War on the Basepaths Page 8
The festering bitterness was not aided by critical sportswriters, touting Cobb and putting down the other athletes. Joe S. Jackson of the Detroit Free Press wrote that “if a few more of the boys” could attain Cobb’s secret to hitting, “the team would gain a bit.”20 Needless to say, that kind of rhetoric didn’t help the Tigers clubhouse environment.
The particular cliques, as previously mentioned, built in friendships established years earlier, were highly active in causing detriment to the team. There were guys who wanted either Barrett to return to centerfield, or wanted Jones, Crawford, and McIntyre to hold down the outfield spots. That meant Cobb was the odd man out. If Armour and Schmidt were to join him in no man’s land, so be it, according to the insolent group.
McIntyre was, historically, a unique personality and his viewpoints occasionally strayed from reasonable. He produced a .253 batting average in 1904, yet held out for more money in 1905.21 That year he hit .263, which was well under expectations. Cobb’s introduction to the team never particularly imperiled his left field station, but McIntyre seemed to take Cobb’s dedication and achievements to date as a personal insult. He perceived some of the Georgian’s actions such as carrying three bats into the batter’s circle to lighten the swinging of a single bat at the plate to be showboating, and never felt comfortable with him as a regular outfielder partner. Cobb unquestionably made mistakes as a young outfielder and likely overstepped his bounds on occasion by running too far into the radius of McIntyre or Crawford. To have this be perceived as showing off would not be unexpected. But Cobb was still learning the trade and had a ways to go before he was considered an expert of any kind.22 In turn, McIntyre’s roommate, pitcher Ed Killian, also joined the fracas with no good reason other than to show favoritism toward his buddy.23 If Warner, who had good relations with the pitching staff, and Donahue were to throw their two cents into the mix, Cobb was at odds with a formidable bunch.
Neither Crawford nor Jones was acknowledged as an overbearing force amongst those opposing Armour and Cobb. Nonetheless, Cobb believed Crawford, specifically, was an instigator like all the rest. Crawford felt Cobb entered the majors with “an antagonistic attitude,” and believed “everybody was ganging up against him.” Crawford added that the members of the Tigers “weren’t cannibals or heathens,” and that they were just athletes trying to “get along.”24 In Cobb’s biography, he described confronting Crawford during a session of batting practice, but the row diminished almost as fast as it started, and nothing was accomplished.25 As far as Jones was concerned, he tried to be amiable to Cobb off the field, and claimed to be Cobb’s “best friend” on the Tigers.26 But Jones labored to comprehend the intricacies of Cobb’s mind on hops between cities, and because of Cobb’s inner demons, it was “damn hard to be his friend.” The protective shell that protected Cobb from the outside world was too hard to crack.
Of all the Tigers players, McIntyre was Cobb’s number one enemy and things took a drastic turn following a game in Chicago that Cobb didn’t even participate in. The incident occurred on June 22, 1906, when Tigers pitcher Ed Siever watched in horror as a drive to the outfield dropped into an abyss between McIntyre and Jones. McIntyre was apparently in a better position to get the ball but failed to do so, causing three runs to score, and Detroit to eventually lose the game 5–0.27 Afterwards, Siever had some harsh words for the left fielder, opening up a wider dialogue involving club management.28 It was revealed that other complaints had been made about McIntyre, and Armour was ready to silence all the unruliness up and down his roster in one swoop.29
McIntyre was indefinitely suspended for “indifferent” play and Armour wanted every member of the team to realize that they too could suffer the same fate if this nonsense continued.30 The Sporting News stated that McIntyre had “played his last game with Detroit.” Along with Killian, McIntyre was expected to be sold or traded. Although there were rumors, Armour refused to sell or trade McIntyre.31 The situation was uncomfortable, but worked in Cobb’s favor because he reentered the game as the team’s new left fielder.32 In the meantime, more about McIntyre’s “indifferent” ways were uncovered by sleuthing sportswriters. The Sporting News explained that when Cobb was on base and McIntyre batted after him, the latter “made no apparent effort” to make contact with the ball. The paper even featured a secondhand quote from an American League catcher who heard McIntyre say about Cobb, “You don’t suppose I am going to help that *** *** to the plate, do you?” Cobb, at the time, was on base waiting for support, and his teammate did the reverse by going down on strikes.33 John B. Foster wrote that McIntyre refused to help Cobb because he “was just breaking into the game.” Yet McIntyre, he added, wasn’t such a superstar that he didn’t need assistance once in a while himself.34
This was no longer the ritualistic hazing most rookie players endured, but something far more sinister. When asked by Armour, McIntyre admitted he hated Cobb and refused to take part in any game in which the Georgian participated.35 For Cobb, he knew things had been purposefully manipulated to make him look bad and leave him hanging in either the outfield or on the bases. He realized that he’d been made a fool of on numerous occasions, and the mockery was painfully combined with periods of alienation. It wasn’t all in fun, but caused by hatred, and when it came to burrowing down into the recesses of anger and a true fighting spirit, Cobb was instinctively a master. He’d fight all of his teammates if need be, but on the field, he was a hard worker and knew his offensive numbers would ultimately speak for themselves.36
The depressing reality of Cobb’s full integration into the majors was that he was unable to centrally focus on baseball. He was instead dealing with jealousy, backstabbing, hazing, and all types of tumult. But for him to still be productive in any way was a demonstration, once again, of his perseverance over and above all challenges. The chaos made him a strong person at heart and clarified his status as a fighter, for every inch and every goal. Cobb was human, though, and there were many moments of self-doubt. He considered leaving baseball behind and the conflict with his teammates made going to park a task he reviled.37
The suspension of McIntyre was fitting, Armour knew that for sure, but the club had no plans to cash in on his bankability by making a deal. McIntyre fumed, threatening to take his grievance before the National Baseball Commission, and join an independent squad in Chicago. However, much of the tension disappeared when team representatives announced that McIntyre could return as soon as he agreed to play at full speed, alongside Cobb or whoever else was in the Tigers lineup.38 Within days, McIntyre met with Armour and Navin and worked matters out, returning to the field on June 30. Cobb shifted to center and the two resumed life together as outfield cohorts. Unfortunately, the hatred that existed prior to the suspension remained, and Armour’s threat to oust other dissenters did little to eradicate the overall hostilities. The troublemakers were as fiery as ever.
Cobb hit a batting slump around the same time. In the span of a week, he dropped 28 points from .352 and third in the league to eleventh place with a .324 average.39 Sensing that Cobb needed a little breathing room, Armour worked Jones in centerfield and gave his prodigy a little extra rest. But when he needed a talented pinch-hitter to step up in the ninth inning at Philadelphia on July 13, Armour didn’t hesitate to insert Cobb into the game. Cobb followed through with a bunt to the left side, and would have been out had the first baseman maintained control of the ball. He proceeded to move around the bases as Detroit added runners to first and second, and then scored the winning run.40
Almost immediately after the showing, Cobb was hospitalized and two doctors were summoned to observe and treat what the press called “stomach trouble.”41 The Detroit Times reported the situation to be a strain of some type, suffered in the Philadelphia contest, but noted that it was not a hernia.42 No other details were offered, leaving pundits to speculate further about Cobb’s well-being.43 He was barely able to make it to Boston for the team’s next series, but Armour realized he was of no use
in any playing capacity and sent him back to Detroit. Club physician Peter C. McEwen made arrangements for Cobb to be admitted to the Detroit Sanitarium, and it was expected that he’d be a resident there for at least several weeks, if not longer.44
The anguish from months of painstaking torture had worked on his mental state, and now for his body to physically give out, Cobb was in dire shape. He had been a robust 176-pounder earlier in the year, but his condition necessitated a painful operation, and by the end of July, he had lost twenty pounds.45 Out of harm’s way, Cobb needed rest and plenty of it before even thinking about returning to the diamond. He was entirely determined to regain his footing, and made a special trip out to Bennett Park to watch the Tigers perform one afternoon. He also joined a friend, independent league pitcher Tom Leith, for a camping excursion near Brighton, Michigan, where he regained his appetite and most of his weight by eating fried bluegill fish. It was alluded, however, that Cobb’s northern diet caused his later stomach ailment, and that he needed to get back to “blue-stem collards.”46
Interestingly, early in Cobb’s hospital stay, he was visited by teammates, although the newspaper didn’t indicate who, it only stated “most of the team” was there to wish him well in his recovery.47 With that kind of report, one would think that harmony had dawned on the Tigers, but there was no such luck. Armour was still being undermined on a regular basis, and in August, he sold catcher Jack Warner to Washington for $2,000 and suspended pitcher Ed Killian after a drunken incident where the latter ran amok and busted up the clubhouse. Notably, the problems of the Tigers continued to occur while Cobb was hospitalized, which is evidence that he wasn’t the only aggravating factor for disgruntled members of the club. Sportswriters pegged Warner and Killian as two of the principal malcontents, and with the duo flushed, Armour was again working to find clubhouse stability. He wanted his mainstays to be happy and, with Cobb returning, he had an idea that he hoped would solve many of the team’s persistent issues.
First baseman Chris Lindsay was underperforming in 1906, batting in the low .200 range, and Armour deduced that Cobb would make a suitable replacement at the initial bag. He saw the youngster as having a long reach and being an able fielder, meaning the only thing he really needed was appropriate training.48 Thus, with Cobb at first, he could maintain the hitting power of his Georgian firecracker, plus keep his outfield core of McIntyre, Jones, and Crawford together. It was a win-win for everyone. The imaginative concept received about a day’s worth of attention and was forgotten. Cobb was a schooled outfielder and was going to remain one going forward.
Detroit was definitely having a year from hell, and, honestly, it was almost laughable because their problems never ceased. There were broken bones, illnesses, family difficulties, internal strife, and just about any kind of bad luck that could occur, did. The latest hardship came in the form of a serious injury to Davy Jones, sending him to the infirmary.49 His status for the rest of the year was questionable, and Armour was left without a full outfield, which was highly ironic considering the overflow of fielders at the beginning of the season. In response, the Tigers hired former Detroit Wolverines legend Sam Thompson, who, at forty-six years of age, would play eight games for Armour in right field and drum up plenty of nostalgia.50
In total, Cobb missed fifty-one days of active major league duty. Prior to making his return, Cobb played for several Detroit-area semi-professional squads to round out his recovery process. One of the teams was the Detroit Athletic Club (D.A.C), a private organization with an upper-crust membership roster, including many prosperous entrepreneurs. During this time, Cobb made friends with Albert V. McClure and John C. Kelsey, prominent members of the club.51 He made his return on September 2, 1906, at St. Louis, and was victimized by a burst of outfield dust in deep center, causing some heartache when he couldn’t get control of the ball. It was an inauspicious affair, and the game ended in six innings because of rain with Detroit on the losing end of a 1–0 score.52 Cobb would regain his batting stride and, by the middle of the month, was back amongst the league leaders with a .323 average. Detroit as a team was no longer a contender for the pennant, and Armour was engaged in the stockpile of new recruits for the next season of play when he was blindsided by a rumor from East Coast correspondents. The gossip claimed he was being pushed out and replaced by Baltimore Orioles manager Hugh Jennings, who had been in Baltimore since 1903.53
Jennings was a sizable name in the baseball world. In the 1890s, he was a strong component of the three-time National League champion Baltimore Orioles franchise, a team that featured the likes of John McGraw, Wilbert Robinson, and Willie Keeler. He was a star shortstop, a skilled base-runner, and with averages of .386 and .401 in 1895 and 1896, respectively, he was a superior batsman.54 The Orioles were notorious for their hard-hitting style of baseball, and the legend of their antics was fresh in many minds in 1906. Jennings was well liked, but he perpetuated an off-color brand of sport, one that utilized unorthodox techniques to attain a psychological advantage. His specialty was standing along the baselines on one leg with his arms raised high, shouting at the rivaling team. “Ee-yah!” was his favorite slogan.
In reaction to the rumors, Navin made a swift denial, but it didn’t put a halt to the whispers. Detroit newspapermen labored in defense of Armour and the extreme conditions he faced all year. They didn’t want him blamed for the catastrophic failure of the team to succeed, instead turning it back on the unruly cliques.55 But many people thought Armour allowed the negativity to fester for far too long before taking action. He oftentimes worked to pacify the troublemakers rather than casting them out. The suspensions of McIntyre and Killian and the sale of Warner were important steps, but perhaps he waited too long to invoke a harder line of discipline.
On September 3, 1906, the news officially broke that Armour was being replaced by Jennings, and the Tigers proceeded to go out and lose both games of a doubleheader to St. Louis. Armour blamed American League President Ban Johnson for coordinating his ouster from Detroit, and felt he deserved another year as manager.56 Baltimore owner Ned Hanlon refused to sell Jennings for $5,000, but Johnson and Navin used the rules of Organized Baseball to sidestep Hanlon completely, and drafted Jennings for $1,000.57 Detroit went through the motions of finishing the season, and the infamous “Hitless Wonders” of Chicago captured the American League pennant. Pundits accused the Tigers of “laying down” in games against the White Sox; essentially helping Chicago beat out the New York Highlanders in what was a close race. B. F. Wright denied this, claiming that Detroit won half of the 22 games played against Chicago.58 Paul H. Bruske in Sporting Life indicated that the team was taking a good amount of punishment from fans and sportswriters alike, and there was immense disappointment in what was supposed to be Detroit’s big year.59 The team finished in sixth place with a 71–78 record.
Incidentally, both Cobb and Armour were involved in separate bouts of fisticuffs during the final days of the 1906 season. The first episode happened following Detroit’s defeat of the Washington Senators in two-straight on September 22 at home. Armour left the clubhouse after the long afternoon and was confronted by his former catcher, Warner, now with Washington. Warner was seemingly angry about the press reports claiming him to be the “chief” provocateur of the Tigers, and he let Armour have it verbally. He then struck the manager square in the face, opening up a vicious scuffle that only ended when nearby spectators pulled them apart.60
The fight Cobb was engaged in took place on the evening of October 6 at the Planters Hotel in downtown St. Louis. It was actually the continuation of an earlier argument at the ballpark, stemming from a controversial play in the seventh inning. Batting champion George Stone, who’d finish the year with a .358 average, lined through the infield into left center between Cobb and McIntyre and achieved a probable double. But when neither outfielder went for the ball, Stone kept running, scoring a runner in front of him. Cobb and McIntyre were no longer playing baseball, but locked in a battle of words versus eac
h other, and Stone eventually raced across the plate for a home run. In the dugout, thirty-one-year-old Detroit pitcher Ed Siever accused Cobb of purposefully blowing the game, and the efforts of teammates prevented a full-fledged brawl. That day, the Tigers lost two games to St. Louis in what the press considered the “worst” performances of the year.61 A St. Louis sportswriter added that members of the Detroit squad “loafed, jested, romped and refused to actually play ball.”62
Siever refused to leave the matter alone and verbally accosted Cobb at the team hotel. Wishing to avoid an altercation, Cobb calmly walked away and settled near the cigar counter in the Planters’ lobby. Siever joined him, according to Cobb’s autobiography, but Bill Donovan’s timely interference prevented any physicality.63 However, moments later, Siever made his move and Cobb, calm and resting up against a pillar, appeared to be vulnerable. That couldn’t have been any further from the truth. Cobb was guarded, expecting an attack, and nimbly maneuvered away from his aggressor. Landing a few punches, he dropped Siever, and then proceeded to kick him in the face, completing an altogether one-sided contest and leaving Siever severely disfigured.64
On the train later that evening, Cobb apologized to Siever for the unnecessarily violent kick, but there were no handshakes to squash the feud.65 In fact, Cobb remained justifiably paranoid and felt a revenge assault was right around the corner. He got little rest and was armed if the worst case scenario arrived at the foot of his train berth.66 The retaliation never came.