TY COBB Once Pinch Hit a Grand Slam for Homerun King, Henry L. “Hank” Aaron
A Ty Cobb Historian Presentation.
April 8th, 2014
In the beginning, God created all men equal! That was, until He invented baseball. The game consists of players of all skill levels and many are able to achieve more with less. Historically, some even had greater potential and were never able to apply it to effective use.
Major League Baseball has never enjoyed, nor witnessed, a more talented and enthusiastic player than Tyrus Raymond Cobb, the very first player ever inducted into the National Hall of Fame and Museum on June 12, 1939.
Cobb received 222 out of 226 possible votes collecting more endorsements than Babe Ruth, Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson and Honus Wagner. He led with the highest percentage of votes until Tom Seaver bested that in 1992 with a percentage of 98.84, a record that Cobb held for 56 years.
This was one of his biggest rewards for his 24-year laboring in the big leagues. He also reveled in ending his career with the highest lifetime batting average of .367. He also won 12 American League batting titles from 1907-1919, winning the first nine consecutively.
However, the greatest and most cherished feats came off the baseball field – his philanthropic contributions to his home state of Georgia.
In January 22, 1950, Cobb stood on a platform and dedicated the Cobb Memorial Hospital in loving memory of his parents, Herschel and Amanda Cobb. The Cobb Memorial Hospital has celebrated its sixtieth year by building a 52 million dollar medical center. It has been planned to attract some of the finest medical specialist in the south.
In November 1953, Cobb established the Ty Cobb Educational Foundation to scholarships to residents of Georgia who wish to continue their collegiate education. The T.C.E.F. is also nearing its sixtieth anniversary.
Despite the positive impact of these two great deeds, it still does not completely reveal Cobb’s philanthropic nature.
“He was always an easy touch for a dollar or two,” claimed Jimmy Lanier, the Detroit Tigers batboy in 1925-26. “And I remember him always giving money to the little girls that rang the Salvation Army bells at Christmas time.
Cobb has always, and often quietly, sent donations to former big league ball players who did not spend their earnings wisely or just simply fell down on their luck. Cobb was a kind and gentle soul to those whom he knew were honest and upfront with him. Otherwise, he kept a tight grip on his earnings.
His first investment was a real estate purchase down in Jeff Davis County, Georgia in the winter on 1907. Shortly after Cobb and the Tigers put up a gallant effort to best the Cubs in the fall series, he took half of his World Series money and purchased a hundred acre farm between Hazlehurst and Lumber City. It was the old Gruber farm and he kept the property for 16 years before divesting it into another real estate transaction consisting of a home in Hazlehurst and two other parcels of land.
As his annual salary grew, along with his ever-increasing endorsements, Ty began to become progressive with his business investments. He became a stockholder in the Vickery Bank, now Northeast Georgia Bank, in Lavonia, Georgia and served on the Board of Directors as early as 1909.
He was one of three principal owners in the Thomson City Bank of Thomson, Georgia in 1915.
Later that same year, Cobb and 15 other investors, primarily from baseball, established an organization known as the “Dover Hall Club.” The organization was incorporated in the state of Delaware and Captain Tillinghast Huston.
Cobb became wealthy fast, earning the reputation as Major League Baseball’s first millionaire by the age of 35.
Cobb finished his career in 1928, spending 22 years with the Detroit Tigers and his last 2 years with Connie Mack and the Philadelphia Athletics.
Here are some of the great marks that he left of the grand old national sport; 4,191 hits, 3,033 games, 892 stolen bases, 12 Amerian League batting titles, 2,245 runs scored, batted .400 in three different seasons, 11,429 at bats, 297 triples, 724 doubles and a lifetime batting average of .367.
But however, the most unique element of Cobb’s personification was the impact he had on the game while he wasn’t playing on the field.
One of the most intriguing deeds he accomplished was helping to get Henry Aaron promoted to a Major League team, the Milwaukee Braves.
The Georgia Peach, as he was widely known, orchestrated a movement to get Henry “Hank” Aaron promoted to the Major Leagues in the spring of 1954.
Let me be clear, Hank Aaron would have eventually made it to the big leagues by the merit of his great play, however, having the great Ty Cobb going to bat for you was definitely a sure hit.
Aaron, who had already carved out a home for himself in Jacksonville, was the South Atlantics Leagues’ MVP the previous season, leading the league with a .362 batting average including 22 homeruns and 125 RBIs.
Cobb and Braves’ manager, Charlie Grimm, had a friendship spanning more than three decades and dating back to 1916 when the St Louis native signed with the Athletics in the American League.
Cobb and Grimm met before the 1954 spring training season in Philadelphia where Cobb spent most of the time praising Aaron’s work.
“What I like about Aaron is his hitting,” said the 63 year old with his high pitched drawl, “and his mannerism at the plate has really impressed me.”
Cobb had watched Aaron play at Augusta and also when the he played winter ball with the Puerto Rico League and batted .322.
It was with his meeting with Cobb when Grimm acknowledged that he would probably try the youngster out during the spring exhibition games.
When Braves’ outfielder, Bobby Thompson, fractured his ankle sliding into second base on March 13th, Grimm found the perfect opportunity to get Aaron in the game.
Ty Cobb and Hank Aaron were both honored by the South Atlantic League in 1994 by their dual induction into the SAL Hall of Fame.
Cobb was the very first player ever elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936 and Hank Aaron was selected in 1982.
The record Hammerin’ Hank left on the game 40 years ago today will always be remembered as one of the most significant turning points in baseball history.
It will be remembered as long as we baseball fans revel in the long ball. It was something the Homerun King perfected and he changed the history of baseball with his 755 souvenirs that left the fans in the stands.
National Ty Cobb Historian 