1900's Sports | My Life in Baseball: The True Record

Memoir

By: Ty Cobb, with Al Stump

Date: 1961

Source: Cobb, Ty, with Al Stump. My Life in Baseball: The True Record. New York: Doubleday, 1961, 75–79, 81.

About the Author: Ty Cobb (1886–1961) was one of the first professional baseball players to become independently wealthy. He negotiated tough contracts with baseball owners and invested his money carefully. Though a gifted player who set many records, some of which have yet to be surpassed, Cobb was a stubborn man whose personal prejudices interfered with his relationships, both personal and professional. He officially retired from baseball in 1928 and was the first of the original five players inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1936.

Introduction

By 1900, professional baseball had existed for thirty-one years, but it was largely a game of bunting, base stealing, and strategy. There were not many star...