War on the Basepaths Read online

  “I have my opinion of anybody who would strike a woman,” said Charley “Boss” Schmidt, the 5’11”, 200-pound catcher for the Tigers, a witness to the affair.30

  Cobb was in no mood for the commentary of any of his teammates, friend or foe. Schmidt hadn’t necessarily been involved in the McIntyre shenanigans of the previous year, but his words struck a chord in the maddening sphere of the young outfielder. His conscious mind didn’t compute the gravity of butting heads with the toughest man on the team, and perhaps in all of major league baseball.31 Physically brawny from years of pushing cars full of coal in Arkansas mines, Schmidt was a ready fighter, and demonstrated his fortitude by playing 68 games in 1906 with a broken bone in his ankle. Bizarrely, sportswriter Fred Lieb chronicled accounts of Cobb “tormenting” Schmidt in his 1946 book, The Detroit Tigers.32 The purposeful provocation of the powerful catcher was unimaginable, basically akin to a death wish, but if Lieb was correct, Cobb was clearly searching for turbulence leading up to the event in question.

  That afternoon in Augusta, he certainly found it when he tried to tackle Schmidt for offering his unsolicited remarks. His newfound enemy was all too prepared for fisticuffs and Schmidt successfully landed a blow before their scuffle was called to a halt by onlookers.33 The entire situation couldn’t have been any worse for Jennings and the Tigers, especially when harmony was the cornerstone of their rebuilding process. In the aftermath, Cobb denied choking the woman, telling the press, “I am in the right, and so long as I know that fact, I don’t care what is done or said.”34

  Following the altercation, the focus shifted to Cobb’s status with the Tigers and remarks about his fight with Schmidt, but little was said about Cummings or his wife. Cummings remained an employee of Warren Park and an Augusta newspaper declared him the top groundskeeper in the entire south, “known to every player in the Sally circuit.”35 “Bungey” found himself in a bit of trouble only a few months after his run-in with Cobb when he appeared drunk at the home of an Augusta citizen, and uttered foul language in front of the homeowner’s wife. The man claimed Cummings “deserved to be shot,” according to the paper, and the latter was arrested.36

  Jennings was justifiably livid and within hours of the calamity was working to rekindle talks with Cleveland to trade Cobb for Elmer Flick. He was no longer hesitant to lose a man of great promise if, and it was a big if, he was able to secure a talent of equal ability. Flick, to Jennings, fit that mark, even though he was already thirty-one years of age and of his four seasons left in the majors, only one of them would be played full-time. Ultimately, the deal was nixed by Cleveland co-owner Charley Somers, who didn’t want the destabilizing influence of Cobb infecting his roster as it had in Detroit. Incidentally, both the Tigers and the Cleveland Naps were in Macon, Georgia, at the same time, seemingly opening the door for trade talks. But Somers put his foot down and there was no room to negotiate.37 New York Highlander manager Clark Griffith also proposed a Cobb-Frank Delahanty deal, but Jennings laughed it off as a “humorous effort.”38 In regard to the possible trade to New York in 1907, Cobb talked about two benefits, stronger press and being away from owner Frank Navin.39

  Back in the Tigers clubhouse, a state of uncertainty reigned. Cobb and Schmidt were said to be at peace, but the way Cobb eluded teammates exhibited anything but tranquility for the Detroit franchise. He walked alone, purposefully scheduled meals so he’d be segregated from the others, and was quieter than normal. Sportswriters didn’t help matters by saying that Cobb was essentially friendless on the team. But Cobb relied on his personal allies in Augusta, people he trusted, and he withdrew further to be with them when not on the field.40

  Cobb was feeling the pinch, and sincerely mulled jumping his contract.41 Despite his impulsive anger problems and a developing propensity for violence, he was conscientious and remained with the team. He was, however, determined to get answers from Jennings about what exactly was being done to ship him elsewhere. Jennings told him that he believed Cobb’s fate rested in New York, but again, a trade was not finalized because Detroit felt the offerings were uneven.42

  Indicative of his mind-state and perhaps doing a little trade encouragement of his own, Cobb neglected orders during an exhibition versus Augusta, refusing to bunt when told, and received a “severe reprimand” from Jennings as a result. The reporter acknowledged that Cobb “played well,” having a triple, a sacrifice, and a stolen base, but was rather indifferent. Cobb’s “insubordination” was big news.43 Things remained status quo as the Tigers departed camp and ventured to Meridian, Mississippi, for a game versus the local White Ribbons squad of the Cotton States League. The departure from Georgia worked in Jennings’ favor, as he wanted to break Cobb free from his friends and get him back circulating with teammates. But one of Cobb’s pals in Atlanta erred when he told a writer how Cobb could win a fight against any member of the Tigers, including Schmidt.44 The brawling catcher, as expected, heard the story.

  That little yarn helped instigate the second Cobb-Schmidt battle, and the clay field of Meridian was the location of the clash. Jennings explained it another way. He said Schmidt harbored bitterness toward Cobb stemming from the first fight and wanted to continue the struggle once the team left Georgia.45 Through the decades since the fight, there have been about a dozen or more accounts of what occurred, and the most common characteristic of all versions was that Schmidt won easily. The specific details of how it started and who did what varied from story to story. Cobb personally claimed he was sucker-punched, caught completely off guard, and suffered a broken nose by the opening blow.46 Third baseman Bill Coughlin disagreed. He said that Cobb and Schmidt consented to go out to the park and fight one morning to clear the air.47 Either way, the result was the same.

  That winter, The Sporting News gave space for player quotes and Cobb made the paper on April 6, 1907, delivering some interesting insights. “The fact that I am a southern man has never made any difference in the way I have been treated by the public in the north. The fans all over the American League have always been kind to me. In Detroit, I feel that I have many friends among the fans, and they have treated me with the greatest consideration. I like them and I want them to like me. I always do my best when it comes to playing ball and just as long as I am in the game, intend to continue to do so. The Detroit club [pays] me to play ball, the very best I know how, and I am not going to disappoint the management.”48

  Jennings had been impressive as a manager all spring, encouraging his men to the utmost degree and earning high praise from the lowliest recruit up to the grayest veteran. But nothing he did compared to the magic he pulled the evening of the second Cobb-Schmidt battle in Meridian. It was there, at a team meeting shortly after dinner, that he established himself as the rarest of baseball reconcilers. The night of the famous Meridian meeting, Jennings asked four of his veterans, Coughlin, Donovan, Schaefer, and O’Leary to take Cobb out on the town to illustrate to the young outfielder the new team unity and kinship of the Tigers.49 Instead of giving the men a hard time, lashing out with threats of suspensions, he motivated them with a range of captivating stories, fueling notions of teamwork and camaraderie. “From that day on, there was a change in the ranks of the Tigers,” one player explained. “The fellows woke up to what harmony meant.” In unison, the athletes agreed to watch out for each other in a unified fight for one goal: the American League pennant.50

  For Cobb, he too experienced a metamorphosis. By standing tall against the mighty oak, Charley “Boss” Schmidt, he added to his growing reputation and gained a striking amount of confidence. His relations amongst teammates improved steadily, and although the Tigers would never be completely stable behind the scenes, Cobb demonstrated a willingness to conform as much as he could. “Perhaps [the second encounter versus Schmidt] was the best thing that could have happened to Ty,” Coughlin explained. “He was getting a bit cocky and I have always thought the scrap with Schmidt helped to make a great ball player out of him.”51

  Bidding
farewell to spring training with an exhibition record of 14–0–1, the Tigers were remarkably healthy. Cobb had developed a “severe cold” and was hampered by a back problem, but he kept playing despite being told to sit it out.52 Matty McIntyre was back in the fold in time for opening day versus Cleveland on April 11, 1907, and Jennings wisely arranged his outfield and lineup to keep him separated from Cobb. McIntyre would lead off and play left field, Sam Crawford was in the third slot and in center, and Cobb batted fourth and manned the right side. In the position following Cobb was new first baseman Claude Rossman and his role, as it affected Cobb, was far more important than anyone else on the team. Rossman was a sure hitter and a man of excellent bunting skills. Cobb would rely greatly upon his ability to sacrifice him over, and the cunning tactic was displayed in that first game against Cleveland in a 2–0 victory. Cobb scored both Detroit runs and would have had a third, but was thrown out at the plate in the sixth inning.53

  The stories of continued infighting and disorder caused many baseball observers to write Detroit off from the start, but pundits were in for a major shock. The vibrant cohesion of the Tigers was palpable, and Jennings had successfully turned a rag-tag mess of malcontents into a competitive force of nature. Players were aggressive, hustling for every ball and digging for base hits, and showing an energetic willingness to exert themselves unlike in previous years.54 On the sidelines, Jennings provoked increased intensity by his constant running, flailing, and commentary. He’d whistle and shout catchphrases in support of his men, while at the same time unnerving rivals. Fans were often thoroughly entertained by his riotous skit in the coach’s box, and it didn’t matter if he was standing on one leg or using noise makers to garner a reaction.

  A marked improvement in teamwork was noticeable as well. Communication in the field was fluid and persistently helpful in snagging flies and routing throws. The cooperation was beneficial to Cobb and his adequate defense brightened sharply. Against New York on May 14, he made a diving snag of Frank LaPorte’s liner in what a reporter dubbed, the “greatest catch of the season” to date.55 Weeks later, at New York, Cobb was unable to repeat the performance against LaPorte, and committed an error when he dropped the latter’s fly in a 9–3 loss on June 10.56 Sporadic errors were an expected part of baseball, and some were more costly than others. Cobb was specifically troubled by roped off sections necessitated because of overflow crowds, and every now and then, he crossed signals with Crawford.57 During the first road trip east, Cobb put his best foot forward and appeared to be a master fielder. He robbed extra bases with regularity and made a number of bullet throws to double up runners. Cobb would end the season with 30 assists, which led all outfielders.

  McIntyre was playing his usual high level of ball but, twenty games into the season, went out with a broken ankle and wouldn’t return. B. F. Wright, after McIntyre went down, wrote that there wasn’t a player on the Detroit roster who could “come within a mile of filling Matty’s place.”58 Davy Jones went to left and overall, the adjustment didn’t significantly weaken the club on offense or defense. Batting .316 by the middle of June, Crawford was at his best and Cobb complemented his work by adding the only other .300-plus average to the roster, earning a percentage of .305 with over 50 hits. As a team, the Tigers set an impressive American League record by scoring nine runs in the fifth inning against the Highlanders on June 11, and then doing the same thing in the second inning the follow day. Detroit won the first game, 10–2, and then the second 16–4. It was an awesome expression of power and Detroit’s third place standing was due to the work of the entire team, not just a couple notable stars.

  Cobb’s growth as a daring base-runner was more defined in 1907. He perfected the trick of dashing from first to third on sacrifice bunts and took it a step further by going from first to home on the base hits of teammates placed in front of outfielders. Human nature was human nature, he understood, and was a great believer in the mathematical probabilities of errant actions during a heated situation on the paths. So he worked to instigate them by giving the defense added pressure by teasing steals and constantly causing a distraction. Cobb was eagle-eyed about what was happening around him, and in response to the success he was having, many oppositional players were becoming incensed by his so-called unorthodox tactics.

  A manifestation of frustrations emerged in the second inning against Cleveland on June 29, when Cobb refused to halt at third to accept a triple and stampeded home against catcher Harry Bemis. Bemis, who had the ball in advance of Cobb’s arrival, obstructed the plate and waited for what he anticipated to be an easy out.59 Cobb had other ideas. He never stopped running and propelled himself, headfirst, slamming his right shoulder into the backstop, forcing Bemis to drop the ball. The run scored and Bemis immediately became irate, punching the immobilized Cobb several times in his head. Cobb was never able to hit his rival back. Al Stump, in his 1994 biography Cobb, wrote that no members of the Detroit team went out to help Cobb when he was being pummeled by Bemis. This statement portrays Cobb as being completely exiled from his teammates, practically hated. But players from both benches rushed to the scene, and Davy Jones was the first man from the Tigers to help Cobb. The press specifically mentioned how quickly he managed to grab Bemis. Crawford and Jennings were also on the scene within seconds.60 Aside from an exchange of words and Bemis being dismissed from the game, nothing more in the way of violence occurred.

  Cobb instead let his play do the talking. In the sixth inning, he capped a 4-for-5 showing with a dramatic steal of home, the first time he’d ever accomplished the deed in the majors.61 Nonetheless, the Bemis event was the major story. Cleveland sportswriter Ed Bang said Bemis “could scarcely be blamed” for reacting the way he did because Cobb endangered him physically, and that he was “not even reprimanded,” while Bemis earned a $25 fine. He called it “unnecessary roughness,” and the notion that Cobb was reckless to the point of being willing to injure opponents was essentially born.62 But however the Bemis situation was viewed, Cobb did not play illegally. He was well within his right to charge the catcher in such a manner.

  July was a month of achievement and quick deterioration for Cobb. On one end, he became the first American Leaguer to score 100 hits and, as a reward for the latter accomplishment, admirers gave him a special diamond watch fob.63 Within the next week, he slumped at bat, and reporters were compelled to comment on his lack of production.64 As Detroit ventured back east, Cobb rebounded, and was the star of the series at Boston and New York. He was so thoroughly determined against the Highlanders on July 30, that the reporter felt he was “trying to beat another team single-handed.” Cobb went 4-for-5 and impressed fans as a hitter, runner, and fielder in a 6–1 victory over New York.65 A few days later, he was confronted by a nineteen-year-old right-hander for Washington named Walter Johnson, making his major league debut.

  Johnson would undoubtedly be Cobb’s nemesis for years and develop arguably into baseball’s greatest pitcher. In 1907, he was a fresh-faced rookie from the ball diamonds of Idaho. Little did many people know that the Tigers were given an early opportunity to sign the 6’1” pitching prodigy, but Frank Navin overlooked the hype and an inside tip and blew it.66 On August 2, 1907, Johnson trotted out for the Senators and was mighty impressive against the Tigers, flashing exceptional speed. Cobb and his mates relied on bunts and speed until Crawford could stand no more, powering out a homer in the eighth. Detroit won the game, 3–2.67 Cobb admitted that Johnson, in that game, was the “most threatening sight” he ever witnessed on the playing field.68 Johnson would end the season 5–9, but would win 412 more before his career was through. Cobb and Johnson had a contentious rivalry, but had mutual respect. That didn’t stop Cobb from trying to intimidate the passive pitcher. Early in their combat, he told Johnson that if he ever got in his way while he was trying to beat out a bunt, there would be serious trouble. Johnson smartly replied, “I feel it is only fair to warn you my control is a little off today.”69

  As the pennant
race entered the final two months, all the excitement mainly surrounded the two front-runners, Detroit and Philadelphia. The heat was turned up after the Tigers slid into first place during the first week of August and continued when Jennings and his men arrived at the doorstep of Connie Mack’s Athletics on August 7. The following afternoon, the two teams battled in a scrappy contest, and Cobb figured into a collision with catcher “Doc” Powers. Words were exchanged, enticing the already raucous audience. The next time at bat, Cobb doubled and was involved in more physicality with shortstop Simon Nicholls, although no violence broke out. Nicholls toppled onto him at the base and his spikes tore Cobb’s garb, which needed safety pins to mend. The crowd was riled beyond belief, and Cobb was the perceived rowdy causing their fury.70

  Philadelphia, it is important to observe, had a principal provocateur in Horace S. Fogel, sports editor of the Evening Telegraph. Fogel was also a columnist for The Sporting News and his loaded commentary was read high and low in the baseball community. His contribution to the sportsmanship of the Tigers-Athletics rivalry was to refer to the work of Jennings as “hoodlum coaching” and cited Cobb as a “dirty” player who purposefully tried to maim Powers. He further agitated things by claiming to have heard a report stating that Detroit players wanted to get their hands on him personally, as in to harm him.71 Responding to the outrageous remarks, Detroit sportswriters tended to believe the words were being used as a way to inflame tempers amongst the public in Philadelphia against the Tigers. It was psychological warfare, and Fogel was doing his part in effort to sidetrack Detroit.