The First Baseball Hall of Fame Inductees and How Do They Compare to Current Inductees

Ty Cobb during his career received several accolades. A few of these include winning the MVP in 1911 and winning 12 batting titles. Because of Cobb's great career he had the honor of being one of five members of the first ever baseball hall of fame class in 1936. This brings up a few questions. Who were the other 4 inductees and how did Cobb compare to them? Who was inducted into the 2018 Major League Baseball Hall of Fame class? How does the the 1936 hall of fame class compare to the 2018 hall of fame class? Check out our page, Ty Cobb: A Standout in the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame to get these answers!

Baseball's First Millionaire

Newspaper article from Milner Library's
Special Collections Unit at
Illinois State University

Major League Baseball has certainly changed since it was founded in 1869. Its evolution has lead its popularity to soar over the years. The continual increase in popularity has caused MLB player's earnings to skyrocket. Ty Cobb was baseball's first ever millionaire. Like many players in today's game, Cobb earned his money both on and off the field. Check out our page Baseball's First Millionaire to see exactly how Cobb was able to accomplish this feat and what major league player in today's era has earned his money in a similar fashion.

Ty Cobb Used More Than Just Spikes to Outrun His Opponents

Ty Cobb may be best known as the record holder for the highest batting average in Major League Baseball history, but what many don't know is that he is also one of the best and most strategic baserunners in Major League history. Sverre Braathen, in his biography of Ty Cobb, boasts of Cobb's ability to out smart his opponents when it came to taking bases.

Baseball fans love watching players hit what should be a single that somehow stretches into a double. Maybe just as exciting is when a player steals a base. Cobb was a master at both. Just this past Tuesday in Game 1 of the World Series Mookie Betts of the Boston Red Sox was able to steal second base, winning the nation a free taco from Taco Bell. Ty Cobb in the 1909 World Series was also able to steel a base, he stole home base. Unfortunately, Cobb did not win anyone free tacos that day. Take a look at our page "Sliding Home - The Best Baserunner of All Time" to see how Cobb's baserunning compares to players in today's era of Major League Baseball.

Ty Cobb's Thoughts on the Changes of the Game of Baseball

As the game of baseball changed, Ty Cobb stuck to his roots as a strategic batter. He always followed the philosophy of hit the ball where the opponents aren't. With the introduction of the lively ball in 1920 a new type of hitter was born. This was the home run hitter. Fans loved and still love these high fly out of the ball park hitters. 

Ty Cobb was not as impressed as the fans in the stands with the home run hitters. He stuck to the beliefs that the baseball was won through strategy. Was/Is Ty Cobb right? Are home run hitters baseball's most valuable offensive players or are they perhaps overrated? 

Head over to our page Are home run hitters the best offensive weapons? to find out our take on this age old question.

"Hardest to Hit Pitchers of the Early 1900's" Summary

In our page, Hardest to Hit Pitchers of the Early 1900's, we go into detail about a few of the great pitchers Ty Cobb faced throughout his career. These pitchers include Ed Walsh, Cy Young, and Walter Johnson. Which one did Ty Cobb consider the hardest to hit? Sverre Braathen gives us that answer in his book, The Idol of Baseball Fandom. We take a look at some of Walsh's, Young's, and Johnson's best career stats and compare these pitchers to one current Major League Baseball pitcher and one recently retired MLB pitcher. We also discuss what doctored baseballs were and why they gave pitchers a great advantage over hitters during the early 1900's. Lastly, we provide an original newspaper clipping from July 20, 1960 regarding Ty Cobb and how he analyzed pitchers.

"Hit to Hit Comparison of Ty Cobb's and Miguel Cabrera's Batting Stats" Summary

Ty Cobb

Miguel Cabera

There have been many great hitters throughout the history of Major League Baseball, but perhaps none better than the great Ty Cobb. From 1905-1928 Cobb dominated the batter's box, leaving pitchers feeling hopeless when he stepped to the plate. To this day Cobb's name is littered throughout Major League Baseball's record book. Cobb's hitting prowess makes it hard to compare anyone's batting skill to his in today's game. The strongest comparison that can be made is between Ty Cobb and Miguel Cabrera. Both Cobb and Cabrera have worn the Detroit Tigers uniform for most of their career and are ranked in the top five Detroit Tiger players ever on ranker.com. Cobb winning out as being number one. Click here to discover the "hit to hit" stats on Cobb's and Cabrera's hitting career. 

"Ty Cobb - A Diamond in the Rough" Summary

Who was Ty Cobb? Ty Cobb played Major League Baseball from 1905-1928 and is considered to be one of the greatest MLB players of all time. He was a fierce competitor who always seemed to find a little controversy. A diamond in the rough. This blog is dedicated to Ty Cobb's baseball career and figuring out just who Ty was, and what made him so great. 
We will take a look at Ty's career using Sverre Braathen's biography of Cobb, Ty Cobb The Idol of Baseball Fandom and the resources Braathen used to write this book. These resources can be found at Milner Library's Special Collections Unit at Illinois State University. Click here to find out more about how well will detail Cobb's career through the evolution of baseball.