Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Baseball and Ty Cobb

Many consider Tyrus Raymond Cobb, also known as Ty Cobb, as the best all around baseball player of all time. He was born on December 18, 1886 at Narrows, Georgia.

Before Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb owned baseball. He set various records for the Major League Baseball, many of which still stand up until this moment. He is the best player in the dead ball era. This is the period where baseball is not all about speeding pitches, powerhouse battings, and breathtaking home runs. This is the time when it was about a game of strategy. Where players keep an eye on the pitch, rely on their speed, and steal the base. These were the moves he mastered, which made Ty Cobb the most voted Hall of Famer in the 1936 inauguration.

His Career

Ty Cobb has one of the most touching stories of success. His father who was an educator and state senator did not approve of the path he plans to take. This is probably one of his drives to be a great baseball player. He played for Augusta Tourists and Royston Reds.
The Detroit Tigers bought him from the Tourists in 1905 after hearing some good reviews from sports journalist, Grantland Rice. He gave Cobb the name Georgia Peach.

The journey to becoming the best

He showed a lot of promise during his first season with Detroit. During his few years with the team, he did not hesitate to show what he could do. In his second year at the major league, he already ranked fifth in the league when he averaged .320. At a very young age, he was able to lead his team thrice to the AL pennant from 1907 to 1909.

He set the record for being the youngest to win the coveted batting championship. He held this record until 1955. One record he still holds up to the present is the career batting average. He also has the most batting titles.

He topped different the American League in various aspects. The Baseball Writers Association of America also voted him as the Most Valuable Player for the American League.

He was also an intelligent player. He studied his opponents and responded to their behavior accordingly. He was also one of the best base stealers in history. He even scored the winning run without the other team suspecting it in their game against the New York Yankees in 1911.

Although he led the Detroit Tigers in several AL pennants, he was never able to win the World Series while he was still with the team. It was mostly because baseball is a team sport and it needed more than his efforts to snatch a World Series.

His behavior

His abilities as a player are not the only attractions in his lifetime. Controversy surrounded his career as well. He had many instances of intense arguments and fistfights during his years.



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