Posted By:
steve
I believe that Cobb was an equal opportunity hater, white or black. His views about race were prevailing views back then and as you know, blacks were not even allowed to play MLB until long after Cobb retired. Cobb said some nice things about Jackie Robinson and admired his toughness - that doesn't sound like a racist to me. Just like it is difficult if not impossible to accurately compare players of different eras, it is unfair to put labels on people from different eras based on today's standards. Revered people such as Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin made comments about blacks which would not, and rightly so, be tolerated today. But that doesn't detract from their greatness. All three would admit today that their views were wrong and would change them. I believe Cobb would be changed also if living today. He is one of my favorite players and always will be despite his faults, and some of those faults are based on heresay and speculation, not on concrete evidence.