War on the Basepaths Read online

  5 Cobb and Mathewson were joined by Bill Donovan and Hugh Jennings to pitch Third Liberty Loan war bonds at Fort Smith, Arkansas. Rockford Republic, April 10, 1918, p. 7.

  6 Ty Cobb: My Life in Baseball by Ty Cobb with Al Stump, 1993, Bison Books edition, p. 189–192. Research was conducted in effort to substantiate the information provided by Cobb relative to the eight deaths in the training accident, but no independent evidence was located. Cobb indicated that Mathewson’s lung injuries were sustained in a singular incident, claiming, “I saw Christy Mathewson doomed to die.” Ibid. However, Jane Mathewson, Christy’s wife, said his illness developed because he was repeatedly exposed to “lethal gas shells” as an instructor at the camp. Additionally, he suffered from a bad case of influenza around that same time frame, and the combination contributed to his health deterioration in subsequent years. San Francisco Chronicle, November 14, 1920, p. 51. Mathewson died at 45 years of age on October 7, 1925 of tuberculosis.

  7 New York Sun, December 17, 1918, p. 3.

  8 Cobb was officially discharged from the army on December 30, 1918.

  9 Baseball Magazine, April 1916, p. 53–54.

  10 Sporting Life, October 8, 1910, p. 18.

  11 Detroit Free Press, October 13, 1912, p. 21.

  12 Cobb and Jennings both owned 12.5 percent of the club, Frank Van Dusen, a businessman from Detroit, owned 25, and Navin and Yawkey possessed the remaining 50. Jersey Journal, January 13, 1912, p. 9. In February 1922, Cobb became a part owner of the Augusta baseball franchise with five partners. Augusta Chronicle, February 27, 1922, p. 1.

  13 One advertisement read, “Bevo is a great favorite in the Army canteens,” and “For the boys in Khaki.” Underneath was information about Cobb’s business. It stated, Ty Cobb Beverage Co., Wholesale Dealers, 313 Leonard Bldg., Augusta, GA. Augusta Chronicle, October 5, 1917, p. 5.

  14 Detroit Free Press, October 20, 1917, p. 12.

  15 Cobb’s two partners were Bill Sanford and Frank “Shorty” Bussey, hunting buddies, and the business location was 662 Broad Street. Various Augusta Chronicle articles September-November 1919.

  16 See Augusta Chronicle, July 24, 1929, June 16, 1933, and November 14, 1933, for more details about his Augusta holdings.

  17 Cumming Street is also 10th Street in Augusta, and the address for the apartments is 1001 Greene Street. The United Apartment Company sold the Shirley Apartments in 1944 to Ways and Means for the Blind for an estimated $46,000, according to the newspaper report. Augusta Chronicle, November 21, 1944, p. 9. In his Detroit real estate ventures, Cobb was involved with the William S. Piggins Building Corporation. American Builder, March 1, 1927, p. 152.

  18 General Motors Corporation Transcript of Stock Account, February 10, 1944, Joseph Hauck Papers (1914–1965), Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley, CA. Cobb claimed in his autobiography that he purchased 50 shares in United Motors much earlier than 1918 and that his stock rose to $180 per share. Ty Cobb: My Life in Baseball by Ty Cobb with Al Stump, 1993, Bison Books edition, p. 181.

  19 Ibid.

  20 Detroit Free Press, March 6, 1919, p. 5.

  21 The Sporting News, March 29, 1945, p. 3.

  22 The 10-day clause was eliminated from the contract. Transaction Card Collection, National Baseball Library, Cooperstown, New York. Cobb was scheduled to meet the team for a game at Florence, South Carolina on April 8, but missed a train connection, and caught up with the club at Columbia that evening.

  23 Detroit Free Press, April 10, 1919, p. 14. Cobb played in five games of the Tigers-Boston Braves exhibition series lined up by the latter’s business manager, Walter Hapgood, and batted .500. Detroit Free Press, April 17, 1919, p. 16. The Braves were managed by Cobb’s friend, George Stallings.

  24 Detroit led the American League in attendance in 1919 (643,805).

  25 Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 26, 1919, p. 14.

  26 Chicago Defender, May 3, 1919, p. 1. The Detroit New Era also believed there was an “air of secrecy and suppression in this case.” Cleveland Gazette, May 17, 1919, p. 2.

  27 Ibid, Chicago Defender, June 7, 1919, p. 1.

  28 Notice of the suit was reportedly served during the ball game against Cleveland on April 26. San Antonio Evening News, June 3, 1919, p. 8. An article in the Chicago Defender displayed frustrations about a lack of criminal prosecution toward Cobb, and alluded to a possible payoff to keep the matter quiet. Morris was contacted by a group of lawyers and ministers, trying to offer assistance in what could have been an exceptionally high-profile legal matter. She was said to have refused the help. Chicago Defender, May 10, 1919, p. 1.

  29 New Orleans Times-Picayune, May 30, 1919, p. 14.

  30 Cleveland Press, November 22, 1909, p. 1.

  31 Chicago Defender, June 21, 1919, p. 1.

  32 Hundreds of sources were searched trying to find a follow-up report to the civil suit, but nothing was located.

  33 Cobb battled a midseason left leg injury that hampered his play, and because of the pain, missed some action. One report stated that it was a “large and feverish boil.” Philadelphia Inquirer, June 19, 1919, p. 14.

  34 The Sporting News, September 11, 1919, p. 3 and Detroit Free Press, September 5, 1919, p. 12.

  35 The Sporting News, September 11, 1919, p. 3.

  36 Detroit finished 1919 with an 80-60 record. A dispute arose between Detroit and New York over the distribution of third place prize money, but after a meeting in Chicago, the Yankees were awarded the funds. Tucson Daily Citizen, February 11, 1920, p. 5.

  37 San Francisco Chronicle, December 24, 1926, p. 19.

  38 Cobb’s nearest rival for batting honors was his teammate, Bobby Veach, who was 29 points behind with a .355 average. 1919 marked the final time he’d win a batting title. Both Cobb and Veach achieved 191 hits and led the majors. It would be 55 years before another American League player won three consecutive batting titles; Rod Carew accomplished the feat in 1972–73–74. He added fourth title in 1975, and also led the majors in hitting from 1973[replace with en dash]75.

  39 Detroit Free Press, June 20, 1915, p. 21 and Baltimore Sun, October 14, 1915, p. 10.

  40 Evening Star, Washington, D.C., October 1, 1919, p. 23.

  41 Boston Herald, October 25, 1919, p. 8.

  42 Montgomery Advertiser, November 30, 1919, p. 7.

  43 Riverside Daily Press, November 8, 1919, p. 8.

  44 Augusta Chronicle, October 19, 1919, p. 29. Cobb was also the Georgia, Alabama, and South Carolina distributor for the Peerless Starter, operating out of his Broad Street business. Charleston News and Courier, November 2, 1919, p. 17.

  45 Augusta Chronicle, January 4, 1920, p. 19.

  46 Augusta Chronicle, March 7, 1920, p. 39.

  47 Greensboro Daily News, April 1, 1920, p. 8. The series against Boston was another tour scheduled by Walter Hapgood, which was panned for its poor accommodations in backwater towns. The Sporting News, January 20, 1921, p. 5. Cobb said his sickness was caused by a diet of milk and cornbread. Detroit Free Press, April 4, 1920, p. 21.

  48 Detroit Free Press, June 7, 1920, p. 12.

  49 Augusta Chronicle, June 25, 1920, p. 10. But after the gossip began about Cobb’s career being finished, Detroit Tigers team physician Dr. William E. Keane announced that the player had suffered no torn ligaments, and that it was just a bad wrench. Evening Star, Washington, D.C., June 25, 1920, p. 25.

  50 The deal was brokered by Charles H. “Doc” Strub of the San Francisco Seals (Pacific Coast League).

  51 Detroit went 8–19 with Cobb out of the lineup. Detroit Free Press, July 9, 1920, p. 13–14. Cobb’s batting average had improved to .316, although reporters cited that it had taken him two months to reach .300.

  52 Detroit Free Press, July 16, 1920, p. 12.

  53 Chapman, twenty-nine years of age, died at St. Lawrence Hospital. New York Evening Telegram, August 17, 1920, p. 6.

  54 When he first stepped onto the field, Cobb bowed to the New York audience and motioned toward the n
ewspaper writers, seemingly holding them accountable for the way the entire story was spun. Detroit Free Press, August 22, 1920, p. 21.

  55 New York Evening Telegram, August 21, 1920, p. 6.

  56 The show reportedly aired on March 4, 1942. The Sporting News, March 12, 1942, p. 12.

  57 Richmond Times-Dispatch, December 1, 1919, p. 4.

  58 The reporter was Scoop Latimer. Augusta Chronicle, June 5, 1942, p. 17.

  59 Detroit Free Press, October 16, 1920, p. 13.

  60 Cobb explained that Jennings asked him about the managerial position in 1919. Portland Oregonian, October 16, 1920, p. 13. His belief that a player shouldn’t also carry the manager’s burden went back to, at least, 1912. Sporting Life, January 6, 1912.

  61 Denver Post, June 14, 1920, p. 10.

  62 San Francisco Chronicle, October 17, 1920, p. S10.

  63 San Francisco Chronicle, October 23, 1920, p. 7.

  64 San Francisco Chronicle, October 21, 1920, p. 10. Finn played in the California State League from 1883 to 1888 and managed the San Jose club in 1891–92 when Cobb’s friend George Stallings was a member.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN: MICROMANAGER

  1 Boston Herald, February 10, 1920, p. 9.

  2 Ruth was the major league leader in home runs, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, RBIs, runs scored, and a number of other categories. George Sisler of the St. Louis Browns also had a career year in 1920, becoming the first man since Cobb to hit over .400 (.407) and breaking Cobb’s single-season hit record with 257.

  3 The Dead Ball Era, which arguably began around the turn of the century, ended with the arrival of the Lively Ball Era.

  4 Kalamazoo Gazette, June 23, 1920, p. 9.

  5 The Sporting News, February 25, 1943, p. 4.

  6 The Sporting News, August 25, 1938, p. 4.

  7 Springfield Republican, April 22, 1920, p. 14.

  8 Collyer’s Eye, October 16, 1920, p. 1.

  9 Detroit Free Press, October 20, 1920, p. 15.

  10 Salt Lake Telegram, December 6, 1920, p. 16.

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

  12 The Sporting News, January 6, 1921, p. 2.

  13 Detroit Free Press, December 19, 1920, p. 23. Transaction Card Collection, National Baseball Library, Cooperstown, New York. It was reported that Cobb’s salary was in excess of $30,000. Ruth’s salary for 1921 was $20,000.

  14 Detroit Free Press, November 18, 1920, p. 16.

  15 Detroit Free Press, February 2–3, 1921.

  16 Ibid.

  17 Harry Bullion of the Detroit Free Press wrote that Cobb handed out candy and cigars to his players and guys who’d been with him for years, had gotten to know him more than at any time prior. Detroit Free Press, March 9, 1921, p. 11.

  18 The Sporting News, February 10, 1921, p. 3. Also Ty Cobb: My Life in Baseball by Ty Cobb with Al Stump, 1993, Bison Books edition, p. 197–198.

  19 San Diego Evening Tribune, January 19, 1921, p. 14.

  20 On March 14, 1921, Cobb delivered a clubhouse speech to motivate his men. According to sportswriter Harry Bullion, Cobb “pledged to fight by their side and if they must sink he would sink too.” He told them he would treat them “like human beings,” and take them on their honor. Bullion wrote that the entire team, in response, “jumped to their feet and cheered him roundly.” Cobb was touched by their reaction. Detroit Free Press, March 15, 1921, p. 11.

  21 Fresno Morning Republican, September 18, 1920, p. 17.

  22 The Sporting News, January 20, 1921, p. 5.

  23 Detroit Free Press, March 23, 1921, p. 14 and The Sporting News, January 27, 1921, p. 1.

  24 A large tree stood in centerfield of the Brackenridge Park grounds, making play difficult for the Tigers, and Cobb later recommended moving the diamond rather than cut down the tree. San Antonio Light, April 7, 1921, p. 13. The Tigers moved over to League Park after the Giants left town. Detroit Free Press, March 23, 1921, p. 14.

  25 Ty Cobb: My Life in Baseball by Ty Cobb with Al Stump, 1993, Bison Books edition, p. 198.

  26 The tale was told by sportswriter Dan Daniel. The Sporting News, January 24, 1962, p. 10.

  27 Stengel said the event happened in 1923, but the Tigers didn’t hold spring training in San Antonio that year. In fact, in the spring of 1921, Stengel, who said he witnessed the incident, wasn’t yet with the Giants. He was traded to New York from Philadelphia in July 1921. The Sporting News, March 30, 1955, p. 6.

  28 Kalamazoo Gazette, April 22, 1921, p. 19.

  29 Detroit Free Press, April 15, 1921, p. 12. Cobb delayed the announcement of Dutch Leonard as his starter in the opener until just before the game, in what would be a routine strategy throughout his tenure as manager.

  30 Cobb was so disturbed by the 8–3 loss to Chicago that he was barely willing to talk after the game. Detroit Free Press, April 22, 1921, p. 12.

  31 Detroit Free Press, June 13, 1921, p. 9. Ruth’s boyhood nickname “Nigger Lips,” and other variances, was used by many major leaguers to get under his skin on the field, and Cobb certainly was known to apply these utterances to instigate his rival. Cobb talked about getting Ruth’s “goat” in his autobiography, Ty Cobb: My Life in Baseball by Ty Cobb with Al Stump, 1993, Bison Books edition, p. 215–218. More about Cobb’s nickname can be found in Pueblo Chieftain, June 30, 1918, p. 17 and also The Big Bam: The Life and Times of Babe Ruth by Leigh Montville, 2007, p. 21, 155.

  32 Brooklyn Standard Union, June 14, 1921, p. 12.

  33 Cobb was said to have spiked himself sliding into second base and needed five stitches. Detroit Free Press, July 1, 1921, p. 13.

  34 Detroit Free Press, July 10, 1921, p. 17.

  35 As a result of the controversial umpire decisions, a riot nearly broke out. Fans surrounded umpires Billy Evans and Brick Owens after the game, but no violence occurred. Detroit Free Press, July 14, 1921, p. 12.

  36 Detroit Free Press, September 25, 1921, p. 25.

  37 The Sporting News, August 15, 1935, p. 4.

  38 The Sporting News, July 11, 1951, p. 9. Evans’s challenge was also acknowledged in the Philadelphia Inquirer, December 17, 1921, p. 14.

  39 Griffith Stadium groundskeeper James O’Dea was reportedly the “self-appointed referee” for the fight. Evening Star, Washington, D.C., September 25, 1921, p. 30.

  40 The Sporting News, August 15, 1935, p. 4. Evans later said: “That Cobb not only is the world’s greatest ball player, he could have been a champion in the ring. I thought I was pretty good, but he had it on me all the way.” The Sporting News, February 1, 1956, p. 21. Cobb only agreed to fight if American League President Ban Johnson wasn’t notified and Evans kept his word. Johnson found out about the battle through the press and suspended Cobb for the final two games of the season. The Sporting News, October 6, 1921, p. 2. Cobb’s eleven-year-old son, Ty Jr., was reported to have witnessed the fight.

  41 After Cobb was named Tigers manager, Heilmann was asked what he thought of it. He answered, “None could be better.” Detroit Free Press, December 26, 1920, p. A1.

  42 Miami Herald, November 8, 1921, p. 10.

  43 Atlanta Constitution, May 18, 1924, p. B1.

  44 Ty Cobb: My Life in Baseball by Ty Cobb with Al Stump, 1993, Bison Books edition, p. 35–36. Also see Atlanta Constitution, November 27, 1924, p. 10. Cobb’s Aunt Nora, who was the youngest child of John and Sarah Ann Cobb, was only about six years older than Ty, and the two were close. In fact, Nora took him into nearby Murphy and other towns to watch baseball games.

  45 She was buried at Notla Baptist Church Cemetery in Murphy, NC. North Carolina Death Certificates, ancestry.com. Her husband, John Franklin Cobb, passed away on June 17, 1911 at seventy-nine years of age.

  46 Ty Cobb: Safe at Home by Don Rhodes, 2008, p. 66.

  47 Evening Star, Washington, D.C., December 2, 1921, p. 31.

  48 San Francisco Chronicle, October 27, 1921, p. 15.

  49 San Francisco Chronicle, October-November 1921.
Winter League President Frank Chance fined Cobb $100 for delaying the game and $50 for abusive language. San Francisco Chronicle, November 21, 1921, p. 10. Another highlight happened on October 25 at Recreation Park in San Francisco when Cobb and Hornsby met on the field for the first time. San Francisco Chronicle, October 26, 1921, p. 14.

  50 San Francisco Chronicle, November 16, 1921, p. 14.

  51 The homes, on Carolina Avenue in North Augusta, were rented from the Jackson Family. Augusta Chronicle, January 11, 1922, p. 5.

  52 Detroit paid $40,000 cash and eight players, equaling $100,000 in total. Seattle Daily Times, December 8, 1921, p. 17.

  53 Detroit Free Press, March 7, 1922, p. 14. Ehmke reversed his negative opinion and told a reporter, “I will be out there doing my best for Ty and the rest of the boys.” Detroit Free Press, March 31, 1922, p. 12.

  54 Augusta Chronicle, March 7, 1922, p. 8.

  55 Augusta Chronicle, March 15, 1922, p. 1.

  56 Detroit Free Press, April 5, 1922, p. 11.

  57 Detroit Free Press, May 1, 1922, p. 12.

  58 Boston Globe, July 7, 1948, p. 11. After the contest, Cobb wrote a letter to American League President Ban Johnson and an investigation was conducted. It was determined that balls had been discolored from oil used on a screen behind home plate, but it had nothing to do with Robertson—and the pitcher was absolved of any alleged wrongdoing. Detroit Free Press, May 3, 1922, p. 12.

  59 Detroit Free Press, May 21, 1922, p. 27.

  60 Detroit Free Press, May 30, 1922, p. 13 and June 6, 1922, p. 15.

  61 New Orleans States, May 27, 1922, p. 4 and Tampa Tribune, May 26, 1922, p. 8.

  62 Dallas Morning News, May 27, 1922, p. 13.

  63 Cobb went 5-for-6 on July 7, 5-for-5 on July 12, and 5-for-5 on July 17. Adding the game from May gave Cobb the honor four times in 1922, setting a new major league record. The Sporting News, September 29, 1948, p. 29.

  64 New York Call, August 17, 1922, p. 7.

  65 Detroit Free Press, August 18, 1922, p. 14.

  66 Detroit Free Press, September 18–19, 1922.

  67 The Tigers finished with a 79–75 record, 15 games out of first place. The Yankees were defeated in the World Series by the New York Giants in four straight.