Ty Cobb ..Separating Fact from Fiction

[JimStinson]

In response to an earlier thread where NET54 member Scott posted a facinating Ty Cobb letter from his collection written in 1960 in which a then seriously ill Cobb reflects on his own mortality.

Several years ago I wrote a research piece on Ty Cobb. As I got deeper into it I began to realize that most of the things that are today accepted as facts were fabrications , mostly created by an aspiring writer, forger & Con Man who befriended Cobb in his final years.
I was contacted by the Ty Cobb museum shortly after I wrote the story and they asked if they could use the study in their literature as it substantiated the data they had already assembled and wanted to set the record straight and reach a wider audience. Without making this post into a novel here are a few facts

1) In a poll of former "dead ball era" baseball players taken in the 1950's they were asked who was the greatest baseball player ever. The consensus was split between Honus Wagner & Ty Cobb
2) Cobb was an astute investor and became a millionaire by becoming a stock holder in "General Motors" and an unknown company called "Coca-Cola" many team mates and opposing players alike became wealthy as a result of his advice.
3) When Cobb climbed into the stands during a game to beat up a handicapped heckler it was after a long and loud diatribe that could be heard throughout the stadium of vile insults regarding Cobb's mother. Although it persisted the entire game, and after repeated requests to the manager to have the heckler removed it was not until team mates insisted Cobb take matters into his own hands which he did but not before showing tremendous restraint through 6 innings !!!!! . As a result he was banned and the entire Tigers team refused to play until his suspension was lifted believing his violence was 100% justified.
4) He was well liked and respected by almost all of his team mates & many opposing players. In fact every single person I've ever spoken to that knew Ty Cobb personally including Hall of Famer Bill Terry had nothing but high praise for him.
5) As a manager he was particularly adept at developing young talent and many of those he helped Including Hall of Famer and four time batting champion Harry Heilmann gave Cobb credit for their success.
6) His last two years in the ML 1927 & 28 were played with the Athletics. Connie Mack (who had seen everything there was to see in baseball) considered him one of the best "team" players and leaders he had ever managed.
7) Throughout the course of his "post" baseball life he regularly helped players who had fallen on hard times with generous cash contributions and insisted in remaining anonymous. Among those he helped were Hall of Famers Mickey Cochrane, Stan Coveleski and scores of others both in and out of baseball.
8) Always accomodating to fans he was a prolific letter writer and autograph signer. Long time collector Jeff M. who was a regular visitor to Cooperstown during Hall of Fame inductions in the 1950's once told me he spied Cobb reading the newspaper in the restaurant at the hotel one morning and had several items he wanted him to sign. Nervous about approaching him he finally got up the nerve and arrived at his table at the exact same moment as Cobb's fried eggs breakfast. He apologized for the intrusion and according to Jeff , ...Cobb set his breakfast aside offered him a seat , signed his items and insisted that signing autographs and talking baseball with a young fan was more important than his breakfast.
9) In his life through generous personal donations he established a college scholarship fund for Georgia residents that benefited both black and white students. Cobb was not a racist.
10) The "Cobb Memorial Hospital" and "Cobb Educational Fund" exist to this day and were funded entirely by his estate.
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jim@stinsonsports.com