War on the Basepaths Read online

  B. F. Wright hammered back, giving Cobb and his mates a prominent voice in the feud. He declared Fogel’s charges to be “partisan hearsay,” and clearly defended Cobb against accusations of immoral behavior on the field, specifically in the Bemis case. He explained that Cobb went in head first, not spikes first, and reiterated the right of way of a base-runner.72 In the meantime, Cobb was relentless against Philadelphia. On August 8, he sprinted from first to third on a Rossman bunt, and then proceeded home on a wild throw.73 In another game on August 14, he batted a hit off each of four Athletics pitchers, Rube Waddell, Jimmy Dygert, Bill Bartley, and Jack Coombs, in a 9–2 victory.74 His high octane efforts were exceedingly distinguishable and the press corps across the American League circuit marveled at his abilities.

  As could be expected, Cobb’s body suffered from the frequency of his slides, which often occurred numerous times a game. Bruises were plentiful along his sides and legs and open wounds were not an uncommon occurrence. Cobb occasionally wore sliding pads, but felt they slowed him down. He played through the pain, and his awe-inspiring quickness didn’t seem to miss much of a step. On September 3, 1907, in Chicago, he blazed a path around the bases for an inside the park home run, the first ever at South Side Park, and a feat some baseball authorities deemed impossible because of the “dead” qualities of the South Side Field.75 The agony of a sliced right hand, cut by shards of broken bottles when he accidentally fell in the overflow section of a crowd, also tested his resolve.76 It got so bad that at one juncture he was unable to grip a bat.

  Detroit and Philadelphia flipped the first and second positions in the hunt for the league championship, and Fogel unflinchingly declared the Tigers out of contention.77 Jennings and his players did stumble, but managed to keep pace headed into the most important road trip of the year. The Tigers were revved up, and after finishing a three-game sweep of Boston, the Tigers returned to Philadelphia on September 27 and beat their foes 5–4 before 18,000 fans. A contest the next day, Saturday, was washed out, leaving both teams to stew for the remainder of the weekend since Sunday games were outlawed in the state. Anticipation was great and, prior to the 2 p.m. game time for the first of a doubleheader on Monday, September 30, more than 25,000 spectators were fixated on the Columbia Park field.78

  Cobb and the Tigers lined up against pitcher Jimmy Dygert, and later both Rube Waddell and Eddie Plank, in what would ultimately be a singular, 17-inning battle. The lone game was an instant classic, featuring a heroic comeback by the Tigers after being down 7–1, a homer by Cobb in the ninth to tie the score, and a masterful pitching exhibition by “Wild” Bill Donovan. Additionally, there were fisticuffs as Rossman battled both Monte Cross and Waddell, and was subsequently arrested, and a called interference on a play Crawford was trying to make that could have given the Athletics the game. Connie Mack wildly protested the decision of umpires Silk O’Loughlin and Tommy Connolly, but there was little he could do other than complain. As darkness came over the stadium, the battle was called and the result was a 9–9 tie.79

  The game was classified by Cobb as his “greatest diamond thrill” and he described the conflict in detail in The Sporting News.80 Cobb named Donovan, who went the distance for the Tigers, the star of the fracas. Bill Coughlin offered comments about the battle and noted that Detroit players didn’t dress at the stadium after the game, but went straight to the hotel. En route through rowdy fans, he was punched in the face by a spectator.81 When Cobb returned to the hotel, he fell fast asleep, still wearing his uniform.

  The pennant was within reach, but a few games yet remained. Eighth place Washington was next for the Tigers, and on October 3, Cobb performed dramatically in the nation’s capital, but at the conclusion of the event, his status was again in question. Between the soreness of his legs and his hand injury, he was already less than a hundred percent. Moreover, his vast conditioning was being pushed to its limits. In the sixth inning at Washington, his body physically broke down following a steal of second and third, and then a rundown on the third baseline. His Herculean effort was valorous, but unsuccessful. He crumpled to the dirt feet from home plate and was tagged out. Cobb needed to be aided off the field, and in the eighth, he went to the hotel to recuperate.82 He was in the lineup at St. Louis on October 5 and homered.

  Hell-bent on winning the pennant, Detroit won five of its last seven games, including a four-game sweep at Washington, and annexed the American League championship. Around the same time, when the American League gave out its final numbers on the 1907 season, the twenty-year-old Cobb was awarded a .352 batting average. This was roundly disputed, as most pundits had him batting .350 instead, in a statistical tie for “world” title honors against National League batting champion Honus Wagner. Ernest J. Lanigan, a well-respected baseball writer, declared Cobb’s record “a mite the better of Wagner.”83 The dueling honors flooded Detroit with contentment, and it was a fitting culmination to a hectic struggle. Fans at the beginning of the year weren’t exactly convinced they were watching a championship-caliber squad, but they stuck it out, and the numbers increased measurably as the pennant race tightened. By season’s end, people were crowding wire machines all across the city waiting for game results. The Tigers didn’t disappoint, and the enthusiasts were convinced that the National League titleholders, the Chicago Cubs, didn’t stand a chance.

  Unfortunately, though, the Cubs had Frank Chance, the renowned first baseman and manager leading its club. Chance led Chicago to an utterly dominant 107–45 record, finishing a full 17 games ahead of second place Pittsburgh. They were imposing adversaries and Detroit was going to need its very best to pull out a winner. But the realities of the exhausting pennant chase were coming to the forefront, and it was impossible to say they were in the greatest of fighting shape. That important, but maybe overlooked, fact was going to prove paramount as the Tigers faced what Cobb called “one of the most amazing teams of all-time.”84

  The World Series of 1907 began on October 8 at the West Side ballpark in Chicago. Donovan, the winner of 25 games during the regular season, held the Cubs to three runs in twelve innings of competitive baseball, but the result was a 3–3 stalemate called because of darkness. Cobb was less remarkable, going 0-for-5, but was singled out before the game for his extraordinary performance in the batting championship race. The Chicago audience showered him with appreciation as he was given a special diamond medal, specifically fashioned by Mermod, Jaccard & King, a St. Louis jeweler, and worth about $500, for the occasion. The subsequent afternoon, the Cubs handcuffed the Tigers’ offense and were well guarded against the hit and run, a bread-and-butter play for Detroit. Cobb logged his first hit of the series, but the Cubs were victorious, 3–1.85

  The pitching of Orval Overall, Jack Pfiester, and Ed Reulbach, who went to the box for Chicago in the third game, were successful in restraining the powerful Cobb-Crawford combination, and that, to Joe S. Jackson of the Detroit Free Press, was a significant factor in whether the Tigers won or lost all season.86 The duo was not complementing each other, and that was symbolic of the catastrophic failure Detroit was facing. Game three was another lopsided confrontation and the Cubs were winners, 5–1.87 The situation didn’t improve in the fourth and Jackson explained that only three members of the Tigers were playing at their customary speed. Cobb was not one of them. He did manage to triple to center in the fourth inning and later scored, but Chicago held a 6–1 advantage to win.88

  The lack of synergy between Cobb and Crawford was never more apparent than in the fourth inning of the fifth game on October 12 at Detroit, when the latter doubled and in dire need of assistance from the league batting kingpin. Cobb’s input in what could have been a major rally was to strike out. Two innings later he hit a two-bagger himself (which was ruled a single and an error) but, in an attempt to pilfer third, was thrown out. Jackson complimented the competitive nature of the game and felt there had been a glimpse of the genuine Tigers, but it still wasn’t enough. The Cubs won 2–0 behind Mordecai Brown an
d captured the World Series championship in a clean sweep.89 Cobb ended up with four hits in 20 at-bats and a .200 average and no stolen bases. No one was harder on themselves in the defeat than him.

  But fans saw it another way. They were overjoyed by the accomplishments of the Tigers in such a tight race, and particularly of their champion batsman. “Who’s the best man in this town?” A coordinated chant asked following the game, “Tyrus Cobb! Tyrus Cobb!” Upwards of six thousand adoring enthusiasts marched through the streets of Detroit following the loss, demonstrating full and hearty support of their league titleholders.90 A special banquet for the Tigers was held at the Cadillac Hotel on October 16 in honor of their splendid work, and a poem by Professor Edward J. Eaton of the Michigan Military Academy, entitled “Ty Cobb at Bat” was read to the audience.91 Cobb made a few humble remarks at the event, declaring the pennant victory a united, team effort.92 The outburst of admiration had to be meaningful to the downcast players, and upon receiving the loser’s share of the purse, an amount of $1,945 and some change, attitudes all around likely brightened. A majority of the squad returned to Chicago to cash in on some additional exhibition games for a little extra money, including Cobb.

  The brief barnstorming tour garnered a little positive press for Cobb because of his terrific play, but baseball fans in Chicago were already well aware of his skill.93 His lack of production in the Series was a rare and unique anomaly, and was only going to serve to push Cobb harder. Upon returning to Georgia, he was snagged by a reporter at the State Fair and offered the following comment: “I had a good year in baseball, perhaps the best one that I will ever have.”94 No one could have known at the time, but Cobb’s extraordinary season was not the limit of his abilities. There were plenty of better years ahead.

  5

  “UP HERE, THEY DON’T UNDERSTAND ME”

  With over two years of big league experience under his belt, Ty Cobb was considerably better equipped to handle the constant strain and stress, plus the lifestyle adjustments he needed to make both at home in Detroit and on the road. He found a comfortable dwelling separate from clamorous teammates, many of whom lived at the Brunswick Hotel, and spent endless hours in solitude studying all facets of baseball.1 It helped that his mother, Amanda, had decided to spend the summer of 1907 in Detroit, and sister, Florence, often spent time in Detroit during baseball season, giving him a sense of family in region.2 Additionally, his brother Paul, a young player of some ability, graduated from the Royston amateur squad and joined the Kalamazoo White Sox of the Southern Michigan League as a right fielder. Paul was expected to train with the Tigers at Augusta, but for whatever reason, the plan was scrapped.3 His play was often compared to his older sibling, but there wasn’t much in common.

  Adapting to the baseball world was a unique adventure, and Cobb solved a number of his quandaries through repetition of the American League circuit. He made friends in visiting cities, found dining establishments that touched his fancy, and ensured he maintained his Southern customs. But there was one thing he was still having trouble with, and it couldn’t have been more glaring than during game five of the 1907 World Series.

  On the mound for Chicago was Mordecai Brown, a sly right-hander who’d heard enough stories about young Cobb to know he was dangerous at the plate. He also knew that he was easily ruffled. There, Brown took advantage of one of the largest known chinks in Cobb’s steel-plated armor, and overtly teased Cobb with his words. The actions were clearly reminiscent of the latter’s early hazing episodes in Detroit, and worked majestically. Cobb couldn’t just see the clowning for what it was, and played right into Brown’s hands by becoming instantaneously furious. At one point, Brown told his catcher, “Now, don’t be signaling me for any wild pitches, for they are all this guy can hit,” loud enough for the Southerner to hear. Cobb’s mind was clouded beyond belief, and he was simply putty in the pitcher’s hands.4

  The public probably didn’t notice any of the needling, but Cobb took it all to heart. He was completely vulnerable to the words of others, and if his emotions got away from him, he was easy competitive prey. The razzing served to make Cobb immensely angry, and slowly he was learning to channel all of his anger into increased drive on the field. Soon enough, it would be against the words of wisdom to prod him in any fashion. However, in his infancy as a player, rivals enjoyed badgering him. Billy Sullivan, a catcher for the White Sox, and pitcher “Doc” White had a blast at Cobb’s expense. “Remember how we used to get Ty’s goat?” Sullivan asked his mate by letter. “[It] makes me laugh every time I think of it.”5

  Following the exhausting 1907 campaign, Cobb yearned to return home and his Georgia neighbors were ready to receive him. The Atlanta Journal collected over $150 in public donations to purchase him an engraved watch and a special testimonial was held on November 12 at the Orpheum Theater.6 It was apparent from the falderal that while Detroit appreciated Cobb’s style of play, Georgia claimed ownership of the athlete, and Cobb was receptive. He said that he was highly pleased by his American League batting medal, but a “different feeling” came over him when he heard about what his friends were planning. Comparing the medal and the watch, he said, “One is a trophy that might have gone to some other player. The other is something that is to be given me by my own people and it makes a fellow feel mighty proud.”7

  A speaker during the testimonial acknowledged the significance of the “Cobb” name in Georgia, and, in a prior statement, Governor Hoke Smith invoked a deeply personal element by mentioning the man who had meant the most to the young athlete. “I knew Cobb’s father intimately,” Smith explained, “and he was one of my staunchest friends. I am very glad to know that his son has attained such distinction on the diamond, but it is not surprising to me to find a Georgia boy at the top in any field of endeavor which he enters. While I don’t have the leisure to attend ball games, or to read the ‘dope,’ as the news of the ball field is called, still one couldn’t live in the remotest corner of Georgia without hearing of the fame of Cobb as a ball player.”8

  Unlike his father, Cobb was not a confident speaker. “I must tell you at the very start, that I am unable to make a speech,” he nervously told the packed house during his testimonial. “If I could make one of the best in the world I would not then be able to say to you how I feel tonight and how much I appreciate what you have done for me. You have been very kind to me; more so than I can find language to express. You have given me credit for which I am deeply thankful. Perhaps there is a game that I know something about, but this game of speaking is one that I know nothing of, and the best that is in my heart, is, thank you one and all.”9

  The modest nature of Cobb illustrated by his statements in Detroit and Atlanta directly contradicted reports declaring him “chesty,” and the “freshest youngster that ever broke into the big leagues.” He further defied the circulating stories about his cockiness when he praised a number of teammates during a stint as sports editor for the Atlanta Journal on December 22. He wrote that Matty McIntyre had “about the best throwing arm” of any player he’d seen in left field, Sam Crawford was, simply, the “most valuable man,” and Schmidt deserved “great credit for his gameness.” He complimented Hugh Jennings, George Mullin, Bill Armour, Elmer Flick, and many others in over twenty articles in the edition, and displayed a wide baseball insight of both history and current “dope.” Nowhere in the articles did he hype himself. Cobb was also said to have a detailed personal scrapbook collection of articles and photos, which contributed to his wide knowledge of players around the league.10 Sam Crane of the New York Evening Journal, however, believed Cobb had the “perfect right” to have “an abnormal chest expansion” due to his exceptional play on the field.11 Sidestepping vaudeville offers, Cobb retreated to Royston, where he thanked old friends for their unyielding support.

  Over the winter months, Cobb took a long, hard look at the big picture, and assessed his commitment to baseball and the value of his endeavor. He spoke with family members and friends, and g
leaned much advice from professionals who thought he was of a class better than athletics.12 It was true that he was considering all prospects, from entering the business field to returning to college. Baseball was, nevertheless, still at the forefront of his mind. He decided to keep all his options open, while at the same time pursuing what he felt was a wiser contract deal with the Tigers. Frank Navin, who became President of the Detroit franchise in January 1908, mailed an offer to Cobb on the ninth of that month, and upon review, Cobb quickly rejected the terms.13 Navin was slick in the way he presented the 1908 contract to Cobb. He gave him a number of reasons why he should sign, stating that the economy wasn’t that healthy and reminded him of the poor showing during the World Series. He also stated that both Bill Donovan and Sam Crawford were “perfectly satisfied” with the terms the team offered.14 However, the Tigers weren’t exactly the most financially stable team in the league.

  Everyone in baseball knew Cobb was getting a raise from the $2,400 he made in 1907. After all, he was the American League batting champion. The Atlanta Journal expected him to make greater pay than the Georgia State Governor and predicted his salary would be three times higher than it was previously.15 Navin’s offer was reportedly $3,500, nowhere near three times the $2,400 figure, but that wasn’t the only reason Cobb turned the contract down.16 Cobb sought to safeguard his interests, consciously realizing the kinds of risks he took on the field. He wanted a three-year agreement with a special clause, covering illnesses or injury, and guaranteeing him full salary if he went down from either. In addition, he wanted upwards of $5,000 a year for the length of the contract. Cobb was “sticking up for the rights of all ball players” by asking for the accident clause.17 He was willing to bend from the $5,000 figure, but the three-year deal with the clause was mandatory. Asking for the stipulation was pointless, according to Detroit club representatives, because it had repeatedly demonstrated a willingness to pay full salary to players out with injury, citing both the Matty McIntyre and Jimmy Barrett situations.18 Weary of his financial situation, Navin backed away and a stalemate began.