Who was Ty Cobb?

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Baseball has produced several legendary baseball players during its history. Players such as Cy Young, Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams have helped to make baseball one of the most popular sports in the world. Another member of the Baseball Hall of Fame that needs to be talked about as one of the greatest players of all times was the cantankerous Ty Cobb .

Tyrus Raymond Cobb was born in Narrows, Georgia on December 18, 1886. Cobb, nicknamed “The Georgia Peach” got his start playing semi-professional baseball in the south. During that time, he caught the eye of famed Atlanta sportswriter, Grantland Rice , who wrote a positive review of his playing ability, that got the attention of the Detroit Tigers.

In August, 1905, tragedy struck the family when his mother, thinking that an intruder was trying to get into the home, accidentally shot and killed his father. This incident affected Ty Cobb and made him focused to be the best baseball player ever, for his father. Later that month, Cobb played his first game for the Detroit Tigers, getting a double in his very first at bat.

That game in August 1905 was the first of a 22 year career as a player and manager for the Tigers. The final two years of his career brought him to the Philadelphia Phillies, where he retired from baseball in 1928. During his career he played 3,035 games compiling an overall batting average of .367. His batting average is the highest of all players in the history of the game. During his playing career he amassed impressive stats such as 4,191 total hits, 723 doubles, 297 triples and 117 home runs. He also had 1,938 runs batted in during his career. Cobb was also a speedy runner and stole 892 bases during his playing days.

Statistics alone however, do not tell the complete story of Ty Cobb . Cobb was a fierce competitor in the field and at times was difficult to be friendly with. During his career he was involved in many disagreements with players, umpires and even fans. His many on and off field incidents have been well chronicled in the press. Cobb also left Detroit due to allegations of his involvement in a game fixing scandal. He was later cleared of any involvement, and he was deemed a free agent, signing with Philadelphia so that he could finish his career on his own terms.

Through his success in baseball and a good investment strategy, Cobb retired as a wealthy man. After baseball he enjoyed touring Scotland and England, and enjoyed his time on his farm in Georgia. He spent most of his time hunting, fishing, golfing and playing polo.  In addition, he established an education foundation to help the youth of the country in getting an education. He was a very good investor and was a major stockholder of Coca Cola.

Ty Cobb will be remembered as one of the finest baseball players of all time. In 1936, the Baseball Hall of Fame was established and the first class of inductees was announced. Ty Cobb received votes from 98.2% of the writers and was easily elected to the first class of the Baseball Hall of Fame . He holds many records for hitting and base running, and his legacy will remain forever as a fierce competitor and baseball legend.