War on the Basepaths Read online

  90 Detroit Free Press, April 12, 1906, p. 10.

  91 Ty Cobb: My Life in Baseball by Ty Cobb with Al Stump, 1993, Bison Books edition, p. 54–55.

  92 Detroit Free Press, April 14, 1906, p. 9.

  CHAPTER THREE: WAITING FOR THE COBB TO CRACK

  1 Ty Cobb: My Life in Baseball by Ty Cobb with Al Stump, 1993, Bison Books edition, p. 20.

  2 Sam Crawford stated that had Cobb not possessed the severe “persecution complex,” perhaps he would not have become the “great ballplayer he was.” The Glory of Their Times, Lawrence S. Ritter, 1966, p. 62.

  3 Ty Cobb: My Life in Baseball by Ty Cobb with Al Stump, 1993, Bison Books edition, p. 23.

  4 Detroit Free Press, June 26, 1906, p. 9.

  5 The Sporting News, April 7, 1906, p. 3–6. Barrett ultimately spent most of 1906 in the Eastern League for Rochester, but performed in five games for Cincinnati of the National League. He returned to the American League and played for Boston in 1907 and ’08 prior to landing back in to the minors, where he finished his career in 1911. He died on October 25, 1921, in Detroit. www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/barreji01.shtml.

  6 Detroit Free Press, March 18, 1906, p. 14.

  7 Detroit won the game over Chicago, 4–3. Philadelphia Inquirer, April 22, 1906, pg. 15. Detroit opened the season on April 17, at home versus the White Sox. Crawford reportedly had an injured leg. The Sporting News, April 28, 1906, p. 6. Another report claimed he strained his side.

  8 Detroit Free Press, April 26, 1906, p. 10.

  9 Detroit Free Press, April 29, 1906, p. 17.

  10 The man on first was catcher Charley “Boss” Schmidt. He scored on Chris Lindsay’s sacrifice. Detroit Free Press, May 1, 1906, p. 9.

  11 Detroit Free Press, May 15, 1906, p. 10.

  12 Detroit Free Press, May 18, 1906, p. 9. Waddell, a 6’1” pitcher from Pennsylvania, would amass a career win-loss record of 193–143 and was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1947.

  13 Detroit Free Press, May 27, 1906, p. 19.

  14 The headline was “Saved by Cobb.” Detroit Free Press, May 23, 1906, p. 9. The Boston Americans were in the midst of a horrendous run and already had upwards of 25 losses on the season. They would finish with a 49–105 record. Incidentally, Detroit Free Press, May 22, 1906, p. 9.

  15 The Sporting News, May 12, 1906, p. 1.

  16 The Sporting News, September 29, 1906, p. 3.

  17 Sporting Life, February 17, 1906, p. 7.

  18 Sporting Life, September 22, 1906, p. 19.

  19 Armour was credited with developing Cobb, first baseman Chris Lindsay and catchers Fred Payne and Charley “Boss” Schmidt. Cleveland Plain Dealer, August 11, 1906, p. 6. He was previously known as a producer of baseball talent while boss in Cleveland. A local paper credited him with fostering the growth of Addie Joss, Harry Bemis, Otto Hess, and Harry Bay. Cleveland Plain Dealer, September 9, 1904, p. 8. Sporting Life, June 2, 1906, p. 2.

  20 Detroit Free Press, June 24, 1906, p. 14.

  21 The Sporting News, April 1, 1905, p. 2.

  22 Ty Cobb: My Life in Baseball by Ty Cobb with Al Stump, 1993, Bison Books edition, p. 144.

  23 Ty Cobb: My Life in Baseball by Ty Cobb with Al Stump, 1993, Bison Books edition, p. 23.

  24 The Glory of Their Times, Lawrence S. Ritter, 1966, p. 62.

  25 Cobb claimed his verbal quarrel with Crawford occurred in 1907, but finding an accurate date for such an event is impossible. Ty Cobb: My Life in Baseball by Ty Cobb with Al Stump, 1993, Bison Books edition, p. 59. There were other claims that Cobb and Crawford actually fought one time, but it was never verified.

  26 The Glory of Their Times, Lawrence S. Ritter, 1966, p. 41.

  27 Evening Star (Washington, D.C.), June 23, 1906, p. 8.

  28 Detroit Free Press, June 26, 1906, p. 9.

  29 Cobb was mentioned as having complained to management about McIntyre, but that information was later refuted. A report stated that he had continued to do his best throughout the controversy. Detroit Free Press, June 27, 1906, p. 9.

  30 See Detroit Free Press, June 24 and June 26, 1906. The latter edition called McIntyre a “Horrible Example,” and noted that he would receive no pay during his suspension.

  31 The Sporting News, June 30, 1906, p. 1.

  32 Prior to Cobb taking over left field, he had been sitting on the bench as a result of Armour’s reorganization plan of June 18. His demotion was in spite of his impressive .330-plus batting average. The entire shift was as a result of the injury to second baseman Herman Schaefer (broken thumb). Initially, Armour moved Chris Lindsay from first to second base, and then had Crawford cover first. Cobb covered right. But the new set-up had Bobby Lowe on second, Lindsay back on first, and Crawford in right. Thus, Cobb was benched. Detroit Free Press, June 18–19, 1906.

  33 The Sporting News, July 7, 1906, p. 4.

  34 Sporting Life, July 28, 1906, p. 12.

  35 Ibid.

  36 More of an explanation of Cobb’s battle with various members of the Tigers is provided in The Tiger Wore Spikes, John McCallum, 1956, p. 45–46. McCallum’s book also perpetuates the belief that the cliques of the Tigers who tormented Cobb “converted him from a keen, cheerful youth into a lone wolf who felt that the rest of the world was against him.” This may not be true. Even with Augusta in 1905, Cobb didn’t display the disposition of a chummy ballplayer and one that was especially “cheerful.” It might be easier to say that the torment suffered in 1905–06 did more to ostracize Cobb than any other time in his baseball career, and forcibly altered his mindset from a shy but volcanic kid into an even more isolated and maniacally angry man. Of course, all of the other factors in Cobb’s life contributed to the evolution as well.

  37 Ty Cobb: My Life in Baseball by Ty Cobb with Al Stump, 1993, Bison Books edition, p. 58.

  38 Detroit Free Press, June 27, 1906, p. 9.

  39 Detroit Free Press, July 8, 1906, p. 12.

  40 The Tigers won, 4–3. Detroit Free Press, July 14, 1906, p. 9.

  41 Detroit Journal, July 18, 1906, p. 7.

  42 Detroit Times, July 31, 1906, p. 7.

  43 Alexander, in his 1984 biography of Cobb, stated that the Detroit outfielder experienced “some kind of emotional and physical collapse.” Ty Cobb by Charles C. Alexander, 1984, p. 45.

  44 Detroit Journal, July 20, 1906, p. 11. This was likely the same venue Cobb mentioned in his autobiography as having a procedure done on his wounded legs, caused by the strain of continuous sliding. Ty Cobb: My Life in Baseball by Ty Cobb with Al Stump, 1993, Bison Books edition, p. 55. The Detroit Sanitarium closed in 1914.

  45 Detroit Times, July 31, 1906, p. 7.

  46 Cobb said he regained fifteen pounds of his lost weight. Detroit Times, August 15, 1906, p. 9. Also see Detroit Journal, August 15, 1906, p. 6. Leith played with an independent franchise out of Seville, Ohio, and would go on to become Director of Athletics at Adrian College in Adrian, Michigan. Augusta Chronicle, August 1, 1906, p. 3.

  47 Detroit Times, July 27, 1906, p. 9.

  48 Detroit Journal, July 31, 1906, p. 7.

  49 Detroit Journal, August 28, 1906, p. 6.

  50 Thompson was inducted to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.

  51 McClure and Kelsey were business partners in the lumber industry. Kelsey would also thrive in the automotive field with the Kelsey Wheel and Kelsey Auto Body companies. Later, he would become an owner of the Detroit Tigers. The McClure and Cobb Families were tight-knit, evidenced by the fact that Albert’s daughter Dorothy visited Georgia in 1918 and spent several months visiting with Ty’s wife, mother, and sister. Detroit Free Press, May 24, 1918, p. 7.

  52 Detroit Free Press, September 3, 1906, p. 10.

  53 Detroit Journal, August 23, 1906, p. 8.

  54 Statistics from www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/jennihu01.shtml. A biography about Jennings claimed his 1895 average was .386, and in 1896, it was .397. The Sporting News, March 7, 1935, p. 7.

  55 Detroit Journal, Sep
tember 3, 1906, p. 7.

  56 Detroit Free Press, September 4, 1906, p. 10.

  57 The Sporting News, March 7, 1935, p. 7.

  58 Chicago won the pennant over the New York Highlanders by three games. www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL/1906.shtml. The Sporting News, September 22, 1906, p. 5.

  59 Sporting Life, September 29, 1906, p. 25.

  60 Detroit Free Press, September 23, 1906, p. 11. Warner ended his 14-year career in the majors in 1908.

  61 Detroit Free Press, October 7, 1906, p. 11.

  62 St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 7, 1906, p. A12.

  63 Ty Cobb: My Life in Baseball by Ty Cobb with Al Stump, 1993, Bison Books edition, p. 26.

  64 Detroit Free Press, October 7, 1906, p. 11.

  65 Ty Cobb: My Life in Baseball by Ty Cobb with Al Stump, 1993, Bison Books edition, p. 27.

  66 Ibid.

  67 Detroit Free Press, October 14, 1906, p. 14. Cobb played in 98 games and had 113 hits. Crawford ended the season with a .295 average. (www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/cobbty01.shtml)

  68 Ty Cobb: My Life in Baseball by Ty Cobb with Al Stump, 1993, Bison Books edition, p. 27.

  69 Detroit Journal, May 30, 1906, p. 7.

  70 Atlanta Constitution, December 7, 1924, p. B3.

  71 Detroit Free Press, May 31, 1906, p. 10.

  72 The Sporting News, August 18, 1954, p 9.

  73 Atlanta Constitution, December 8, 1924, p. 7.

  74 Detroit Free Press, September 6, 1906, p. 9. White had a career record of 189–156. www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/whitedo01.shtml.

  75 The Tiger Wore Spikes, John McCallum, 1956, p. 220.

  76 The ash timber bats were likely created using Joe Cunningham’s father’s tools in Royston. The Tiger Wore Spikes, John McCallum, 1956, p. 14.

  77 The Sporting News, January 13, 1954, p. 14. Ty Cobb: My Life in Baseball by Ty Cobb with Al Stump, 1993, Bison Books edition, p. 24.

  78 Cobb quote from the Atlanta Constitution, June 1, 1934, p. 17.

  79 Sporting Life, January 6, 1912, p. 11.

  80 The Sporting News, April 6, 1939, p. 9.

  CHAPTER FOUR: A HUMBLED BATTING CHAMPION

  1 The City of Detroit, Michigan, 1701–1922, Volume 3. Clarence M. Burton, 1922, p. 772–775.

  2 The Sporting News, November 17, 1906, p. 2.

  3 The Sporting News, October 13, 1906, p. 2.

  4 See The Sporting News, November and December 1906.

  5 Detroit Free Press, February 5, 1907, p. 8.

  6 Detroit Free Press, December 23, 1906, p. 13.

  7 Detroit Free Press, November 8, 1906, p. 9.

  8 Flick ended his major league career with Cleveland in 1910 and finished with a .313 lifetime batting average. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1963. www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/flickel01.shtml.

  9 Cleveland Plain Dealer, December 14, 1906, p. 8.

  10 The Sporting News, December 29, 1906, p. 2.

  11 Augusta Chronicle, November 2, 1906, p. 12.

  12 Augusta Chronicle, December 4, 1906, p. 10.

  13 Sporting Life, December 8, 1906, p. 11.

  14 Augusta Chronicle, December 4, 1906, p. 10.

  15 Cobb would earn $2,400 in salary for 1907.

  16 Letter to Cobb from Navin dated February 11, 1907, Ernie Harwell Collection, Burton Historical Collection, Detroit Public Library, Detroit, Michigan.

  17 Augusta Chronicle, February 2, 1907, p. 10.

  18 The Sporting News, February 2, 1907, p. 6.

  19 Expounding on the difficulties seen by a young player in the majors, legendary Pittsburgh Pirate Honus Wagner explained that he was in the National League “several years” before a member of an opposing team talked to him. Atlanta Constitution, March 10, 1936, p. 18. 1975 Hall of Fame inductee Bucky Harris told a story of once being in a Detroit Tigers training camp very early in his baseball career, and said that he was ignored by practically everyone, including by Cobb, adding, “When they sent me home, I was glad to get away.” The Sporting News, March 5, 1952, p. 19.

  20 Ty Cobb: My Life in Baseball by Ty Cobb with Al Stump, 1993, Bison Books edition, p. 23, 29. As mentioned previously, Davy Jones also endeavored to understand Cobb, but few others made the effort.

  21 Ibid, p. 24.

  22 Schaefer and O’Leary were close friends. O’Leary once told a story about getting rides to Bennett Park in “Crazy Hank’s” automobile. Hank, in this instance, was Henry Ford, who offered O’Leary and Schaefer in on the ground floor of what would ultimately be a massive auto conglomerate. However, the two ballplayers didn’t see any value in the opportunity and refrained from investing. The Sporting News, February 1, 1956, p. 18.

  23 Schaefer said old-timer Jimmy Ryan originally coached him on the “old Chicago slide.” Additionally, regarding Cobb, he noted that he wasn’t a proficient slider when he became a member of the Tigers. Wilkes-Barre Times Leader, September 16, 1909, p. 14. Cobb confirmed that Schaefer taught him how to slide. The Sporting News, November 3, 1910, p. 4.

  24 Jennings described Schaefer’s importance in 1907. Atlanta Constitution, December 31, 1925, p. 7.

  25 Cobb arrived at camp in Augusta on the afternoon of March 12. Detroit Free Press, March 13, 1907, p. 9. Cobb was expected to meet up with the team in Atlanta on March 11, but missed a connection. Augusta Chronicle, March 12, 1907, p. 8.

  26 Cummings was listed as “Henry Cumming” in the 1910 U.S. Federal Census and his occupation was listed as “Janitor; Warren Park.” His wife was named Savannah. His nickname has been spelled “Bungy” and “Bungey.”

  27 The newspaper called it the “most sensational incident” of Detroit’s spring training. Detroit Free Press, March 17, 1907, p. 17. Also, ancestry.com.

  28 Detroit Free Press, April 1, 1906, p. 13.

  29 Detroit Free Press, March 17, 1907, p. 17.

  30 Detroit Free Press, March 17, 1907, p. 17.

  31 Details about Schmidt’s toughness were offered in the Milwaukee Journal, November 27, 1932, p. S2.

  32 The Detroit Tigers, Frederick G. Lieb, 2008, Kent State University Press edition, p. 82–83.

  33 Detroit Free Press, March 17, 1907, p. 17.

  34 Ibid.

  35 Augusta Chronicle, February 14, 1908, p. 10.

  36 Augusta Chronicle, August 27, 1907, p. 4.

  37 Detroit Free Press, March 26, 1907, p. 9.

  38 Detroit Free Press, March 21, 1907, p. 8. One of five famous baseball brothers, Frank Delahanty played six seasons between the American and Federal Leagues and ended his career with a .226 batting average. www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/delahfr01.shtml.

  39 Ty Cobb: My Life in Baseball by Ty Cobb with Al Stump, 1993, Bison Books edition, p. 60–61.

  40 The Sporting News, April 6, 1907, p. 6.

  41 Atlanta Constitution, April 2, 1907, p. 9.

  42 Detroit Free Press, March 25–26, 1907.

  43 Detroit Free Press, March 22, 1907, p. 9.

  44 The Sporting News, April 6, 1907, p. 2.

  45 Atlanta Constitution, January 6, 1926, p. 6.

  46 Ty Cobb: My Life in Baseball by Ty Cobb with Al Stump, 1993, Bison Books edition, p. 25.

  47 The Sporting News, June 19, 1941, p. 5.

  48 The Sporting News, April 6, 1907, p. 4.

  49 Atlanta Constitution, January 6, 1926, p. 6.

  50 The Sporting News, January 16, 1908, p. 2.

  51 The Sporting News, June 19, 1941, p. 5.

  52 The Sporting News, April 27, 1907, p. 6.

  53 Over 6,000 fans attended the game in brisk weather at Bennett Park. Detroit Free Press, April 12, 1907, p. 1.

  54 Detroit Free Press, May 9, 1907, p. 8.

  55 Detroit Free Press, May 15, 1907, p. 9.

  56 Detroit Free Press, June 11, 1907, p. 8.

  57 Cobb committed two errors before a large crowd in Detroit on June 22. The newspaper indicated that Cobb’s three doubles would normally have won the game, but was hurt by the establis
hed ground rules that limited what would have normally been triples to two-baggers. Detroit lost to Chicago, 4–3. Detroit Free Press, June 23, 1907, p. 17.

  58 The Sporting News, May 18, 1907, p. 3.

  59 The Detroit report claimed Bemis had the ball when Cobb was only “three steps” from the plate, while Cleveland sportswriter Ed Bang in Sporting Life noted that Cobb was “20 feet” out when Bemis caught the throw from third baseman Bill Bradley. Detroit Free Press, June 30, 1907, p. 17 and Sporting Life, July 13, 1907, p. 2.

  60 Detroit Free Press, June 30, 1907, p. 17. Ibid and The Sporting News, July 11, 1907, p. 3. Stump’s assertion, Cobb, Al Stump, 1994, p. 148.

  61 The steal of home was part of a double steal with Rossman. Ibid.

  62 Sporting Life, July 13, 1907, p. 2.

  63 Detroit Free Press, July 13, 1907, p. 6.

  64 Detroit Free Press, July 21, 1907, p. 13.

  65 Detroit Free Press, July 31, 1907, p. 7.

  66 The Sporting News, December 18, 1946, p. 4.

  67 Detroit team owner Bill Yawkey was given an inside tip about Johnson from a friend in Idaho, and passed the information on to Navin. Navin doubted the information and neglected to follow up. Detroit Free Press, August 3, 1907, p. 6.

  68 Ty Cobb: My Life in Baseball by Ty Cobb with Al Stump, 1993, Bison Books edition, p. 65.

  69 The Sporting News, December 18, 1946, p. 4.

  70 Detroit Free Press, August 9, 1907, p. 6.

  71 The Sporting News, August 22, 1907, p. 1. After the season, Fogel made the assertion that the Washington Senators purposefully lost games to the Tigers, aiding Detroit in their pennant win. The Sporting News, November 14, 1907, p. 5.

  72 The Sporting News, September 5, 1907, p. 3.

  73 Cobb went 3-for-3 in a Detroit win. Detroit Free Press, August 9, 1907, p. 1.

  74 Detroit Free Press, August 15, 1907, p. 6.

  75 Detroit Free Press, September 4, 1907, p. 6.

  76 The Sporting News, September 26, 1907, p. 3. This injury caused him to miss his first game of the season on September 16 and Wade Killifer played right field.

  77 The Sporting News, September 19, 1907, p. 1.