Ty Cobb not the monster many have made him out to be?

[Tabe]

Again, nothing much in that clip about Cobb being awful other than repeating the falsehood about the sharpened spikes.

[Zach Wheat]

Originally Posted by Tabe

Again, nothing much in that clip about Cobb being awful other than repeating the falsehood about the sharpened spikes.

Actually if you listen to the audio version of "The Glory of..." they have 5-6 interviews with Cobb's teammates - and almost all defend him regarding the sharpening of spikes issue. One teammate - perhaps it was Davey Jones - indicated Cobb even approached the Commish about outlawing sharpened spikes. In the interview, teammates indicate Cobb did not want to be portrayed in that fashion. However, another written source indicates if Cobb did sharpen his spikes, it was an intentional act to unnerve the opposition - and would have done it with some deliberation to be seen by the opposing team.

Sadly, all of his teammates portray Cobb as an intense loner without many friends. And they also state that he was picked on relentlessly - even by his teammates....hiding his glove, stealing his shoes, etc. I imagine that would get tiresome after a while - even for the most patient.

Z

[Pilot172000]

Originally Posted by Zach Wheat

Actually if you listen to the audio version of "The Glory of..." they have 5-6 interviews with Cobb's teammates - and almost all defend him regarding the sharpening of spikes issue. One teammate - perhaps it was Davey Jones - indicated Cobb even approached the Commish about outlawing sharpened spikes. In the interview, teammates indicate Cobb did not want to be portrayed in that fashion. However, another written source indicates if Cobb did sharpen his spikes, it was an intentional act to unnerve the opposition - and would have done it with some deliberation to be seen by the opposing team.

Sadly, all of his teammates portray Cobb as an intense loner without many friends. And they also state that he was picked on relentlessly - even by his teammates....hiding his glove, stealing his shoes, etc. I imagine that would get tiresome after a while - even for the most patient.

Z

He was hard driven
Emotionally damaged from a real jacked up home life
A Southerner in a very Northern Baseball league at a time when he might as well have been a foreigner.
The polar opposite of the team favorite, Sam Crawford.
This guy was a loner for a reason and he was completely misunderstood.

[Tabe]

Originally Posted by Zach Wheat

Sadly, all of his teammates portray Cobb as an intense loner without many friends. And they also state that he was picked on relentlessly - even by his teammates....hiding his glove, stealing his shoes, etc. I imagine that would get tiresome after a while - even for the most patient.

Z

Cobb had an awful introduction to the major leagues. His father was murdered/killed 3 weeks before he debuted, his teammates sawed his bats in half, hid his equipment, taunted him about his father's death, and a whole lot more - all while he was 18 years old. It's not hard to imagine that he was shaped for the worse as a result.

[Pilot172000]

Originally Posted by Tabe

Cobb had an awful introduction to the major leagues. His father was murdered/killed 3 weeks before he debuted, his teammates sawed his bats in half, hid his equipment, taunted him about his father's death, and a whole lot more - all while he was 18 years old. It's not hard to imagine that he was shaped for the worse as a result.

Even with all this going on, he managed to make some very good friends in baseball. Some of which like Mickey Cochran he took care of after baseball. Walter Johnson and Tris Speaker both were friends and thought well of him. His insistence of Crawford's induction into the HOF tells me that in-spite of the fact that Crawford did more to damage his reputation as a player and a person than anyone, he was forgiving.

[ullmandds]

hell...ty had a repertrois of 9 different slides!!!! Thats HOF worthy!

[RollieFingers]

what none of you are asking is why would the league knowingly
fictionalize a players entire life for the sake revisionist history and let a myth live
indefinitely?

I havent read the article yet so I dont know how they address his alledged beating up of a fan that the long baseball documentary had no problem retelling.
Even though they were supposed to do exhaustive research

[Tabe]

Originally Posted by RollieFingers

what none of you are asking is why would the league knowingly
fictionalize a players entire life for the sake revisionist history and let a myth live
indefinitely?

We're talking the people that sold the Cooperstown myth for decades...

I havent read the article yet so I dont know how they address his alledged beating up of a fan that the long baseball documentary had no problem retelling.
Even though they were supposed to do exhaustive research

The "fan" in question harassed Cobb for a year or more and had been asked/told multiple times to knock it off. It's worth noting that his teammates went on strike to protest Cobb getting suspended.

[Zach Wheat]

Originally Posted by Pilot172000

Even with all this going on, he managed to make some very good friends in baseball. Some of which like Mickey Cochran he took care of after baseball. Walter Johnson and Tris Speaker both were friends and thought well of him. His insistence of Crawford's induction into the HOF tells me that in-spite of the fact that Crawford did more to damage his reputation as a player and a person than anyone, he was forgiving.

I would have to agree with you. It is puzzling to me how a man could be disliked almost universally by players & teammates, yet have friends that give a markedly different picture of him later in life. He was obviously an intelligent man - having used his pay to buy Coca-cola stock and an interest in a bottling operation which made him wealthy.

Makes you wonder what he would be like if you met him in person.

[tschock]

Question for all the lawyers in the house. If the above respondents in this thread were in a jury pool, would their posts here help you to determine whether or not you would dismiss them as a candidate?

[Hot Springs Bathers]

Mr. Leershen's book on Cobb won the SABR Larry Ritter award for 2016 last week

[Pilot172000]

Originally Posted by tschock

Question for all the lawyers in the house. If the above respondents in this thread were in a jury pool, would their posts here help you to determine whether or not you would dismiss them as a candidate?

I think you would have a hung jury. We could determine that he was difficult but negligently an A-hole!!