Detroit Tigers: Ty Cobb 101

Detroit Tigers fans have been around for over a century. As one of the oldest teams in the same location, the Tigers have built up quite a history. One of the most iconic figures to ever don the Old English D is Ty Cobb. 

There are a few things that Tigers fans should know about the man who is considered to be the best baseball player ever to slide into a base.

Tyrus Raymond Cobb began his baseball career in Detroit in 1905 when the team made its home at Bennett Park on the corner of Michigan and Trumbull. Just a few days before he left for Detroit, his mother accidentally shot and killed Cobb’s father. Historically, Cobb was known as a serious man who understood the game like no other. But, the Detroit veterans were unkind to him – so much so that Cobb eventually had a mental breakdown during his first season.

With Cobb’s quiet, serious, and shrewd personality, myths arose about his strategies on the field. Most of the myths are exactly that – myths. Cobb never sharpened his spikes, but he never let the opposing teams know this. He was, like many men of his day, a racist bigot. However, he was a helpful teammate who would help move them around the bases and who would give out investment advice.

Teammates would have been wise to listen to Cobb’s investment advice. The centerfielder was the first baseball player to earn over $1 million while playing; but, he did not earn the millions on the field. He earned his money investing in upstarts like Coca-Cola and General Motors. Over the course of his 22 years in baseball acting as a player and manager he earned less than $500,000.

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Cobb was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in the very first class with 98.2% of the vote. For comparison purposes, Babe Ruth earned 95.1% of the vote. Cobb continues to lead the MLB with his career .366 batting average. This is an amazing achievement considering that Cobb played during the Deadball Era before Ruth showed the world what a powerful home run hitter could do. While Ruth knocked the balls out of the park, Cobb played small ball where he is currently ranked second in the MLB in singles and triples.

As an outfielder, Cobb still has several records that remain. He has the most defensive games played in the MLB as an outfielder. He is ranked second in assists and double plays as an outfielder. While Ruth is appreciated for his offensive work, Cobb was truly a complete player whether he was at the plate, running the bases, or fielding the ball.

Cobb and Ruth crossed paths a few time during their tenures with the MLB. The pair actually got into a fight in June of 1924 when the Yankees came to Navin Field. Cobb was managing the Tigers when one of the Yankees was struck by a pitch. The Yankees thought Cobb ordered the hit, so the benches cleared – which resulted in a 30-minute brawl with Cobb and Ruth at the center of it. Most likely, the pitch was not ordered by Cobb because his players rarely listened to his instructions during games.

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Even though Cobb is remembered for being a Detroit Tiger, he did finish his career with the Philadelphia A’s. He stopped playing centerfield in 1926 and began managing from the dugout. Shortly after moving to the dugout to manage, Cobb was accused of fixing a game with Tris Speaker. Kenesaw Mountain Landis looked into the accusation and found nothing. So, Cobb moved to Philadelphia for his last two years as a player/manager which is where he played when he earned hit number 4,000 (only Pete Rose has more hits).

For more information about the Detroit Tigers read Motor City Bengals.