• Ty Cobb is a baseball legend who set records that still stand today
• The Ty Cobb baseball style was to play to win at all costs
• He was known to play aggressive baseball and this carried off the field as well
• Ty Cobb career stats show him setting 90 MLB records during his career

Tyrus “Ty” Cobb was born on December 18, 1886 in the great state of Georgia. When he began playing professional baseball he became known as the “Georgia Peach.” He is regarded by many historians, journalists, and fans alike as the best baseball player of the “dead ball” era. His aggressive baseball playing and his bad temper sometimes overshadow his legendary status as one of baseball’s greatest players.

Ty Cobb Biography – The Semi-Pro Years

Cobb spent his early years moving from team to team in his attempts to establish himself as a professional ball player. He was a member of the Royston Rompers before moving to the semi-pro team, the Royston Reds. He spent two days with the Augusta Tourists of the Sally League before being cut from the team. With his options running out in Georgia Cobb moved on to the Tennessee-Alabama semi-pro league and got a try-out with the Anniston Steelers. He made the team and in true Cobb style began to send postcards to the Atlanta Journal under different aliases extolling the stellar play of a young Ty Cobb. After the newspaper published an article about this talented player he returned to the Augusta Tourists.

Ty Cobb Baseball Goes to the Major Leagues

In 1905, the Augusta Tourists sold Cobb to the Detroit Tigers of the American League. It was at this time that his mother mistook his father for an intruder and shot him dead. This had a devastating effect on him and he later stated in his Ty Cobb biography that his aggressive baseball style was due to the memory of his father. The following year, Cobb became the starting center fielder for the Tigers.

Cobb was not a popular teammate due to his abrasive personality. He wouldn’t participate in any rookie “hazing” and was quick to use his fists. In a Ty Cobb biography it was reported that he attacked a heckling fan when he commented on Cobb’s mother. After some encouragement from his teammates he leapt into the stands and attacked the heckler. He even challenged an umpire to a fight after the game and when the ump accepted Cobb wailed on him until teammates broke it up.

Ty Cobb Career Highlights

• Set 90 MLB records
• Holds the highest career batting average of .367
• He also still holds the most career batting titles
• Four times throughout his career he stole second, third, and then home
• He could run as well as hit and he held the record for most stolen bases of 892 until 1977
• Became the youngest baseball player to win the batting championship when he was 20 years old
• Remains the only player to have two 35-game hitting streaks
• Became the youngest player to reach 3,000 hits and the first player to record 4,000 hits
• Had 23 consecutive seasons with a batting average over .300
• Entered the Hall of Fame with the highest rating when he was named on 222 of 226 ballots.

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