The Baseball Guru - Assessing Ty Cobb as The Greatest All-Around Baseball Player Who Ever Lived

Deposing the Witnesses	What They Actually Said: The Historical Testimony of the Witnesses
Ty Cobb's Fielding (1905-28)
Tris Speaker(AL OF & Man.,'07-28)	1917 - "as an outfielder Ty Cobb is unusually good. I think his weakness, so far as he has any, is in his throwing arm. Not that his arm is weak by any means but it is not his strongest point."
	(Baseball Magazine, March, 1917, pp. 85, Winning the Batting Championship by Tris Speaker)
Harry Hooper(AL OF, '09-25)	1917 - "Ty Cobb is a good outfielder but not the best. No one can cover any more ground than Ty. He is very fast, and ranges widely both to right & left. But he is more apt to get the hard ones than the easy ones & his throwing arm is not in the
	class with Lewis(Duffy) or Milan(Clyde)". (Baseball Magazine, June, 1917, pp. 292, "The Secret of Good Outfielding", by Harry Hooper)
Eddie Collins, AL 2B,'06-30, White Sox man.,1925-26	1932 - "Ty certainly had superiors in the outfield, though it seems to me that he never received quite the credit that was due him on defense. He was a much better outfielder than many people supposed. But his fielding was completely eclipsed by
Phil. A's coach, 1929-32, Red Sox VP,Buss. man., treasurer, 1933-51	his work elsewhere". (Baseball Magazine, August, 1932, pp. 395, The Winning Temperament, from an interview with Eddie Collins)
Joe Wood, (AL P, OF, 1908-22)	1912 - Joe Wood was not only a teammate of Tris Speaker when he wrote this, but Tris' roommate and best friend. "Tris Speaker has played a wonderful game this year. It is his great work which has shown up so strongly and which accounts so largely for
	the Red Sox' success. Many people compare Speaker with Ty Cobb. I suppose the Chalmers Automobile Commission will have to choose between these two for the final honor. Personally, I think Speaker on many accounts should get the prize, and at that, I
	am willing to admit there is only one Ty Cobb. Ty is a better batter than Speaker, he is a better base runner. Everyone will concede that. He has always been more daring, more resourceful, although Speaker is fast breaking into that department of the
	the game as well. But Speaker is a better fielder than Ty Cobb. He covers more ground, has as good if not a better throwing arm and while many people think that Cobb can run back an outfield fly farther than any other player in the game. I do not
	think he has anything on Speaker in this respect. Speaker often plays well in, backing up second base in good shape, but he can go back into the outfield territory for a hard batted drive as far as anybody I ever saw. I think Speaker is superior to Joe
	Jackson admitting that Joe is a wonderful player in every department of the game and Joe, too, has one point in which he exceeds not only Speaker and Ty Cobb, but everyone else in the business. He can throw from deep outfield farther than anybody I ever
	saw. I firmly believe there is no man in either league who can throw a ball as far as Jackson, but in several games where I have watched his peculiar ability in this line I have noticed that he is not always accurate in his throws and much of the
	advantage which should come to him from this ability is lost through wildness. Jackson, of course, is a very great player and still young. He has been greatly handicapped by lack of early training, and I believe has not always had the encouragement or
	good coaching to bring out the best of his talents. No doubt he will improve in coming seasons and if he could play in the East as well as he does in the west, he would beat them all out. Jackson bats at a .500 clip in his own city or on the average
	western tour but for some reason cuts that in half on his eastern excursions. Why this is so, no one knows. It is one of the peculiarities of baseball and baseball players. It is hard to compare these three players, for they all excel in some one
	point or more. Oddly enough, they are all Southerners, and all wonders. They are far and away the greatest outfielders in the game, bar none. It is very fortunate for the red Sox that they have on their club one of these three players. No one can
	appreciate better than a pitcher the worth of a man who covers acres of ground, has a sure and deadly throwing arm and bats in the near neighborhood of .400.
	(Baseball Magazine, November, 1912, pp. 52, "Joseph Wood, Esquire--Pitcher.", by John J. Ward, pp. 49-60)
George Sisler (AL 1B, Man., '15-28) (NL 1B, '28-30)	1931 - "In the outfield Ty was not supposed to be a star, but he always impressed me favorably. He was fast & could cover acres of ground. He certainly knew how to judge opposing batters as well as anyone
	ever did. But Ty's extraordinary batting & baserunning threw his fielding into the shade. This didn't mean he wasn't a great outfielder. It meant that he was an even greater batter & baserunner".
	(Baseball Magazine, April , 1931, pp. 484, column 1 & 2, "The Greatest Player I Ever Saw, Comprising an Interview With George Sisler, pp. 483-484)
Babe Ruth (AL P,OF, '15-34)	1936 - "They'll tell you he wasn't much of a fielder, but he was good enough. I know he took a lot of base hits away from me out there." (March 20, 1936, St. Petersburg, FL)
Stan Coveleski (AL P, '16-28)	1961 - "In the outfield he was terrific." (The Sporting News, September 13, 1961, pp. 15, column 4)
Billy Wambsganss (AL 2B, '14-25)	1984 - "He wasn't the greatest centerfielder in the world, by any means, but he was adequate." (Forgotten Fields by Paul Green,1984, pp. 47)
Max Bishop (AL 2B, 1924-35)	1942 - "He may not have been a great fielder, but he could hold up his end."(Sporting News, April 2, 1942, pp. 1)(Greatest Player survey) Sporting News mailed out over 100 letters to former ML stars & managers. It asked, "Who do you consider the greatest
(Ty's A's teammate,1927-28)	ball player of all time? Why?"
Connie Mack	1950 - "One of the finest outfielders I have known was Ty Cobb. He is written down in baseball history for many other accomplishments: I do not believe that he has been given full credit for his achievements as a fielder. Cobb was a real "ball hawk."
NL catcher(1886-96), AL manager(1901-50)	He knew, somehow, at the instant the pitcher let go of the ball where it was going to be hit, and times without number he would move to the spot in time for the catch when there was no earthly reason for him to be there.
	He had a peculiar way of catching a fly ball which hasn't been duplicated & which I would not recommend to anyone else; I doubt if anyone but Cobb could do the trick. On a fly, Cobb wouldn't look at the ball. He would look down at the ground & catch the
	ball directly over his head without even looking.Ty was very much misunderstood by many fans around the country but there is no player in the history of the game who excelled him in all-round ability. "From Sandlot to Big League, Connie Mack,1950,pp.59-60)
Rogers Hornsby (NL pl. 1915-37)	1961 - "Cobb was the greatest ball player of all time and will never be equaled. Most record books simply talk about his hitting and base stealing. But he was a great outfielder with a great arm." (immediately after Ty died in July,'61)
ML man.'26,28,30-37,52-3,58-59	1961 - "He was a winner all the time. Ty would do anything to win a ball game, but when he got off the field, he was a perfect gentleman. Ty was a tremendous outfielder. . He was outstanding in everything." (St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 18, 1961)
John B. Sheridan, St. Louis sp. wr. (1880's-1929)	1926 - "He was not rated as a great fielder, but he did get everything in the field that any other man could do--cover ground, go get them, sure hands, a good man on a ground ball and a good thrower. His style was not so graceful or facile as that of
Sporting News column, "Back of Home Plate", 1917-29	some great fielders, but I never could see any weakness in his fielding." (Sporting News, Nov. 11, 1926, pp. 4, column 6)
Charles A. Comiskey, White Sox owner(1901-31)	1910 - "As for Cobb's fielding prowess, no manager could ask for a better man to play in right field, although doubtless there have been men who played the batsmen better and men who threw more accurately. No one will question the assertion that Cobb
ML 1B(1882-94)	covers as much ground as any player ever did, and as he catches almost everything he reaches, and reaches lots of balls that other fielders could not reach, I don't see what more any one could ask of him. He has a good throwing arm, and, what is better,
	he is not afraid to use it. He lets go of the ball the minute he knows where he is going to throw, and he usually thrown to the right place. On recovering long, and short hits to the outfield the Detroit man has few equals. "New York Times, April 17, 1910)
George Moriarty, (AL 3B, 1906-17)	1934 - "When Ty Cobb came to the big leagues back in 1905 he was an awkward and ordinary outfielder. His burning ambition and readiness to work on his weaknesses raised him within a few years to the baseball heights. To watch Cobb chasing flies in his
AL ump (1917-41, except for Detroit manager,1927-28)	prime was to see the supreme master and judge of distance, direction and speed. It seemed that the crack of the bat was the signal by itself for sending Cobb to the right spot. He looked the part of the born ball player, to him fly chasing was as
	instinctive as eating, but it was well known that he was developed out of a rookie, as most ball players are. But in contrast to Cobb there was Tris Speaker who was what may be termed a finished fielder when he reached the big leagues. His development
	merely came earlier, and perhaps, easier. As an infielder, George Sisler may be placed in this class also. He was a highly finished product during his college days at the University of Michigan, so that when the St. Louis Browns signed him to a
	professional contract in 1915 they had what some people called a "born" ball player. (Scholastic Coach, Footwork in Baseball by George Moriarty, March, 1934, pp. 10)
Bill Phelon, Chicago spwr. 1889-1909, NY spwr. 1910	1915 - "On the defensive, there was, to my way of thinking, no choice between Lange and Cobb. Both could cover enormous outfield territories: both were marvelously sure when they got their hands upon the ball. I think Lange had the better throwing arm
Cincinnati Times-Star sports editor (1910-1925)	of the two. Moreover, Lange, originally a catcher by trade, could be brought in from the gardens and used anywhere in case of need, and played all the infield places capably for Chicago at one time or another.
	(Baseball Magazine, August, 1915, pp. 47-48, "Handicaps of the Early Season, by William A. Phelon, pp. 41-50)
John B. Foster, NY sportswriter (1887-1941)	Hugh S. Fullerton in Golfer tells of a remarkable play in base running-yet one not remarkable for Cobb,for, as a friend remarked, "He pulls that stuff all the time. "Mr. Fullerton describes Cobb in a game in Detroit some years ago. "Late in the game,
Editor-in-Chief of the Official Spalding Base Ball Guide(1908-41)	he made a play which opened my eyes. A runner was on second base when a short fly was hit over second into center. Cobb could have handled it without an effort. The second baseman or shortstop could have caught it, but it would have required a fast
NY Giants business manager & secretary (1912-1919)	start. Cobb claimed the catch the instant the ball was hit. "Instead of starting for it at top speed he leaped forward, seemed to hesitate, started slowly and half stopped. Bush, who evidently knew the system, started out hard as if to try to catch the
	ball. Cobb yelled something. Bush stopped and backed up. The ball was falling and Cobb was still lagging. It looked fifty to one the ball would fall safe. The runner on second thought he saw the ball falling, thought Cobb didn't have a chance to make
	the catch and he leaped toward third. As he did so Cobb sprang forward with a wonderful sprint, made a desperate shoe-string catch, came up with the ball and tossed it to second, doubling the runner off the bag. He had made a play where there was none--
	had deliberately plotted to deceive the runner into believing the ball would fall safe, and had risked making a desperate catch to get the chance for a double play." (NL Spalding Baseball Guide, date uncertain)
Hugh Fullerton, Chicago spwr. 1893-1930's	1935 - "Beside being the best base runner and hitter he was a magnificent fielder and a fine thrower until he hurt his arm, but it was his indomitable spirit that made him the leader.
Ban Johnson (Cinc.spwr.,1886-1890) (AL Pres.,'01-27)	1929 - "In addition a great fielder in his prime." (Sporting News, March 14, 1929, pp. 5, column 2)
Jack Kofoed	1925 - "the versatility of Cobb's attack, which proved his keen baseball intelligence - of a higher degree, certainly, than the Sultan's of Swat) - is enough to give him the edge. In the field there can be little room for argument, Ruth is by no means
Phil, NY, Miami spwr. (1912-79)	a poor fielder, but nature did not build him with the ranging power that was given Cobb. He has unquestionably a stronger arm, but Ty has made better use of his, if "assist" averages can be given credence. . . No one can claim that Ty was less than a
	busy man in the field. In this respect he heads Ruth at every department. . . . In addition, he went out, and gobbled flies that the more ponderous Yankee star could never have garnered. . . . But, purely in the business of outfielding, which is the only
	one on which he and Cobb can be compared, he was definitely the Georgian's inferior. . . . On these figures it seems to me that Ty Cobb deserves a higher rating than does Babe Ruth at the top of the baseball ladder."
	(Baseball Magazine, July, 1925, pp. 353-355, "Who Is the Greatest, Cobb or Ruth?", by Jack C. Kofoed)
Joe Sewell,(AL SS,'20-33) Yank coach('33-35) (B.Ruth teammate,'31-34)	1983 - "He was fast, a great outfielder, great hitter, and he was highly intelligent. Don't forget that." (Baseball Digest, 1983)
Ferdinand Cole Lane	1916 - Aty centre all will acknowledge that Ty Cobb is something of a batter, but to give Ty due justice, he would never have been a star of the 1st magnitude as a fielder. He covers much ground, to be sure, but his throwing arm is not particularly
Baseball Magazine, Editor-in Chief & sp. wr. (1910-38)	good. Certainly Ty is not in the same class with Clyde Milan as a fielder, to say nothing of Tris Speaker and several others. Milan is nearly a perfect fielder, probably second only to the peerless Tris. He is also a good batter, but his fielding is
	best. (Baseball Magazine, July, 1916, pp. 38-39, column 2, "Batting or Fielding --- Which?", by Ferdinand C. Lane, pp. 33-41)
Joe Jackson's Fielding (1911-1920)
Ferdinand Cole Lane	1916 - "As a fielder, while not in the same class as Harry Hooper or Clyde Milan, Joe is certainly not poor. In fact, he is very good. Furthermore, his throwing arm is tremendously strong & his speed is great, though not always utilized to the full."
Baseball Magazine, Editor-in Chief & sp. wr. (1910-38)	(Jackson, continued) (Baseball Magazine, 1916, AL All-Star team)
	1916 - "Joe Jackson isn't a wonderful fielder and his throwing arm, although strong, isn't always backed up by equally good judgment in direction. But who would keep a player off the outfield squad with a possible .400 ave. in his bat.?
	(Baseball Magazine, July, pp. 38, column 1, "Batting or Fielding --- Which?, by Ferdinand C. Lane, pp. 33-41)
	1916 - "And he is a fielder with few superiors." (Baseball Magazine, December, 1919, AL All-Star team)
Tris Speaker (AL OF & Man.,'07-28)	1917 - "Joe Jackson has a strong arm but I would say that his aim is not always accurate & that he has not at made the most of this undoubted talent which he possesses."
	(Baseball Magazine, March, 1917, pp. 85, column 3, "Winning the Batting Championship", by Tris Speaker)
Harry Hooper (AL OF, '09-25)	1917 - "Joe Jackson has great natural talents. He is by no means a poor outfielder as some people would have us believe. He is a good one. but it is fair to admit that his forte is in batting rather than fielding." (Baseball Magazine, June, 1917)
George Moriarty, (AL 3B, 1906-17)	1929 - "In the matter of sheer natural ability, I believe Joe Jackson surpassed every outfielder that ever came to the major leagues. That opinion was once ventured by Frank Navin, who happens to be one of the keenest judges of baseball talent under
AL ump (1917-41, except for Detroit manager,1927-28)	the big top. I have never heard Jackson analyzed in that manner before, but after glancing back through the big parade of rookies that have bowed in and out of major league premises, I doubt if any expert can help but concur in that view. Of course,
	Of course, back of that opinion that Jackson stood highest in that one vital respect, it is obvious that he failed to develop his inherent skill. Nevertheless, he had the distinction of being a star by virtue of mechanical ability alone. If he had
	possessed the baseball brain of a Cobb or a Speaker, he might have shared the pedestal with these once super-stars. Jackson's mechanical power was amazing. He was tall, and had a great natural eye which made him a potential batsman. He sprinted over
	the outfield territory with ease and grace in long strides, and rivaled Bob Meusel as a thrower. "Mister Joe" as he preferred to be called, was a dead catch on flies, yet, he made no effort to give a close or scientific exhibition of outfielding. He was
	entirely lacking in initiative, and never resorted to tricks or subterfuge to put something over on the opposition. Jackson should have been one of the greatest base runners in the game, on account of his speed, but the fine points of pilfering were
	foreign to him. By an odd twist of the fates, Jackson just missed becoming a member of the Detroit Tigers when he was a busher. On the day the Detroit ivory-hunter chose to watch the big fellow do his stuff, Joe placidly galloped through nine innings in
	his stocking feet. The searcher of talent immediately concluded that Jackson was too goofy to get by in the big leagues, and left the park in disgust. Jackson later defended his act with the explanation that spiked shoes hurt his feet. The nickname
	"Shoeless Joe" was the result of that unique incident. At the plate one day after he had biffed a long hard foul, the catcher complimented Jackson in this wise: "How do you bust them so hard, Joe?" And the elongated Jackson naively replied,
	"Don't know--I jes' swing, and they go safe." That remark probably reflected Jackson's make-up. He just did things on the ball field, and could give no illuminating reason for it. Jackson's admirers always liked to believe that he was led into the
	Black Sox affair of 1919, and would have followed the straight line of duty if he had been accustomed to self-assertiveness." (Baseball Magazine, Feb. 1929, pp. 430-431, "On the Bench With George Moriarty, by George Moriarty)
Babe Ruth's Fielding (1915-35)
John B. Foster, NY sportswriter (1888-1941)	1938 - "Ruth could make marvelous catches of fly balls that were as spectacular in their cleverness as made by any outfielder playing ball. Especially was this true of those long high flies which, to a slower man, it would have been impossible
Editor-in-Chief of the Official Spalding Base Ball Guide(1908-41)	to get under." (Spalding Official Baseball Guide, 1938, put out in early 1938)
NY Giants business manager & secretary (1912-1919)
Ban Johnson, (AL Pres.,'01-27)	1929 - And then I thought of Cobb, Speaker and Ruth and I discarded all others. These men represent the pick of all-time in any man's league. You simply can't escape them. Cobb is unexcelled-unequaled I should have said. The greatest runner, the
Cinccinnati spwr., 1887-93	greatest hitter and the most powerful attacking force the game ever knew, - In addition a great fielder in his prime. And as to Ruth, well, he is still with us and going at his best. Many believe Ruth just a slugger and a home run showman. That is not
	the truth. Ruth is a great player as well as a great hitter. He is a splendid fielder and a good base runner for his size. He is a better thrower than Cobb was, and Ty was good in his earlier days. He has the baseball instinct, as shown by the fact
	that he has played first base and has pitched, and at each position he has been successful to a high degree. In my opinion, Ruth is not outshone by the other two outfielders named. He is one of the greatest players that ever lived, in my opinion.
	(Sporting News, March 14, 1929, pp. 5, column 2)
George Sisler	1931 - "He is really a great outfielder, one of the greatest. He plays batters correctly, covers a lot more ground than you'd think he'd be able to do with his bulk, and has one of the deadliest throwing arms ever known. Besides, Babe has an accurate
(AL 1B,Man.,'15-28)(NL 1B,'28-30)	baseball judgment and never throws to the wrong base." (Baseball Magazine, April, 193l, pp. 484, "The Greatest Players I Ever Saw, Comprising an interview, by George Sisler, pp. 484-485)
Shirley Povich (Wash. sp.wr.'22-74)	1959 - "As a defensive outfielder he was top-hole despite his great bulk, and his throwing arm was one of the most feared." (Baseball Digest, March, 1959, Washington Post, pp. 42, 43)
Christy Mathewson (NL pitcher,'00-16)	1924 - "Most enthusiasts think of Ruth only as a mighty batsman. As a matter of fact, he is a very finished outfielder with a marvelous throwing arm. . . Ruth plays a hard-hit ball as well as any outfielder in the business. He goes after a ground ball
Cinc.man.('16-17), Giants' coach('19-20), Reds Pres.('23-25)	like an infielder, and for all his size he is a smart and daring base runner. (Collier's, The National Weekly, Oct. 11, 1924, pp.45)
Ed Rumill	1947 - "Few modern fans may realize it, but Babe Ruth was a great outfielder. We mean defensively. The Babe rarely dropped a ball he got his glove on and nobody can remember when he threw to the wrong base. How did he get that way? Not by sitting
(Christian Science Monitor spwr. (1930-72)	around, watching other outfielders practice." (Baseball Magazine, September, 1947)
Joe Wood	1975 - ". . .Ruth?. . . But he wasn't just a great pitcher and a great hitter, he was a great outfielder. His throws were very accurate and he made long throws. He was a good ballplayer. Great ballplayer. (Baseball Research Journal,1987, #16, pp. 54)
AL pitcher & OF ('08-22)	(This was a reproduced 1975 interview by Mark Alvarez)
Hugh Fullerton, (Chicago spwr., 1893-1930's)	1936 - "By common consent, Ruth was the hardest hitter of history; a fine fielder, if not a finished one; an inspired base runner, seeming to do the right thing without thinking. He had the most perfect co-ordination of any human animal I ever knew.
Ferdinand Cole Lane	1923 - "His huge bulk prohibits speed on the bases or in the field. Babe is fast for his size, but that lets him out. Furthermore his fielding at best is fair, if not mediocre. ( Baseball Magazine, June, 1923, pp. 291)
Baseball Magazine, Editor-in Chief (1910-38)	1924 - "Babe Ruth is baseball's greatest drawing card. His all round value, considering his terrific hitting, is perhaps unequaled. But Babe will never see the day when he ranks with Pep Youngs as an outfielder, taking into consideration only the
	playing of that important position. Ruth knows batters and he plays them correctly. He can camp under a high fly as well as the next man. He has one of the greatest throwing arms ever seen in the outfield. But when you have said this, you have said it
	all. Babe is rather clumsy. He isn't specially fast. He's not a great outfielder. Pep Youngs is all these things, and he also has a whip as deadly as a rifle. (Baseball Magazine, June, 1924, pp. 307, Comprising interview with Ross Youngs by F.C. Lane)
	1946 - "But there also were numerous occasions when the Babe made plays which he had craftily thought up beforehand. Such as the day he played left field in Detroit and trapped no less an experienced hand than Charley Gehringer into thinking a fly
	ball had cleared the fence for a homer instead of coming down for an easy out. This was before the present double deck stands had been erected in what then was call Navin Field. There was just a board fence in left and to the Babe one day it occurred
	that with a runner on second it could be possible, with a high fly ball hit out toward left, to fake all the notions of a dejected outfielder who knows a homer is about to sail over his head. So he bided his time and one afternoon it came. With
	Gehringer on second, a high fly soared out to left. The Babe ran back to the fence, looked up at the ball for a moment and then with a motion of utter disgust shrugged his shoulders and cast his eyes on the ground. It was a beautiful piece of acting and
	fooled Gehringer completely. Certain the ball was clearing the fence, the Tiger second baseman headed for home. And in that same moment Ruth darted forward, got his eyes back on that ball and caught it some five feet in front of the fence. Doubling
	up Gehringer at second was then a simple matter. Of course, in order to accomplish the trick an outfielder must be equipped with the gift of being able to take his eye off the ball for an appreciable length of time. But then the effervescent Babe Ruth
	was ever a very gifted hand at anything he tried on a ball field. (Baseball Magazine, 1946)
Tris Speaker(AL OF & Man.,'07-28)	1928 - "I have been asked my opinion of great outfielders I have known. By outfielders I mean solely the ability to play the position quite apart from batting or base running talent. I will say, without hesitation, that Babe Ruth is one of the half dozen greatest outfielders I ever saw.
	This is aside from his slugging ability, which is unrivaled, and his base running ability which is much greater than is commonly supposed. Purely as an outfielder, Babe will rank among the game's greatest. He was not always so.
	When he first shifted from the pitching slab to the outfield, he did not seem to take his work seriously. His thoughts were mainly devoted to his batting. No doubt they still are. But for all that, Babe has become a great outfielder. He covers a lot of ground, primarily because he plays the batter correctly.
	He has a sure pair of hands, a wonderful throwing arm and he always knows exactly what to do with the ball when he gets it. (Baseball Magazine, October, 1928)
Ty as his peers saw him
John McGraw	1930 - His (McGraw's) deepest admiration went out to Ty Cobb, because Cobb was another firebrand always out to win. The first two qualities he looked for were fight and brains because he knew they were game-winners. (Collier's, April 5, 1930)
NL pl (1891-06), exc. '01-02, (Giants man., '02-32)	1930 - "My choice of an all-time, all-star team? I'll tell you: Honus Wagner, shortstop and lead-off man, Ty Cobb in center, Willie Keeler in right field, Babe Ruth in left,batting fourth, Lou Gehrig behind him and at first, Rogers Hornsby at second,
AL man. Balt. 1901-02	Jimmy Collins at third, Roger Bresnahan catching and Christy Mathewson and Walter Johnson pitching. What a team of sweet hitting, sweet fielding, sweet pitching players that would be. I'd include Ruth as a drawing card and a home run hitter, rather
	than as a player. But nothing like that will ever happen in baseball, for every manager will always have one or two weak spots. (Sporting News, Nov. 20, 1930, pp. 7, column 6)
	1931 - …Bob Davis asked John J. (McGraw) who was the best all-around player in the history of the game, and without a moment's hesitation came back with the answer: "Honus Wagner. In my humble opinion, he stands out as the supreme figure. Wagner
	had everything, and when I say that, every baseball fan in the United States knows what I mean. Ty Cobb is a close second. There are a number of other players who have special gifts, but Wagner and Cobb had all the gifts. I doubt if the next generation
	will see their equal." So McGraw's vote is for Wagner. Anson's was for Cobb and Comiskey's was, and is for the Peach. (The Sporting News, March 19, 1931, pp. 4, column 3) by Ernest Lanigan)
	1931 - "Wagner could do everything required of a ball player." said McGraw as he sat in the Giants' dugout in the Polo Grounds. "he had tremendous hands and in addition to his great playing ability, had a wonderful disposition and was easy to handle.
	I'll place Cobb second and Keeler third. Al Simmons is my next pick as I consider him the greatest ball player of the present day. Like Wagner, he is a right-handed hitter of power and can field his position splendidly and throw fast and accurately.
	Simmons is no dumb ball player, either. My own first baseman, Bill Terry, is included in my selection. He is really a great ball player and the best first baseman I have ever seen." (Philadelphia Ledger newspaper, C. William Duncan, late July, 1931)
	(Survey asked 12 major league managers and coaches, who they thought were the 5 greatest all-around baseball players who ever lived.)
Honus Wagner	1909 - "Cobb is the fastest man I have ever seen," he told The Sporting News. "I never thought he could have that much speed. I heard a lot about Cobb, and how fast he was, but he surprised me by the speed he showed on the bases in the World Series.
NL pl. 1897-1917	Cobb is what I call a perfect player. He lacks nothing. There is not a thing a ballplayer should have that Cobb hasn't got, and he's got a bunch of things that no other ballplayer has." (Carnegie Union, Oct.21,1909) A month after the Series had ended,
Pirates coach, 1933-51	Wagner joined Cobb in the fields near Macon, Georgia. The Sporting News quoted Wagner as saying: "I could have had a crack at a ground squirrel or two and perhaps a barnyard chicken, but as for hunting, Georgia won't do. Mr. Cobb is one of the most
	genial gentlemen I have ever met, but there are two things we will never agree on--game and baseball…The South is all right, and Cobb's all right, too, but I wish he hadn't told me about the swell hunting in Georgia." (The Sporting News, Dec.16,1909)
	Undated - "I always liked Ty. He was a fighter and he knew it was a fellow's duty to protect himself out there. Lots of 'em had trouble with Ty, but I never did." (The History of Baseball, by Allison Danzig & Joe Reichler, 1959, pp. 170)
Rogers Hornsby (NL pl.1915-37)	1931 - "Ty Cobb was Hornsby's hero, and this is what he had to say about him: "Of course, I never saw Cobb when I was a kid, because the Tigers didn't ever come to Fort Worth, and I didn't ever get very far from it. But as far back as I can remember, I
ML man. 1926, 28, 30-37 ,52-3, 58-59	wanted to be a great hitter, and I guess there never was a greater hitter than Cobb. So he was my hero and, on account of him,the Tigers were my favorite team, and I followed him and the Tigers through the newspapers every day. I first saw him
	in the spring of 1916, when I was with the Cardinals in training at San Antonio and we went to Waxahachie, where the Tigers trained, to play an exhibition game. I didn't say anything to him and he didn't say anything to me, but I got a thrill
	out of watching him because in those days he was plenty good. He handled a bat like a billiard-cue, and he was on fire every time he got on the bases. Later I got to know him real well, and to like him as much as I thought I would when I was a kid."
	(Baseball Magazine, May, 1931, pp. 347, "They Had Their Heroes, Too", by Frank Graham) (This article was excerpted in Literary Digest, Jan. 2, 1932)
	1961 - "Cobb was the greatest ball player of all time and will never be equaled. Most record books simply talk about his hitting and base stealing. Ty was a tremendous outfielder with a great arm. He was outstanding in everything. Cobb was called a dirty
	ballplayer because he went into a base with his spikes high but he never hurt anybody. It was his way of playing ball. He was a winner all the time. Ty would do anything to win a ball game,
	but when he got off the field, he was a perfect gentleman. He was outstanding in everything." (St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 18, 1961)
	1962 - "Ty Cobb, who in my opinion is the greatest player of all time, still holds the stolen-base record of 96 he set in 1915, the year I came to the major leagues. Now cob--I've played against him in exhibitions and managed against him in the 1921
	Winter League in California when he managed the San Francisco Seals and I managed the Los Angeles Angels. He was a helluva competitor. . . He led the American League in stolen bases 6 times. Led the league in batting 12 times. And, as I've said all
	through this book, he was the greatest player I ever saw.
	Now Babe Ruth. They may have written more about the Babe than about George Washington or Abraham Lincoln. All I can say new about Ruth is that he hit for power--not average--and had a lifetime batting average of .342. Dead ball or lively ball, he'd hit 60
	home runs if they were pitching him softballs." ( My War With Baseball, by Rogers Hornsby, as told to Bill Surface, 1962, pp. 247) (Author's note: Hornsby died Jan.5, 1963)
George Sisler	1931 - "For third place you simply must make room for Ty Cobb. Ty was the most brilliant ballplayer baseball has produced, the most daring, the most spectacular. Ty was poison on the base-paths. He completely disrupted infield defense. At bat he always
(AL 1B, '15-28) (NL 1B, '28-30)	mixed ability with brains. He had the most versatile batting attack on record. I have publicly said many times that Ty was my own batting model, and he was. I tried to learn place hitting by watching him. No one that I ever heard of taught
St. Louis Browns manager, 1924-26	Ty how to bat. But dozens of players owe a good deal of their own batting success to Ty's teaching. (Baseball Magazine, April , 1931, pp. 484, "The Greatest Player I Ever Saw, Comprising an Interview With George Sisler, pp. 483-484)
Boston Braves coach, 1930	1942 - "If you played during the years that he was burning up the league, you cold never forget the Georgian. I know that I never will." (The Sporting News, April 2, 1942, pp. 1, Greatest Player survey) Sporting News mailed out over 100 letters
	to former ML stars & managers. It asked, "Who do you consider the greatest ball player of all time" Why?"
	1956 - "The greatness of Ty Cobb was something that had to be seen, and to see him was to remember him forever." said George Sisler, ("The One and Only Cobb", by David Holland, for American Mercury, Sept., 1956, pp. 104)
	"He was the greatest and most amazing ballplayer I ever saw," attested Hall of Famer George Sisler, himself a candidate for best-ever honors. (Cobb by Alvin Stump, 1994, pp. 28)
Babe Ruth	1931 - Settling on Cobb for center field, the Babe told the Associated Press, "We've got to give it to Ty because of his offensive ability. He was in a class by himself everywhere but on the defense. I would rate Hap Felsch
(AL P, OF, 1915-34)	of the Old White Sox and Tris Speaker far superior to Cobb on the defense. Felsch was a greater ball hawk than Speaker, and what an arm had! (New York Times, January 25, 1931, pp. S1)
Boston Braves OF, 1935	1933 - "Ty Cobb was the greatest all-around ballplayer that he has even seen. Babe Ruth declared in a recent fanning bee, in listing the stars he has seen in action during his long career on the diamond. He placed Napoleon Lajoie first among the
Dodger's coach, 1938	greatest natural hitters, ranking Sam Crawford second and Joe Jackson third. Walter Johnson was his choice of greatest pitcher, with Bob Grove second and Herb Pennock named the smartest. Shucks Pruett, with his screw ball, was credited with giving the
	Babe his greatest trouble at bat." (Sporting News, Feb. 23, 1933, pp. 2, column 7)
	1936 - "The greatest ballplayer I ever saw? Well, I'll have to say Ty Cobb. He could do more with a bat than any player in my time and I don't suppose there ever was a base runner like him. They'll tell you he wasn't much of a fielder, but he was good
	enough. I know he took a lot of base hits away from me out there." March 20, 1936. St. Petersburg - (Joe Williams Baseball Reader by Peter Williams, 1989, pp. 84.)
	1945 - "Babe Ruth Calls Ty the Greatest Player Ever To Don Spikes--New York, Aug. 24 (AP).--Babe Ruth worshippers might be shocked to learn that the old Bambino himself considers Ty Cobb the greatest ball player ever to don spikes. The two ancient
	rivals are on opposing sides again. Cobb having come here from his California home to manage the Western All-Stars against Babe Ruth's Easterners in Esquire's boy's baseball game at the Polo Grounds Tuesday night. "Make no mistake about that," bellowed
	the home-run king. The old boy was the greatest player I ever saw or hope to see. When I was pitching I had fair success against all the other great hitters, but Cobb was one guy I never could get out. I had a reputation as a slugger and I guess I
	could him 'em pretty far at that, but that guy Cobb could do everything -- better than any player I ever saw. Old Georgia Peach was a great hitter, a spectacular fielder, a wonderful thrower and oh boy, how he could run. You think I set a lot of records,"
	the Babe went on, wiping his brow, "why the old boy still owns, how many records is it, Ty? Forty-two?" "They say I used to scare pitchers just by strolling to the plate but those guys always had a remedy for me. Whenever they were afraid I'd knock one
	out of the park, they'd walk me and their worries would be over. But once Cobb got on base then their worries really began. He would upset not only the pitcher or catcher, but the infield as well by going from, first to third on a sacrifice bunt,
	scoring from second on an infield out, taking two bases on an outfield fly and making delayed steals. "One of the biggest thrills I ever got out of baseball was to watch Cobb head into a base. He always reminded me of Man-of-War tearing through the
	homestretch. Fans still talk about the home run I hit in the 1932 World Series off Charlie Root of the Cubs after I pointed to the right-field stands. Well I once remember Cobb beating out 4 bunts down the third base line in one game against
	Billy Bradley, a wonderful third baseman for Cleveland. That was after Cobb warned Bradley he would bunt to him every time he got up. Another time Cobb warned Lou Criger, a great catcher with Boston, that he would steal second, third and home on him
	first chance he got. Well, the first time up, Cobb walked and on three pitches stole second, third and home against the dumbfounded Criger. "Yes, add that
	to the fact Cobb led the league 12 times in 13 years, three times with over .400 averages, finished with a lifetime mark of .367 and tops all hitters in total hits, runs, triples, total bases and stolen bases and you have the greatest player of them all.
	(Washington Post, Aug. 24, 1945, pp. 12)
	1946 - "You can say for me that Ty Cobb was the greatest I ever saw, or ever heard about. Play him towards left center and he'd hit down the right field foul line. If you hugged the foul line he'd hit the ball into left center," Ruth thundered. "When I
	was pitching I'd always make him hit the dirt by throwing the ball at his right ear. He'd get up and try to knock the ball down my throat. When Cobb was on first, I'd count three and throw to second. When I was pitching for the Red Sox, Heinie Wagner was
	our shortstop. Heinie'd block the bag, but Ty would cut him from ankle to knee with his spikes," Babe continued with gusto. "Why, Ty used to trim Home Run Baker's hair with his spikes. I guess they play more polite baseball today. In our day, Ty's and
	mine, the infielders wore felt shin guards." (Baseball Digest, March, 1946, by Al Buck, "Cobb Greatest" vows Ruth, condensed from the New York Post.)
Walter Johnson	1924 - Replying to the writer's query as to whom he considered the greatest all-around player player in the game, the pitcher said: That is a tough question, but if you insist upon an answer, my selection is Ty Cob. My reasons are several. He is one
Wash. Senators pitcher, 1907-27	of the greatest, probably the greatest batter, that ever lived. He is an excellent fielder and a most dangerous base runner. In fact, he is a star of the highest ranking in every department of the game. But the qualifications that I have already
Wash. Senators manager, 1929-32	mentioned are not the only measures of Cobb's usefulness. It is the zest, the never-say-die spirit with which he plays that adds to his usefulness to the team. The fight and fire of his enthusiasm of his play are confusing to his opponents and spur his
	teammates to utmost efforts. In physical and temperamental equipment Ty is unexcelled and these things have put him on a pedestal as a figure that especially appeals to young player.
	(Washington Post, December 28, 1924, pp. SM4, "Walter Johnson's 20 Years On the Mound", as related to him by Lillian Barker)
Cleveland Indians manager, 1933-35	1925 - "In 18 years, I have never had an unfriendly word with Cobb. I consider him one of my best friends. Even when I landed from the wilds of Idaho, a raw and frightened kid, Cobb treated me right."
	"He was always willing to fight to win, but I don't believe Cobb ever picked a fight just for the sake of a row. Leave him alone and treat him right and he is all you expect to find in a well-mannered Southern gentleman. But start something unfair and
	you'll get a fight--whether you're a ballplayer or a taxicab driver! It didn't take me long to size him up as a hot-headed young fellow who didn't mean half the things he said." (Walter Johnson by Henry W. Thomas, 1995, pp. 145)
	1925 - "If you're talking about great players, Ty is in a class by himself." (Baseball Magazine, The Greatest Batters I Have Ever Faced, by Walter Johnson, June, 1925, pp. 291, 292, 327, 329; quote appears on pp. 292)
	(Essential article, discusses Lajoie, Joe Jackson, Speaker, Cobb, Eddie Collins, Frank Baker and of course, Babe Ruth.) I consider this essential reading.
	1929 - "Ty was the smartest player that I ever saw by so great a margin that I won't even bother to think who was second best. And that's credit enough. For brains are just as prominent in baseball as in any other profession. Ty was always about
	three jumps ahead of the crowd. That's what made him such a wonderful star. You could never dope out what he was going to do next. Always, he had you guessing. He had the infield up in the air. He was continually getting the catcher's goat. The
	outfield couldn't lay for Ty. They never knew where he would drive the ball."