Was Cobb really as people perceive him???

[packs]

Originally Posted by Runscott

As a whole, Cobb was racist even back then. All the wishing in the world isn't going to change the past. You learn and move forward.

You might be right that something he said or did could be considered racist today, but I don't think he would have been considered a racist in his time. In 1952 he's advocating for full integration of baseball 7 years before the last team integrated.

Just to dispel myths about the Cobb family and their political leanings too, here's a quote from Cobb's father while a Georgia State Senator in 1900. He's discussing voting against a bill that would tax African American properties to finance African American schools:

“Negroes had done, and were doing a good deal for the up building of the state, and I am in favor of allowing them money for education.”

That doesn't sound like a hardline Southern racist to me. This was 1900.

[1952boyntoncollector]

Originally Posted by Runscott

Not that you are one, but plenty of ignorant people hold MA's - using a degree to defend your position, as opposed to facts, is worthless in my opinion. I gave examples of individual soldiers' opinions because I wanted you to know that I'm not pulling this out of my *ss. I also gave the exact title of a book that you could read if you are not firmly entrenched in your opinions. But, I know - you have an MA in History, so that ends the discussion.

im pretty sure someone with an MA has opinion on books to read as well. Im sure there are books that take different positions on most subjects. Quoting one book does mean something but its the open course of discussion where there becomes a certain consensus on what the facts are when going through all information as people have to defend and listen to other positions....usually the discussion is between published scholars which later becomes the established consensus..there are always outliers

in any event, i not saying who is right...but just saying pointing to one book as dogma basically is just as bad or maybe worse as someone thinking since they have a degree they know it all too (not that someone did that)

[packs]

The South would spend the next century enacting Jim Crow laws to re-establish a white dominated society. They didn't spend the next century trying to preserve a stronger Union. That tells me the war was more about one thing than the other, even if individual soldiers didn't know it.

[thenavarro]

Ordered Ty Cobb: A Terrible Beauty today. Hope it's a good read