sold at REA 2006...

http://www.robertedwardauctions.com/auction/2006/647.html

[GKreindler]

Here's a little notion about Cobb's Cuban trip in 1910:

http://cubanbeisbol.blogspot.com/2012/02/ty-cobb-tigers-barnstormed-against.html

And a SABR article about an appearance in Montreal in 1915:

http://quebec.sabr.org/articles_cobb.htm

[pariah1107]

Cobb played in a barnstorming tour of California in 1919. Here's a program sold at Legendary....

http://www.legendaryauctions.com/LotDetail.aspx?inventoryid=53197

...and a related article about catcher Archie Yelle, who apparently went west with Cobb in 1919, then stayed in California to play for the San Francisco Seals....

http://www.mlive.com/sports/saginaw/index.ssf/2013/10/archie_yelle_turns_friendship.html

[BigJJ]

Thank you Ty and Graig!

[sayheykid54]

I heard a story locally that the Tigers used to play games in Oxford, MI in the early 1900's.

[Jaybird]

I heard a story locally that the Tigers used to play games in Oxford, MI in the early 1900's.

Here's an interesting thread about the 1912 and 1913 Michigan teams that played with Cobb...

http://www.net54baseball.com/showthread.php?t=137336&highlight=otsego

[bgar3]

In 1911 James McAleer arranged a post season game in Richmond and one of the letters about that game, from W H Fowler, listed a starting lineup that included Cobb, (along with Speaker and Milan) as a member of the "dixie outfield". I only have a copy of the original letter at this time.