War on the Basepaths Page 4
The Royston Reds carried a roster of about ten players, and Cobb was several years younger than his teammates.47 But his age and lack of size were not going to hold him back, and when he was goaded by rivals or spectators, he used his anger as motivation. He nevertheless heard comments such as, “We’re not running a kindergarten class. This is a man’s baseball nine!”48 Laughter and mocking accompanied the barbs, and Cobb was immensely sensitive to the ridicule. He wasn’t a quitter, though, and he performed his duties at shortstop to the best of his abilities, learning from his mistakes, and fueled by the desire to show his critics how wrong they were. Ever determined, he experienced bumps in the road but, after all, as he said it years later, “I was simply a kid playing with grownups.”49
Joseph Cunningham, a right fielder for Royston, was four years older than Cobb and one of his closest friends. Cunningham lived down the street from Cobb, and the two bonded over baseball, fashioning their own home-produced bats using Cunningham’s father’s carpentry tools.50 Balls were created in an equally creative way. They would take little rubber spheres, wind string around them, and then apply leather covers. It also wasn’t unusual to see small town players wearing coarse, hand-crafted uniforms, and the athletes in Franklin County were no exception.51 From the ages of thirteen to sixteen, Cobb took great pride in wearing the red attire, and developed from an undersized boy into a robust young man while partaking in games for the honor of his hometown. In that same time, he morphed from a greenhorn into a pretty crafty ballplayer … but he still had much to learn.
Interestingly enough, he’d adopted a habit early in his baseball days that remained throughout his career, and that was the way he gripped a bat. He was inclined to space his hands a few inches apart on the handle, whereas most other players swung with both fists together. The technique wasn’t based on an instinctive personal knowledge of how to successfully garner hits, but because, as a skinny kid, he was unable to swing the bat using the standard form. Cobb, who batted left-handed, compensated for his weakness and figured out the best way to be productive at the plate.52 As he got older and stronger, he could have reworked his methods to be more traditional, but wasn’t comfortable making the change.
In July 1903, a squad from nearby Hartwell entered a three-game series versus Anderson, South Carolina, its top rival from just over the Savannah River. A formidable lineup, Hartwell proceeded to trample the visiting club, 11–1 and 10–1 in the first two contests. Before the final game, several Anderson players deserted the team, refusing to suffer any more shame, and manager McKinney, in a terrific bind, sought local substitutes. From Royston, 15 miles away, he recruited either Bob or Jim McCrary, Emory Bagwell, Clifford Ginn, and, according to the Hartwell Sun, two athletes named Cobb. The newspaper indicated that one of the players was “T. Cobb,” and it can be surmised that this was, indeed, Ty. The other Cobb might have been his younger brother, Paul, fourteen years old at the time. A third “Cobb” was also in the game, but this one, Joe Cobb, played for Hartwell and had no direct relation. The influx of local blood turned the competition into “the most brilliant, the most exciting, and by far the best game ever played in Hartwell.” After 12 innings, the home team squeezed out a win, 2–1.53
For his involvement, Ty earned a little over a dollar and became a professional ballplayer. After Cobb became famous, a more dramatic narrative of his pro debut was distributed, and colorful sportswriters painted a breathtaking and heroic finish for Cobb. Chicago Cubs catcher Jimmy Archer, who played with Detroit and Cobb briefly in 1907, told the version he heard, which was Ty’s “favorite story.” He said that Cobb, with two outs in the bottom of the 14th inning, hit a dramatic home run to give his team the victory.54 In reality, Ty played no part in the finish of the game. There are innumerable other inconsistencies between what really happened in 1903 and the “legend” that was created for Cobb in later years. Almost every account is different. In his autobiography, Cobb said he became pro after playing two games for Anderson and earned $2.50. He regretted it because he had wanted to retain his amateur status.55
Back home, Professor Cobb wasn’t altogether excited by the sudden advancement of his teenaged son’s career. While he certainly expected Ty to become an expert in his vocation of choice, he was steadfast in his belief that baseball was not an appropriate occupation. “Ty used to worry his father very much,” Amanda Cobb explained in 1912. “Mr. Cobb insisted that he should become a professional man, as he maintained that we had the means to give him the best possible education. He was the oldest child and he took up the most of our time.”56 But the endless attempts to discourage baseball were falling on deaf ears, and Professor Cobb was starting to believe that perhaps the best way to deal with the matter was to let Ty learn from his mistakes, of which, a venture into baseball surely was.
Clued into the neighborhood buzz, Professor Cobb received numerous reports about the extraordinary success of his son on the diamond. Finally, for a contest against Harmony Grove, he decided to go out and see for himself. That was a special, yet nerve-racking afternoon for Ty, and it was hard not to be overwhelmed by his father’s presence. But he was even more motivated than ever to show his value as a ballplayer and, in the eighth inning, Ty (now playing centerfield) made a heroic diving catch. “The catch saved the game, and I can truthfully say I never made a better one in my life,” he said years later. “When I came in, the spectators were crazy with joy and they began tossing me money. I picked up eleven dollars in quarters and half dollars. My father was so carried away with my performance that he immediately became a fan.”57
The Royston club played exceptionally well during the summer of 1903. Over two days in August, Cobb and his mates beat a combination of players (called “picked teams”) from Harmony Grove, Ashland, and other local towns, and the scores, 5–0 and 16–3, were decidedly in their favor.58 The solid pitching of Emory Bagwell and Stewart Brown were noteworthy, as was the ever-increasing offensive display from Cobb. Add the upsurge of Cobb’s daring on the basepaths and he was quickly becoming the talk of northeastern Georgia. Meanwhile, the club had received a letter from an ex-teammate, Thomas Van Bagwell, Emory’s older brother, who had traveled up into the Southern Association to get a tryout with the Nashville Volunteers.59 He shared information about his experiences, from what pros were like at that level to the hotels they stayed at. “I read it and reread it,” Cobb later said.60
“Nothing could keep me down from satisfying my ambition of showing that I could be as good as any of them,” Cobb remembered.61 His itch to prove himself was evident, and even though Bagwell would return to the Georgia circuit, not having achieved a regular berth on a minor league club, Cobb was determined to be a success.
In late 1903, news reached Royston that the city of Augusta, about 100 miles southeast, was joining the newly structured South Atlantic League, a Class C organization governed by Organized Baseball. Augusta would be known as the “Tourists” and the South Atlantic League was also called the Sally League. It was comprised of clubs representing the following cities: Augusta, Savannah, and Macon, Georgia, Jacksonville, Florida, and Columbia and Charleston, South Carolina. Inspired by the report, Cobb smartly realized that there was a hunt under way for competent players to fill the rosters of the six teams in the new league and mailed off inquiries to each of the various clubs about a possible tryout. A back channel to the Augusta team was opened when Reverend John F. Yarborough, a Methodist preacher in Franklin County, contacted W. H. Sherman, who had managed the Augusta independent club in 1903, and was well connected.62 A few decades later, however, Cobb took offense to the claims that Yarborough was an influence on him as a young player. He wrote in his book that the Reverend had “nothing whatever to do with my development.”63 In his autobiography, Cobb said that only one manager responded to his inquiries, and that was Strouthers. But in a 1913 article, he noted that George “King” Kelly of the Jacksonville franchise also “politely answered,” but told him there were no opportunities on his team.64
In the end, it was Augusta manager John “Con” Strothers who agreed to give Cobb a trial, but the youngster was responsible for his own expenses, including travel, room and board.
With what he understood to be the opportunity of a lifetime in front of him, Cobb was overjoyed and a little overwhelmed. The challenge of competing against older players was something he’d faced his entire life, but he’d never stepped onto a league diamond and matched up against real professionals. It was now a matter of flying the coop and either performing up to league standards or returning to Royston a failure. On the eve of his Augustan venture, he broke the news to his father and the two debated for hours. The professor knew his son was capable and he’d witnessed his excellent play firsthand, but in a last ditch effort to convince him to attend college instead, he applied a “sound and logical” argument. Cobb endured the eloquent lecture, his mind firm, and his father had no choice but to give in. His father gave him six checks at $15 apiece to pay for expenses while in Augusta.65 Grateful to have his father’s consent, Cobb later said, “I left with a great new love and respect for the man.”66
Accompanied by his teammate Stewart Brown, who was also interested in a pro career, Cobb headed for Augusta and was amongst the first batch of players to appear at Warren Park for spring training in early April 1904. He stood out in his red hometown jersey, and his black bat was conspicuous, especially as he awed spectators with his hitting.67 Almost from his arrival, the Augusta Chronicle lauded his work, and his childlike enthusiasm was on display in everything he did. Tourists catcher Dave Edmunds applied the first baseball-related nickname to the high-energy outfielder, calling him “Sleuth,” and a newspaper writer explained that it was presumably because he copped all the balls hit in his direction.68
But his abundance of pep was creating an annoyance for manager Strothers. The latter explained: “Cobb was a player that couldn’t help being noticed by any manager. He never was still a minute. He would run up to the bat, and if he happened to be thrown out at first, he would run all the way back to the bench like a race horse. Of course, he was nothing but a kid then, and no matter how often I told him to keep cool, he would persist in skipping about on the dead run, which made my ball team look amateurish. I used to say to him, ‘Now, walk up to the bat and look the situation over, see who is on the bases, where the fielders are playing for you and get your signal.’”69 The words of wisdom didn’t resonate and Cobb continued to do things his way, dashing around the diamond with a gleeful exuberance.
Strouthers cut his excess talent, including Brown, and worked to stay under the $1,000 salary limit for each team in the league. Cobb was expected to remain, but play off the bench as a utility player receiving $90 a month, though Strouthers later said, “I signed him for $50 a month.”70 In advance of the season opener on April 26, Andy Roth, a high-profile signee, was barred from competing after a controversy sprung up involving the National Baseball Commission. As a result, Cobb went into the game, participating in his first league contest. Most Cobb books claim that it was first baseman Harry Bussey who had trouble prior to the opener, but Roth had been recalled by the Nashville club, and the National Commission stepped in. Strouthers went forward and paid a sum to clear Roth to play in the second game. Bussey was in the lineup for both the first and second games of the season. In game two, Cobb, Bussey and Roth were in the lineup.71 Cobb was seventh in the lineup and played center, and, without question, made a big splash with the 2,000 people in attendance at the local park. He doubled in the eighth inning, stole third, and scored. In the ninth he blasted a solo home run over the left-field fence, trying to set up a last minute rally. Unfortunately Augusta faltered, and Columbia won, 8–7. The next afternoon, Cobb went 0-for-2 with a run, and shortly thereafter was abruptly released.72 It has been reported that Cobb was let go for not going through with a sacrifice bunt when told.73 Strothers it seemed, had no use for the Royston prodigy.
Dejected, Cobb called his father looking for guidance. He explained his predicament and told the professor that a pitcher named Fred Hays, also released from Augusta, discussed an opportunity to play with a club in Anniston, Alabama, in the Tennessee-Alabama League.74 “You accept that offer, and don’t come home a failure,” his father told him, now fully pulling for him to succeed in his baseball endeavors. Cobb later explained, “Those, I think, were the most important words in my life.”75
The weight of his father’s support was immeasurable, and Cobb’s determination was renewed en route to Anniston, which was 237 miles away in the eastern part of Alabama. Before him was another test of his fortitude, and the newly instituted independent organization, made up of eight clubs to include Knoxville and Chattanooga, was on less sturdier financial ground than the Sally League. But Cobb didn’t hesitate to sign a $50 per month contract on April 29, and boarded with the family of Edna Darden, a widow originally from Georgia.76 The season launched seventeen days later, but Anniston was defeated in their opener by Bessemer, Alabama, 9–4. Cobb got four hits over his next two games, kick-starting a winning streak that sent Anniston to the top of the league with an 8–1 record. However, the team nosedived in June, falling to sixth place (14–18).77
Fielding errors by the club were a constant problem and crowds became indifferent to the shoddy work. Cobb went through some tough growing pains of his own, and the routine hazing of young players was at the root of his troubles. Teammates got a thrill out of calling him “Kid,” a name he utterly despised, and he felt the nickname was disrespectful to the point of wanting to fight whoever used it toward him. Ed Darden, son of his housemother and roommate, remembered Cobb some years later: “He wasn’t too aggressive when he first came here, but as his skills grew, you could see his spirit grow. I remember he had a couple of fights with members of his own team because of the kidding [at his expense].”78 Homesickness and the stress brought on by the bullying tactics caused him to throw in the towel at one point. He packed his bags and began for Royston, only to be convinced to stay at the last minute.79
Long before the season was set to end, Anniston unceremoniously folded on July 11 and management difficulties were to blame.80 Cobb had been a bright spot for the doomed franchise, running the bases and fielding with skill, and batting over .300. In 1968, a comprehensive study of his time there was conducted by a handful of researchers and 27 box-scores involving Cobb were located. It was found that he had achieved a .336 batting average with 37 hits, 20 runs, 10 stolen bases, three doubles, seven triples, and four errors. This information was still incomplete because it was believed that Cobb played a total of 45 games while in Anniston.81 Ironically, back in Augusta, Strothers was struggling and in serious need of a consistent hitter. He sought to regain custody of Cobb, but Ty declined the job, demonstrating his pride in not wanting to work for the man who fired him. Within days, the Augusta club changed owners and H. W. Wingard, the new manager, made the same efforts to retrieve Cobb. This time, the latter was receptive. He reported on August 9 and played out the final month. He was one of only two players in the lineup on the final day of the season who appeared in the opener in April—the other being third baseman William Spratt.82 Not unlike Anniston, Augusta was dreadful from top to bottom, and firmly settled in the basement of the South Atlantic League, finishing 1904 with a 41–73 record.
Cobb batted .237 in 37 games for Augusta, and although there wasn’t much to celebrate, he was one of the first five players engaged for spring camp by new team manager Andy Roth. His potential had been recognized, but it was up to him to shine on the field if he wanted a real spot on the roster.83 Beginning in mid-March 1905, he pulled out all the stops at Warren Park and, once again, an observer for the local newspaper predicated nothing but good things for the youngster. In exhibition games against the Detroit Tigers of the American League, in what was Cobb’s first look at major league pitching, he displayed versatility at bat, hitting out long triples and reaching first on bunts.84 His quickness leaving the plate was also noteworthy and it was hard not to notice
that he stood out a little more than his contemporaries.
Oddly, the Augusta Chronicle offered advice to Cobb in what was likely an extension of Roth’s managerial guidance in the dugout. The paper cautioned the outfielder to withhold his “reckless endeavors” on the basepaths, telling him, “You are not in the amateur game now.”85 In another edition, a journalist stated, “A little improvement in his judgment on the bases,” and he would “land safe and sound.”86 But that isn’t what Cobb wanted to hear. He wanted to run on his own instincts, regardless of what Roth or anyone else advised. After making the team and heading into the regular season, Cobb continued his rebellious ways. During a game versus Jacksonville, he doubled, but unadvisedly decided to try to extend the hit into a triple. He was easily thrown out and the team eventually lost.
The embarrassment was personal, Cobb felt, and he certainly didn’t want to be lectured about it. Roth later recalled the incident, saying, “When I censured him, [Cobb] threatened to pull his revolver on me in a local cigar store and I seized a hatchet. Bystanders interfered and Cobb and I had a serious talk over the matter to the satisfaction of both of us.”87 Based on his independent nature and the fact that it didn’t take much to make him mad, Cobb’s teammates applied the same type of schoolyard harassment that was seen in Anniston. One of his primary tormentors was third baseman Gus Ruhland, and the two were destined to come to blows. Cobb did eventually fight Ruhland and “proceeded to make hamburger” out of him.88 But thirty-four-year-old George Leidy of Phillipsburg, New Jersey, a fellow outfielder, recommended that Cobb avoid trouble. To that point, in almost every situation, Cobb had simply refused to listen to advice, but somehow, Leidy was able to get through to him.