I just finished a good book and recommend it for anyone who is a baseball or golf fan. The title of the book is “Ty and the Babe” by Tom Stanton. The Book is about Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth and details their relationship from the point that Babe Ruth came into the league (9 years after Cobb) until the time of Babe Ruth’s death in 1948 (Ruth died of throat cancer at age 53, while Cobb lived until 1961 - age 74). Of the 18 comments on Amazon.com, 16 people give the book 5 out of 5 stars while the remaining 2 gave it 4 stars.

The book is about a lot more than baseball and you will realize that Stanton did some outstanding research for the book. The last third details a 1941 3-city golf tournament between the two that raised money for charity. The one thing that resonates throughout the book is that the modern day perception of Ty Cobb is overblown. Tom Stanton does a great job of explaining this on his web site.

So, Ty Cobb wasn’t such a bad guy?

Cobb was nicer than most people think. He was not the Satan of baseball. He was not, as one historian has described him, the “single black mark” on the game. Cobb was smart, articulate, and socially polished, and he could be charming and winsome. Contrary to his image, he did have friends. Over the years, I’ve come upon many people who knew Cobb and have wonderful memories of him. He was always extremely competitive, and in his early days he was quick to use his fists. But I can’t think of a more maligned figure in baseball history. A fan from his time wouldn’t recognize Cobb based on how he’s portrayed now. In his day, he was admired and respected, which isn’t to say he was an angel.

Why did his image change?

Much of how we view Cobb was framed by writer Al Stump, who spent several months with Cobb near the end of his life. By that time, Cobb was in the grips of alcoholism and cancer. He was a bitter man who had buried two adult sons. After Cobb died, Stump captured that bitterness in an ugly portrait of him for a 1961 magazine story. Eventually, that story evolved into a book, which spawned the brutal 1994 Cobb movie. It’s been all downhill for Cobb since his death. I’m hoping Ty and The Babe helps balance our perception of Cobb. I’m thinking of nicknaming my book tour “The Ty Cobb Redemption, Reformation, and Resurrection Tour.”

The book is a quick read. At the beginning of each chapter are some great pictures, many of which are from the Ernie Harwell collection at the Detroit Public Library. My favorite picture comes from the epilogue on page 234. It is the from final meeting between Ty and the Babe on September 28, 1947 when Ty flew to Yankee Stadium as part of a former player’s fund raising effort for Babe’s foundation as he was battling cancer. The picture has Ty’s arm on Babe’s shoulder as a sickly looking Ruth’s eyes are wet.

Do yourself a favor, if you are a baseball (or golf) fan, go pick up the book.