Ty Cobb Was Framed as a Racist by the Media

[Gil Dobie]

Looks like Al Stumps book was written to sensationalize many myths about Ty Cobb, when in actuality, Cobb was not who we thought he was.

Link

The most famous story cited as evidence of Cobb’s racism actually had nothing to do with race. In 1909, Cobb got into a fight in a Cleveland hotel that, according to legend, led to the stabbing death of a black man.

That isn’t true. No one was killed. Cobb fought with the (white) security guard, whom he claimed he lightly raked across the back of the wrist with a pen knife, though the guard later said Cobb stabbed him in the shoulder and the hand. Cobb may have also struck a bellhop.

Race had nothing to do with this incident. Neither of the other men was ever described as black in the numerous newspaper reports at the time, though at the time reporters invariably and delightedly pointed out when someone was a “negro.” Leerhsen even dug up the census report that lists the watchman’s race as white.

Charles Alexander’s 1984 Cobb biography says both the watchman and the bellboy were black, but when asked by Leerhsen where he got that information, Alexander offered no specific source, offering vaguely that it was in news reports of the time. “It isn’t,” Leerhsen declares flatly.

[YoUDeeMan]

Suffering from such blatant racism is probably what caused Ty Cobb to die early.

[AZGrizFan]

Are you telling me Tommy Lee Jones misportrayed Cobb?

[Gil Dobie]

Are you telling me Tommy Lee Jones misportrayed Cobb?

Tommy Lee portrayed Cobb as Al Stump dreamed it.

[Gil Dobie]

Suffering from such blatant racism is probably what caused Ty Cobb to die early.

Early? He was 74 f cking years old.

[dal4018]

In defense of Cobb it was said that he did a lot to defend players rights a la Marvin Miller.

[YoUDeeMan]

Suffering from such blatant racism is probably what caused Ty Cobb to die early.

Early? He was 74 f cking years old.

People in the Caucasus live until they are over 100 because they don't have to put up with discrimination from Black people.

[dal4018]

Early? He was 74 f cking years old.

People in the Caucasus live until they are over 100 because they don't have to put up with discrimination from Black people.

You would make a great comic!!!!

[Gil Dobie]

In defense of Cobb it was said that he did a lot to defend players rights a la Marvin Miller.

Cobb enthusiastically supported the integration of major league baseball when he was asked about Jackie Robinson in 1952. He told The Sporting News, “The negro has the right to compete in sports and who’s to say they have not?”

He called Roy Campanella a “great” player, said Willie Mays was “the only player I’d pay money to see” and after Campanella’s crippling car accident, praised Dodgers owner Walter O’Malley for holding a candlelit tribute “for this fine man.”

Even back in the 1920s, Cobb would befriend Negro League ballplayers such as Detroit Stars infielder Bobby Robinson, who said “there wasn’t a hint of prejudice in Cobb’s attitude.”

The Detroit News referred to Harrison as “a pickaninny” and “the Ethiopian.” But Cobb became the youth’s “main defender and patron” and on (segregated) sleeping trains let the kid sleep below his berth, hiding him from view with luggage so no one would detect him. He also let the kid share his room at segregated hotels.

[YoUDeeMan]

People in the Caucasus live until they are over 100 because they don't have to put up with discrimination from Black people.

You would make a great comic!!!!

Stick around...I don't want to lose the easiest source for my material.

[SuperHornet]

The way I understand it (no, I'm NOT going to claim to be omniscient), the REAL racist of that era was Cap Anson. He was apparently the one behind the MLB color barrier. Incidentally, the football color barrier (though started much later; there was an outstanding African-American player-coach in the NFL during the 1920s) was broken an entire year before the baseball version, when the LA Rams signed AND PLAYED a couple of African-Americans (as did the Cleveland Browns in the AAFC) at least six months before Branch Rickey got Jackie Robinson to put pen to paper. And one of those Rams played in the same backfield with Robinson at UCLA (yes, Robinson actually played football, too.)

I still don't understand why those guys get forgotten (not to mention Larry Doby, who played for the Cleveland Indians the same season Robinson started with the Dodgers), while Robinson is treated almost like a god....

[Gil Dobie]

The way I understand it (no, I'm NOT going to claim to be omniscient), the REAL racist of that era was Cap Anson. He was apparently the one behind the MLB color barrier. Incidentally, the football color barrier (though started much later; there was an outstanding African-American player-coach in the NFL during the 1920s) was broken an entire year before the baseball version, when the LA Rams signed AND PLAYED a couple of African-Americans (as did the Cleveland Browns in the AAFC) at least six months before Branch Rickey got Jackie Robinson to put pen to paper. And one of those Rams played in the same backfield with Robinson at UCLA (yes, Robinson actually played football, too.)

I still don't understand why those guys get forgotten (not to mention Larry Doby, who played for the Cleveland Indians the same season Robinson started with the Dodgers), while Robinson is treated almost like a god....

Agree about Anson. First African American to play in an NFL game was Bobby Marshall. Fritz Pollard, the outstanding player-coach, played in a game the following week. Marshall was a 40 year old NFL rookie in 1920. Marshall was one of the greatest athletes of all-time, that time has forgotten. He also played baseball with the St Paul Colored Gophers team and was a good hockey player. He played football for the Minnesota Gophers as an end and kicker. Once kicked a 60 yard FG. He was the first African American to play in the Big 9, later to become the Big Ten.

[dal4018]

You would make a great comic!!!!

Stick around...I don't want to lose the easiest source for my material.

If that is the case this is the only website that you have access to.

[dal4018]

In defense of Cobb it was said that he did a lot to defend players rights a la Marvin Miller.

Cobb enthusiastically supported the integration of major league baseball when he was asked about Jackie Robinson in 1952. He told The Sporting News, “The negro has the right to compete in sports and who’s to say they have not?”

He called Roy Campanella a “great” player, said Willie Mays was “the only player I’d pay money to see” and after Campanella’s crippling car accident, praised Dodgers owner Walter O’Malley for holding a candlelit tribute “for this fine man.”

Even back in the 1920s, Cobb would befriend Negro League ballplayers such as Detroit Stars infielder Bobby Robinson, who said “there wasn’t a hint of prejudice in Cobb’s attitude.”

The Detroit News referred to Harrison as “a pickaninny” and “the Ethiopian.” But Cobb became the youth’s “main defender and patron” and on (segregated) sleeping trains let the kid sleep below his berth, hiding him from view with luggage so no one would detect him. He also let the kid share his room at segregated hotels.

Thanks for the info on Cobb of course this was not mentioned in the film about him.

[dal4018]

The way I understand it (no, I'm NOT going to claim to be omniscient), the REAL racist of that era was Cap Anson. He was apparently the one behind the MLB color barrier. Incidentally, the football color barrier (though started much later; there was an outstanding African-American player-coach in the NFL during the 1920s) was broken an entire year before the baseball version, when the LA Rams signed AND PLAYED a couple of African-Americans (as did the Cleveland Browns in the AAFC) at least six months before Branch Rickey got Jackie Robinson to put pen to paper. And one of those Rams played in the same backfield with Robinson at UCLA (yes, Robinson actually played football, too.)

I still don't understand why those guys get forgotten (not to mention Larry Doby, who played for the Cleveland Indians the same season Robinson started with the Dodgers), while Robinson is treated almost like a god....

Agree about Anson. First African American to play in an NFL game was Bobby Marshall. Fritz Pollard, the outstanding player-coach, played in a game the following week. Marshall was a 40 year old NFL rookie in 1920. Marshall was one of the greatest athletes of all-time, that time has forgotten. He also played baseball with the St Paul Colored Gophers team and was a good hockey player. He played football for the Minnesota Gophers as an end and kicker. Once kicked a 60 yard FG. He was the first African American to play in the Big 9, later to become the Big Ten.

In actuality the 1st teams that offered Robinson tryouts were the Red Sox and the White Sox in '42 the Dodgers came much later of course.

[YoUDeeMan]

Stick around...I don't want to lose the easiest source for my material.

If that is the case this is the only website that you have access to.

See? You continue to be a plentiful source for laughs.

You can go to bed knowing that, despite your efforts, you have made other people thankful that they aren't you.

[dal4018]

If that is the case this is the only website that you have access to.

See? You continue to be a plentiful source for laughs.

You can go to bed knowing that, despite your efforts, you have made other people thankful that they aren't you.

You started the argument calling me a racist look at yourself in the mirror fool!!!!

[YoUDeeMan]

See? You continue to be a plentiful source for laughs.

You can go to bed knowing that, despite your efforts, you have made other people thankful that they aren't you.

You started the argument calling me a racist look at yourself in the mirror fool!!!!

Huh?

I know you aren't very intelligent...you've more than proven that...but can you find the quote on this thread where I called you a racist?

[Ibanez]

See? You continue to be a plentiful source for laughs.

You can go to bed knowing that, despite your efforts, you have made other people thankful that they aren't you.

You started the argument calling me a racist look at yourself in the mirror fool!!!!

What? Where did he call you a racist? Certainly not in this thread.

[Brock Landers]

Cobb enthusiastically supported the integration of major league baseball when he was asked about Jackie Robinson in 1952. He told The Sporting News, “The negro has the right to compete in sports and who’s to say they have not?”

He called Roy Campanella a “great” player, said Willie Mays was “the only player I’d pay money to see” and after Campanella’s crippling car accident, praised Dodgers owner Walter O’Malley for holding a candlelit tribute “for this fine man.”

Even back in the 1920s, Cobb would befriend Negro League ballplayers such as Detroit Stars infielder Bobby Robinson, who said “there wasn’t a hint of prejudice in Cobb’s attitude.”

The Detroit News referred to Harrison as “a pickaninny” and “the Ethiopian.” But Cobb became the youth’s “main defender and patron” and on (segregated) sleeping trains let the kid sleep below his berth, hiding him from view with luggage so no one would detect him. He also let the kid share his room at segregated hotels.

Thanks for the info on Cobb of course this was not mentioned in the film about him.

Its Hollywood. They make up whatever they feel like. See any movie Oliver Stone ever made.

[YoUDeeMan]

You started the argument calling me a racist look at yourself in the mirror fool!!!!

What? Where did he call you a racist? Certainly not in this thread.

C'mon, man, dal was supposed to figure that out himself. This isn't some police academy test where he gets extra points for his skin color...let the guy get some feeling of accomplishment by doing his own research in which he will discover that he is an idiot that doesn't know what he is talking about.