Baseball History Thread

[OleMissCub]

Tyrus Raymond Cobb aka The Georgia Peach: 1911 American League MVP

Detroit Tigers (1905-1926)

Philadelphia Athletics (1927-1928)

 

162 Game Avg: .366/.433/.512, 167 OPS+, 6 HR, 39 Doubles, 16 Triples, 103 RBI, 120 Runs, 48 SB

Best Season (1911): .420/.467/.621, 196 OPS+, 8 HR, 47 Doubles, 24 Triples, 127 RBI, 147 Runs, 83 SB

 

 

1st All-Time in Batting Avg: .366

2nd All-Time in Runs: 2246

2nd All-Time in Hits: 4189

2nd All-Time in Singles: 3053

2nd All-Time in Doubles: 724

2nd All-Time in Triples: 295

4th All-Time in Stolen Bases: 892

5th All-Time in Total Bases: 5854

5th All-Time in Runs Created: 2522

10th All-Time in OPS+: 167

7th All-Time in RBI: 1937

 

 

Some quotes about Ty from some of the greats:

 

"Ty Cobb is not only the greatest player in the history of the American League, but of all time. His achievements on the diamond are so notable that I doubt if the game ever produces his equal, certainly not his superior." - Connie Mack

 

"His gifts are so unusual, so far above the next best, that he stands in a class by himself. I have never seen and never expect to see from any other person such wonderful playing as Ty Cobb has performed at his very best" - Eddie Collins

 

"Ty was the smartest player that I ever saw by so great a margin that I won't even bother to think who was second best." - Walter Johnson

 

"The greatness of Ty Cobb was something that had to be seen, and to see him was to remember him forever." - George Sisler

 

"The greatest ballplayer I ever saw? Well, I'll have to say Ty Cobb. He could do more with a bat than any player in my time and I don't suppose there ever was a base runner like him. They'll tell you he wasn't much of a fielder, but he was good enough. I know he took a lot of base hits away from me out there." - Babe Ruth

 

""I never saw anyone like Ty Cobb. No one even close to him as the greatest all-time ballplayer. Ruth was sensational. Cobb went beyond that. When he wiggled those wild eyes at a pitcher, you knew you were looking at the one bird no one could beat. It was like he was superhuman." - Casey Stengel

 

"I naturally appreciate all the nice things Ty has said about me being the 'greatest hitter in baseball," but that is one time the Georgia Peach is wrong. The greatest hitter and the greatest player I ever saw was one Tyrus Raymond Cobb." - Shoeless Joe Jackson

 

 

 

photos inside spoiler

 

http://img247.imageshack.us/img247/6620/tycobbswingmh2.gifhttp://img267.imageshack.us/img267/9589/cobbswingdu7.gif

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/cobbthrow3.gifhttp://www.uploadgeek.com/uploads456/0/cobbslide.gif

 

 

 

 

http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/3797/ty08tj7.jpg

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/cobb2-1.jpg

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/U877337AACME.jpg

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/tyclose.jpg

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/cobbsmile.jpg

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/cobb5.jpg

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/dbag8.jpg

 

http://memory.loc.gov/service/pnp/npcc/19100/19121v.jpg

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/tybat.jpg

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/NSAP1811_EXTR.jpg

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/cobb6.jpg

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/cobb3-1.jpg

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/cobb19.jpg

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/cobbarmy.jpg

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/cobbhitting.jpg

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/tyswing3.jpg

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/cobb1-1.jpg

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/cobb3.jpg

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/tycobb.jpg

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/cobb7.jpg

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/cobb4.jpg

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/tyrun.jpg

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/cobbthird.jpg

 

http://www.umass.edu/pubaffs/jackie/cobb.gif

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/cobbthirdslide.jpg

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/tycobb3.jpg

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/cobbbaker.jpg

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/tycobb2.jpg

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/tycobb5.jpg

 

http://img223.imageshack.us/img223/3321/cobbklingpn7.jpg

 

http://img83.imageshack.us/img83/5238/cobbfadefd9.jpg

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/cobbkids.jpg

 

 

 

Here are a couple of videos I put together.

 

Game footage of Cobb playing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4y9ml7VhlY

 

Cobb giving a radio interview in 1930, talking about baseball....he even picks the Cubs to win the pennant! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzkEphQAi7U

Edited November 12, 2008 by OleMissCub

[erik316wttn]

To those who would like reading little articles about certain things in the history of baseball, interesting stories, oddities, the history and evolution of uniforms and equipment, interesting people, moments, etc, I HIGHLY suggest picking up "Uncle John's Bathroom Reader Takes a Swing at Baseball" at your local bookstore. The entire "Uncle John's" series is great if you like reading about the odd and obscure things in life. This book in particular is fantastic, though.

 

The "Uncle John's" books are in the humor section of bookstores, usually, although the book as a whole isn't really comedy, though it does have some funny stories in it.

 

Here's the link on Amazon if you care to order it online:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Uncle-Johns-Bathroom-Reader-Baseball/dp/1592238823/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1225661024&sr=8-1

[OleMissCub]

Baseball scientist Perry Husband recently did a pretty cool analysis of several of the clips that exist of Babe Ruth hitting a home run. He analyzes the degrees of his swing, his particular hitch he had, etc. Very cool stuff I think.

 

The Babe videos are about halfway down on the right side of this page:

 

http://www.hittingisaguess.com/LeverageWedges.html

[OleMissCub]

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/1907ChicagoCubspstcrd.jpg Edited November 9, 2008 by OleMissCub

[OleMissCub]

My life is now complete. Your 1908 World Champion Cubs:

 

 

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/cubs.jpg

[erik316wttn]

What position did the bear play?

[OleMissCub]

Came across this on an auction site. Looks like a Louisville Slugger ad during WWII. It's signed by Ruth, Cobb, and Collins.

 

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/hall.jpg

[OleMissCub]

Wonderful image taken of Walter Johnson's pitching grips. Any pitching people want to help out identifying these? It's neat to see that pitchers 100 years ago are still throwing the same pitches they do today mostly. I see knuckleball, slider, palmball, curveball, and two seam fastball. Maybe I've misidentified some.

 

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/walterpitch.jpg

[Mephistopheles]

top left fast.

top right curve or slider. the difference between the two isnt grip, its the way its thrown

bottom left two seam, sinker or screw ball

bottom right, change/palm

[OleMissCub]

top left fast.

top right curve or slider. the difference between the two isnt grip, its the way its thrown

bottom left two seam, sinker or screw ball

bottom right, change/palm

 

you missed the bottom two

[Mephistopheles]

youre right i didnt see them

 

 

knuckle ball on the left. the other is a variant of a two seam, although i cant tell if his fingers are on the seams or not. it doesnt look like they are. if they were, it would be a slider, cutter, curve etc in all likelihood. really grips dont mean a whole lot. you can throw the same pitch with many different grips. you can throw many pitches with the same grip. it really comes down to what you try to do with you throw it and which ever grip feels most comfortable to you and/or fits your armslot and hand size the most.

[OleMissCub]

Group of good quality shots of some of the legends of the game when they were rookies:

 

 

Babe - age 20

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/rookiebabe.jpg

 

Teddy Ballgame - 20

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/rookieted.jpg

 

Koufax - 19

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/rookiesandy.jpg

 

Cobb - 18

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/cobbrook.jpg

 

Eddie Collins - 19

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/rookiecollins.jpg

 

Aaron - 20

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/rookiehank.jpg

 

Joe D - 21

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/rookiejoe.jpg

 

Mays - 20

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/maysrook.jpg

 

McCovey - 21

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/rookiemccovey.jpg

 

Mel Ott - 17

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/rookiemel.jpg

 

Mickey - 19

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/rookiemick.jpg

 

Hubbell - 25

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/rookiecarl.jpg

 

Rose - 22

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/rookiepete.jpg

 

[laurens]

Wow, Cobb looks about twice his actual age.

[OleMissCub]

Wow, Cobb looks about twice his actual age.

 

He had a pretty tough year that season. His mother had blown his dad's head off with a shotgun and the story become somewhat of a sensation...imagine Evan Longoria's mom killing his dad and the type of story that would be. His teammates that season also took rookie hazing to a new level (mainly because they knew he might take one of their jobs away), they broke all of his homemade bats, stole his clothes several times, nailed his cleats to the clubhouse floor, threw food at him constantly, never let him take BP the whole season, and many other very mean things. Cobb was already a weirdo but the death of his father (a Senator btw) at the hands of his mother and the relentless hazing on top of all that sent him completely over the edge and pretty much turned him into the monster that he became.

[imb]

babe ruth looks like a photoshop

 

what a goof

[OleMissCub]

Recently came across some pretty good and unique historical baseball photos:

 

 

Willie at Wrigley:

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/wm9.jpg

 

 

Tris Speaker:

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/tris4-1.jpg

 

 

Bill Donovan, Ty Cobb, and Eddie Collins during the 1909 World Series:

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/tyeddie.jpg

 

 

Joe Jackson with a Cleveland Indian teammate:

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/joe2.jpg

 

Bob Feller and Satchel Paige:

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/satchfell.jpg

 

 

Napoleon Lajoie breaking up a play:

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/nap4-1.jpg

 

Roger Maris losing it on an ump:

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/roger-1.jpg

 

Good shot of Christy Mathewson:

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/matty4.jpg

 

the late Ken Hubbs (1962 NL Rookie of the Year and first rookie to ever win a gold glove):

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/hubbs2.jpg

 

George Sisler in the gym:

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/sis4.jpg

 

Stan and Ted:

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/ted3-1.jpg

 

Gehrig in action:

 

http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/7996/gehrigjt8.jpg

 

Walter Johnson's hands:

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/walter2-2.jpg

 

Willie in the clubhouse:

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/wm23.jpg

 

Honus:

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/honus.jpg

 

Satchel Paige in his early years:

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/satch.jpg

 

Hack and Babe:

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/hack.jpg

 

Mel Ott:

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/mel.jpg

 

Dizzy Dean and Gabby Hartnett with Charlie McCarthy puppet:

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/dizmc.jpg

 

Jimmie Foxx with Connie Mack:

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/conjim.jpg

 

John McGraw in his playing days:

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/john.jpg

 

Josh Gibson with....Budweiser:

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/gibbeer.jpg

 

Black Sox ringleaders Swede Risberg and Chick Gandil:

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/chick2.jpg

 

Three Finger Brown:

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/three.jpg

 

Ty Cobb at bat:

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/tyswing3.jpg

 

Willie unhappy with an umpire:

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/wm19.jpg

 

Two early Native-American stars, John "Chief" Meyers and Charles "Chief" Bender:

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/chiefs.jpg

 

Rogers Hornsby in the dugout:

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/rog2-1.jpg

 

Ruth in his pitching days:

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/ruthpitch.jpg

 

[bhogg]

I never understood how Ott could hit as well as he did with that funky stance / swing.

 

Good stuff, OMC.

 

Do you freaking have an apartment located in the Cooperstown Archives?

[OleMissCub]

I never understood how Ott could hit as well as he did with that funky stance / swing.

 

Good stuff, OMC.

 

Do you freaking have an apartment located in the Cooperstown Archives?

 

I really wish. The dummies who run the Hall of Fame archives are a bunch of mugwumps and refuse to get in the modern age and put a lot of their stuff online. They have sooooo much stuff at their disposal.

[bhogg]

I never understood how Ott could hit as well as he did with that funky stance / swing.

 

Good stuff, OMC.

 

Do you freaking have an apartment located in the Cooperstown Archives?

 

I really wish. The dummies who run the Hall of Fame archives are a bunch of mugwumps and refuse to get in the modern age and put a lot of their stuff online. They have sooooo much stuff at their disposal.

 

 

 

I loved my trip to Cooperstown, but right away you realize that it's a crock of poop. The National Baseball Museum really should be a tad larger than the average american home. That place needs to be 5-10 times larger.

[OleMissCub]

Alright folks, let's get ready to rumble!

 

These are some great pics from the Marichal-Roseboro incident from 1965. Story goes that Marichal had already knocked down two Dodgers players in the game, but Koufax wouldn't retaliate. So when Marichal came up to bat, Dodgers catcher Johnny Roseboro started returning the pitched balls right past Marichal's face. Marichal snapped and smacked Roseboro over the head twice with his bat cutting his head open. Thus started a 14 minute bat-wielding brawl the likes of which hasn't been seen since.

 

Kudos to Sandy for actually staying in the fray against two men with baseball bats. I might have been heading the other way.

 

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/mar5.jpg

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/mar7.jpg

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/mar10.jpg

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/mar4.jpg

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/mar.jpg

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/mar8.jpg

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/mar9.jpg

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/mar3.jpg

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/mar2.jpg

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/mar6.jpg

 

[OleMissCub]

Joe Tinker channeling Wolverine?

 

 

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/tinker-1.jpg

 

[OleMissCub]

At some point in 2008, two NL teams played the 100,000th National League game. Crazy.

[Clem Fandango]

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/wm23.jpg

 

 

He looks like he's popping a squat. And he appears to not be wearing any pants. And there's what appears to be bathroom tile behind him...... :-k

 

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/honus.jpg

 

 

He looks like Robin Williams... perhaps it's time for a biopic about Honus Wagner?

[OleMissCub]

 

He looks like Robin Williams... perhaps it's time for a biopic about Honus Wagner?

 

There was a crappy made for TV one a few years back with Matthew Modine of all people playing Honus.

 

Honus was a badass. He averaged 100 Runs, 100 RBI and 42 stolen bases over a 21 year period, at shortstop no less. On top of his offensive prowess, he was also considered the greatest defensive shortstop of his era.

 

 

My favorite photograph of Wagner:

 

 

http://img120.imageshack.us/img120/7192/wagnerww8.jpg

 

[OleMissCub]

In 1911, Cleveland superstar pitcher and future Hall of Famer Addie Joss died suddenly of tubercular meningitis. Friends of Joss organized a benefit game for his widow that was AL All-Stars against the Cleveland Naps (Indians). The game raised around $13,000 for Joss' widow. That's equivalent to about $300,000 today.

 

The Cleveland team at the time included Joe Jackson, Cy Young, and Napoleon Lajoie.

 

The AL All Stars:

top, l to r: Bobby Wallace, Home Run Baker, Smokey Joe Wood, Walter Johnson, Hal Chase, Clyde Milam, Russ Ford, Eddie Collins.

bottom, l to r: Germany Schaefer, Tris Speaker, Wahoo Sam Crawford, Jimmy McAleer, Ty Cobb*, Paddy Livingston

 

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/addie.jpg

 

 

*Yes, Cobb is wearing a Cleveland jersey. His luggage got lost and so he was forced to where a Cleveland road jersey.