a lot of wealthy people leave some or even most of their fortune to charitable organizations when they pass away. there are tax benefits to doing so. I am sure he had difficult relationships with his children, considering his volatile and controlling personality
Your simple mindless comment just screams out how fkn IGNORANT you are! Think about it, in Ty Cobbs day, with black just coming in to integrated baseball almost EVERY white player could be labeled as a "racist" by today's standards but back then colors just weren't mixed IN ANYTHING. I am no scholar but I do have a bachelors in business, I'm 48 years old and I have lived in So CA since 1977. Now a melting pot, back then it was mostly white with Hispanic sections, blacks in and around LA, etc. I have friends, (not just aquaintences), but friends of all backgrounds, and here's an observation: While so often, quite a large number of blacks and Hispanics want to point fingers, cry racism, and generally act like victims of discrimination, Asians, (who are generally way more fresh off the boat) than blacks and Mexicans find a way to profit and prosper. Why is that? Because they work hard, have strong family values, and don't waste their time complaining. We have soooo much more opportunity in the US than anywhere else and if you can't make it here then maybe it is you!
Go to the real sources, his teammates. You can find audio from several of his teammates, and we’re talking his teammates. Cobb was universally disliked, and he didn’t have a friend in the world.
@@MrRufusRToyota Crap. Read Leerhsen's astoundingly researched and cited book, and then come back and tell the world how Cobb was 'universally disliked.' Congratulations, you've been duped.
By coincidence, I just finished "A Terrible Beauty" today. I thought it was an excellent study of Cobb and I appreciate Mr. Leerhsen's 3+ years of work to clear up the misconceptions or flat out lies about him ( I came to really dislike Al Stump). I can highly recommend this book to any baseball fan.
Thank you so much Charles Leerhsen for humanizing my father's boyhood hero. I have always revered Cobb and have been leery of the tall tales of his character. Its about time he gets his fair shake and his difficult, yet normal/typical and or politically correct personality be accepted in today's society. The man should be a national treasure and legend. I hate that he is painted as anything less.
Leerhsen has only replaced one false narrative with another. Yes, Cobb’s “evil” has been exaggerated. But every other biographer- and there have been countless-would describe Cobb as a violent man on the edge, deeply unpopular, and strongly racist.
Agreed. Growing up, I always heard stories about how Ty was such a great and legendary athlete yet such a mean, nasty, violent, and racist monstrousity of a person. I always suspected all of those stories to be a bit exaggerated to the point of bordering on lies and untruths and the more research I did on my own about Ty, the more convinced I was that my initial impression about those stories being exaggerated and potential lies was correct. He wasn't perfect and had his flaws like everyone else but had a lot of good qualities as a person and did many good things including helping many people (including many of the men that he played with in his Major League Baseball days) on the financial front with the fortune that he made from his early investments in companies including Coca-Cola and General Motors. It's a disgrace and travesty that he has been misrepresented and lied about for so long and it's past time and more than fair that the lies and horror stories about him are rectified and he's represented the right way for a change.
when so much myth can be generated and believed about one man who lived only a century ago, it makes you wonder how wrong we are in our assessment of other historical figures going all the way back to antiquity. all it takes is one ill-informed or intentionally untruthful historian somewhere along the line to completely screw up someone's reputation for the rest of time
@Archie Bunger, 66 word comment that I do not understand. If you refer to Cobb's reputation for being a hot-heasded, short fuse who react violently, well, that's true, not the result of an ill-informed or intentionally untruthful historian.
I just finished reading Ty Cobb: A Terrible Beauty and I'm so relieved somebody got the facts straight. I live, eat and breath baseball 365 days a year and still feel that Cobb is the greatest of all time. NOBODY will EVER compare.
Thank you so much for this balanced clip. Many people don't know this, but Cobb supported several retired players who were destitute. Pete Rose had the same determination as Cobb.
@@StoneGone the allegations made my AL Stump, have been proven false. The scum bag tried to smeer a dying man to make money. Ty Cobb was never those things. 5 mins of research would tell you that. You chose to continue to spread lies without any knowledge. 🤡
I agree. I used to love Ken Burns films and docs. Now I think he absolutely owes the Cobb descendants a big apology. How about that writer that started this...Stump?
You have to now. He made that documentary about the civil war and then interrogated by the “woke” about how he felt about slavery, the confederate flag and threw those brave confederate soldiers under the bus. I’m not bragging it’s just a fact but I’m a direct descendant of 6 confederate soldiers and another one was a great great uncle confederate soldier killed at the Battle of Chickamauga. And another traitor is Tweed Roosevelt who is Theodore Roosevelt’s great grandson. He threw the former president under the bus and agreed with the mob that a statue of the president be removed. That’s even more disgusting than Ken Burns betrayal. Theodore and Franklin were great men. I would never throw my great great grandfathers under the bus to appease the mob that only care about their “feelings”. Truth be known, most of them are WHITE derelicts that just pay lip service to black people and just use the color of their skin to advance their evil plans. They don’t give a sh** about black people, gay people or any other minority they only use them to hide behind and play the race card and gay card when it suits them
Leerhsen has only replaced one false narrative with another. Yes, Cobb’s “evil” has been exaggerated. But every other biographer- and there have been countless-would describe Cobb as a violent man on the edge, deeply unpopular, and strongly racist.
Leerhsen's Cobb bio is terrific. He dug much more deeply into the historical records than Ty's previous biographers, so much so that he dismisses some of the bad-Cobb stories beyond doubt and establishes others as dubious. AND CL writes like a bat out of hell upon which grace has descended. Great read.
Leerhsen has only replaced one false narrative with another. Yes, Cobb’s “evil” has been exaggerated. But every other biographer- and there have been countless-would describe Cobb as a violent man on the edge, deeply unpopular, and strongly racist.
In my humble opinion the greatest baseball player of all time. He led the league in every offensive category that mattered at some point. And when you have extreme talent, people take shots at you
Buck O'Neil is on record as saying Ty Cobb was NOT a racist. He played winter ball in Cuba against black players every year. Far from bring a racist he hated everybody because they were going to try to takel his job. His one regret in life was never expressing to Tris Speaker how much he admired and respected him. He was a complicated often misunderstood man. RIP. Mr. Cobb. Your lifetime batting average will never be bettered.
Mr. Leerhsen's book is fantastic. As a lifelong (74 years) Tigers fan, I learned a lot about Ty from my Dad, who saw him play. A pure ballplayer and hitter was Tyrus Raymond Cobb.
This is my first exposure to this 5 minute format to inspire people to learn important details of famous people to read more about. Children need inspiration to perform to be good at something, acquire heroes in life, and to learn of history. Ty Cobb was an important man in baseball history. As stated below, I too wish there was a good documentary of Cobb's life. I'm sure if someone put together sets of film's of his games, those would sell too. A .366 LIFETIME batting average (over more than 20 years) is a tremendous achievement.
I used to be one of those people who believed all the nasty stories about Cobb but since looking into this that this Author started I apologize and will never talk bad about another person again from hear say. I am glad to find out he was not only a great player but a good soul as well.
Leerhsen has only replaced one false narrative with another. Yes, Cobb’s “evil” has been exaggerated. But every other biographer- and there have been countless-would describe Cobb as a violent man on the edge, deeply unpopular, and strongly racist.
Yep, yep. Born in '78. Believed in the lie almost as a given until I recently listened to and read Mr. Charles Leerhsen, here. A true historian with fantastic research skills.
@ just be. Don't be fooled. Most of those early baseballers were racist. That was the sign of the times. I'm sure he didn't want to compete during his playing days. Remember what time period you are looking at.
I am 69 years old I've been a baseball fan for over 60 years I heard all them stories about Ty Cobb he gets a bad rap he was a smart businessman and help help a lot of his former teammates I wish someone would make an accurate movie of him the movie with Tommy Lee Jones was awful thank you for this interview
I learned more about the real Ty Cobb in four-minutes-eleven-seconds than I ever had.before. I DEFINITELY want to read Charles Leehsen's book "Ty Cobb: A Terrible Beauty!!!"
Leerhsen has only replaced one false narrative with another. Yes, Cobb’s “evil” has been exaggerated. But every other biographer- and there have been countless-would describe Cobb as a violent man on the edge, deeply unpopular, and strongly racist.
I read a book about Ty. The book is around here somewhere. What really made me shiver was a story in the book. I think it was about Ty or a teammate where the player had tonsillitis. He went to the doctor like 6 hours before a game. The Doctor cut the tonsils out while he was wide awake without any pain killer. He made it to the game though. Those old timers were a different breed.
The lack of anesthesia may also have been due to the low salaries they made at the time. When money is tight, you have to make difficult choices. Even so, a tough guy.
@@michaelmelen9062 Possibly , but it must have been early in his career because many years he was the highest paid player in MLB, earning $20,000 per year most of the 1910s. $20,000 was a very large amount of money in that decade. I just looked it up and the average income in 1915 was $687 per year.
@@joefaller4525 It was at the start of his career when his mother had shot his farther he was operated on 3 times and a year later the same dentist was put in a mental hospital
Charles, I hope you can maintain your truthfulness, as the purveyors of popular culture don't like those who tell 'like it really is...' I've read TERRIBLE BEAUTY, it is MUST-READ for anyone who loves Baseball or History. Great story, expertly told!
Leerhsen has only replaced one false narrative with another. Yes, Cobb’s “evil” has been exaggerated. But every other biographer- and there have been countless-would describe Cobb as a violent man on the edge, deeply unpopular, and strongly racist.
This was GREAT. At a time where we need something like Baseball to help us forget the economic situation that is on the horizon for all of us, Baseball has become the sport of millionaires. Because of this, it seems like there's no way we can relate to the players, or them with us. Very few times you can watch your favorite team, and see the game played with passion. Its Great to once in a while be reminded of what this game was, and how and why the fans became so faithful. Thank you
I agree that what we think we know about Ty Cobb may be becaused he was stereotyped many years ago. His reputation may have been skewered by those who wanted to besmirch his name in the late 1950's and 1960's. I will pray that if Cobb was an innocent man, that his reputation will be resusitated for good baseball players in future generations, no one deserves a bum wrap.
This is a real story of him-having had a grandfather raised in the Jim Crow South he hated Cobb because Cobb supported EVERYONE'S right to play. Maybe thanks to him we had Aaron, Vaughn, Bonds etc. Thanks for telling the truth S & S.
One comment on the Ruth Cobb debate. When the inital HOF voting took place, Cobb received the most votes. These men saw both guys play. That's good enough for me.
@@bridgmjm -You didn't understand my comment. Seaver was the first person to beat Cobb's 98.2%. Comment had nothing to do with Rivera. Griffey Jr. also beat Seaver's mark but again it has nothing to do with my comment.
@@cornfilledscreamer614 -That is an absolutely dumb comment. Main Stream Media has nothing to do with Hall of Fame voting. The Base Ball Writers Association of America( BBWAA)votes on and inducts the members.
@@cobaltcanarycherry you'd rather hear the bullshit version of things , right? I'm sure it's disappointing for some people to discover that he wasn't actually a racist and a demon. I know how some like to imply that so they can feel better about themselves. It is a habit with people who have the all too common inferiority complex
@@Cincinnatus1869 The book has factual value, which I welcome. I found the style tiresome at times, thus the comment. My family are from Royston and Franklin Springs and knew him personally. It would never occur to any one of those folks to believe a two bit Yankee yellow journalist over the man that brought his money home and spread it around to build the hospital, scholarships and other benefits to his neighbors.
It is hard to argue with his assertion that Cobb was the first baseball celebrity. Perhaps he was, perhaps not. It doesn't really matter because Cobb was undoubtedly one of the first. But the man who changed the game of baseball from a roaring, drunken, violent entertainment to America's pastime was none other than Christy Mathewson. A college man, a non-drinker and a thorough-going gentleman, Mathewson popularized the better elements of the game and ultimately made it possible for a man to bring his wife and children to the ball yard.
The cause of celebrity status is related to scoring runs. Pitchers deserve recognition, but if you ask 100 people to name 5 greatest baseball players of all time, few if any pitchers will be named. This doesn't reduce the importance of pitchers, but it emphasizes the public's recognition of hitters. Sadly, nowadays best batting average is pushed aside for most home runs. LET'S HEAR IT FOR STEROIDS!!!
It was actually TB that got him in the end - his family had a history of TB taking them way too early. And yes, Mathewson was an excellent role model, even serving as the model for a literary pinnacle of athletic perfection (forget the character's name) but he also had a flair for the dramatic, wearing a long leather duster out to the mound, after everyone else was at their position.
I've also heard Cobb was racist for many year's. That he hated black people so I'm not taking this new narrative to heart. Could be a PR stunt to clean-up his image
@@dins5066 the way Cobb lived his life doesn't suggest that he was racist at all . In fact , considering the time and place he grew up in , he was remarkably non racist. His family had been abolitionists in previous generations. Cobb was known to attend Negro League ballgames and at least once he threw out the first pitch at a Negro League game. That doesn't sound like something a racist would do
I recall reading some of Ty Cobb notes on a Life Magazine article at the Elliott Museum in Stuart, FL. In his words, he wrote that Willie Mays was the best of the modern ballplayers and ranked with the best he ever saw (Tris Speaker, etc.). No mention of race, just an appreciation for great baseball.
I've read about 20 books and perhaps 100 articles about Ty Cobb, as well as sifting through various newspaper articles arhived online, and Leehrsen's book is the most accurate account of any of them. I highly recommend it.
Leerhsen has only replaced one false narrative with another. Yes, Cobb’s “evil” has been exaggerated. But EVERY other biographer- and there have been countless-would describe Cobb as a violent man on the edge, deeply unpopular, and strongly racist.
Bryan Cranston could play Ty as he actually was in a film...there could even be a scene with him in a restaurant giving a tip to a black waiter and thanking him for his service.
I visited the Ty Cobb Museum in Royston, GA, several years ago and enjoyed a conversation with the curator. Many of Cobb's descendants and extended family still live in the area, and have long disputed Al Stump's portrayal. Cobb was very generous to his hometown, building a hospital (which has been enlarged a few times) and creating an endowment so that economically disadvantaged students of Georgia could attend college (this fund distributes scholarships to this day). Cobb very publicly supported the integration of major league baseball, and was in particular a great admirer of Jackie Robinson, Roy Campanella and Willie Mays (locally, Ty Cobb's father, state senator William Cobb, was a vocal proponent of equal rights for blacks, which was quite unusual for a rural Georgian of the late 19th/early 20th century). While it's true that Cobb did not have many, if any, close friends during his playing days, not even among teammates, he apparently forged close ties with several other former players following the end of his career, a few of whom attended his funeral but many who sent messages of condolence to his family. As for Al Stump, one must wonder why he never published anything else of note following his Cobb books (the original was published in 1961, but the movie was based on a later edition). Al Stump had already been banned by several newspapers and magazines for writing fiction as fact.
Being a grandson of the South, I've been loathe to believe the charges of racist behavior leveled at Cobb, and one of my deep regrets is that I didn't look beneath the surface of the wildly offensive picture of him painted by the hack sportswriter Al Stump. I'm halfway through "A Terrible Beauty" and I can't believe I was so completely conned regarding Mr. Cobb. I'm so sorry to admit that I fell for the lies, and so delighted to know the truth. Thank you, Charles.
Thank you for spreading the word about this good man and the good he has done. He was a victim of anti-Southerism which was and still is a prevailing attitude amongst the rest of the US.
I always wondered for DECADES why I thought Ty Cobb was the greatest baseball player of all time, and I'm not a real baseball enthusiast (home runs not his fort'e) and now realize late in life why. I guess it boils down to if there was that ONE game that had to be played, and it mattered, and HAD to be won, Ty Cobb would be my all time number one player on that roster, Robert at 66.
Thanks for clearing up the fallacy about Cobb's racism. I like many fell for that party line, read the book, watched the movie, and it hurt because as a child I used to read bios of the greats (mostly written the 50's) and Cobb was one of my favorites. Anyway, thanks.
I'm glad I watched this. I was led to believe Ty Cobb was a merciless racist. Sad some loser writer tried to destroy his character with lies. Hopefully more people will know the truth now
The idea the Cobb’s reputation mainly owes to the snowballing of one scurrilous article is an insult to our intelligence. There are reams of evidence that support the public’s negative perception of Cobb. Biographers want to make a splash. One guy makes a splash by telling us that in reality, our “hero” Joe DiMaggio was a monster. This joker tries to make splash by telling us that in reality the “monster” Cobb has merely been misunderstood. Cobb was an angry, hot-tempered, combative, violent man who had problems with human relationships. This does not mean he was incapable of acts of kindness; life is rarely that simple. In 2021, many of his actions would rightly put him behind bars. And yes, I did read the new book, along with several others. Cobb was an incredible ball player. But you wouldn’t want your daughter to marry him.
he started the first strike when even other teams didn't agree with what a heckler did and cobb did jump into the stands and beat the man or at least hit him. The players supported him enough to start a strike that cobb asked his fellows to go back and play... cobb supported other retired or out of work players and started hospitals and other such things
Fascinating ! I read Ty Cobb became a very wealthy man. I wonder if he invented the Corn Cobb Pipe. They were very popular at one time. Even Gen. Douglas MacArthur smoked one !
Cobb left 25% of his fortune to the Cobb educational foundation which has paid over 15 million in scholarships to needy Georgians. What a guy.
ahah by Georgians I thought you meant people from the country not the state for a minute heh
a lot of wealthy people leave some or even most of their fortune to charitable organizations when they pass away. there are tax benefits to doing so. I am sure he had difficult relationships with his children, considering his volatile and controlling personality
i bet a black person never got one penny of that scholarship money
cobb was a racist.
Your simple mindless comment just screams out how fkn IGNORANT you are! Think about it, in Ty Cobbs day, with black just coming in to integrated baseball almost EVERY white player could be labeled as a "racist" by today's standards but back then colors just weren't mixed IN ANYTHING. I am no scholar but I do have a bachelors in business, I'm 48 years old and I have lived in So CA since 1977. Now a melting pot, back then it was mostly white with Hispanic sections, blacks in and around LA, etc. I have friends, (not just aquaintences), but friends of all backgrounds, and here's an observation: While so often, quite a large number of blacks and Hispanics want to point fingers, cry racism, and generally act like victims of discrimination, Asians, (who are generally way more fresh off the boat) than blacks and Mexicans find a way to profit and prosper. Why is that? Because they work hard, have strong family values, and don't waste their time complaining. We have soooo much more opportunity in the US than anywhere else and if you can't make it here then maybe it is you!
a lot of wealthy people leave some of their money to charity. there is a tax benefit to doing so.
Thanks for getting Cobb RIGHT! Ken Burns did a hatchet job on him because he didn’t go to the sources for his information, merely relying on Stump.
Go to the real sources, his teammates. You can find audio from several of his teammates, and we’re talking his teammates. Cobb was universally disliked, and he didn’t have a friend in the world.
@@MrRufusRToyota Crap. Read Leerhsen's astoundingly researched and cited book, and then come back and tell the world how Cobb was 'universally disliked.' Congratulations, you've been duped.
Ken Burns is a great videographer and story teller. Like Shakespeare, though, he is a terrible historian.
I wish someone would do a proper documentary on Ty Cobb
+Andrew Pacholski that's cool
i want to see the good and the bad cause he's supposed to be one of the greatest of all time top 10
+Andrew Pacholski a part not apart
+Kris Radke this guy. Lel
"I wish someone would do a proper documentary on Ty Cobb" - the Hollywood Communists will never allow it.
It looks like you have the man for the job right in this video.
By coincidence, I just finished "A Terrible Beauty" today. I thought it was an excellent study of Cobb and I appreciate Mr. Leerhsen's 3+ years of work to clear up the misconceptions or flat out lies about him ( I came to really dislike Al Stump). I can highly recommend this book to any baseball fan.
I recently started reading this book. Really has changed my view of the guy.
Thank you so much Charles Leerhsen for humanizing my father's boyhood hero. I have always revered Cobb and have been leery of the tall tales of his character. Its about time he gets his fair shake and his difficult, yet normal/typical and or politically correct personality be accepted in today's society. The man should be a national treasure and legend. I hate that he is painted as anything less.
Ty Cobb was racist.
Leerhsen has only replaced one false narrative with another. Yes, Cobb’s “evil” has been exaggerated. But every other biographer- and there have been countless-would describe Cobb as a violent man on the edge, deeply unpopular, and strongly racist.
Agreed. Growing up, I always heard stories about how Ty was such a great and legendary athlete yet such a mean, nasty, violent, and racist monstrousity of a person. I always suspected all of those stories to be a bit exaggerated to the point of bordering on lies and untruths and the more research I did on my own about Ty, the more convinced I was that my initial impression about those stories being exaggerated and potential lies was correct. He wasn't perfect and had his flaws like everyone else but had a lot of good qualities as a person and did many good things including helping many people (including many of the men that he played with in his Major League Baseball days) on the financial front with the fortune that he made from his early investments in companies including Coca-Cola and General Motors. It's a disgrace and travesty that he has been misrepresented and lied about for so long and it's past time and more than fair that the lies and horror stories about him are rectified and he's represented the right way for a change.
when so much myth can be generated and believed about one man who lived only a century ago, it makes you wonder how wrong we are in our assessment of other historical figures going all the way back to antiquity. all it takes is one ill-informed or intentionally untruthful historian somewhere along the line to completely screw up someone's reputation for the rest of time
Archie Bunger Yup exactly.
@Archie Bunger, 66 word comment that I do not understand. If you refer to Cobb's reputation for being a hot-heasded, short fuse who react violently, well, that's true, not the result of an ill-informed or intentionally untruthful historian.
Lance Baker also racist as fuck.
sounds like you knew him.
quiztimmonds Turned out to be untrue.
I just finished reading Ty Cobb: A Terrible Beauty and I'm so relieved somebody got the facts straight. I live, eat and breath baseball 365 days a year and still feel that Cobb is the greatest of all time. NOBODY will EVER compare.
I'm reading this book now. And enjoying it. Watching Cobb play must have been incredible.
Thank you so much for this balanced clip. Many people don't know this, but Cobb supported several retired players who were destitute.
Pete Rose had the same determination as Cobb.
Did you say Rose supported destitute retired players? I never heard that---proof?
I got to know Dom DiMaggio a little bit, and he always spoke fondly of Cobb.
@@astrobullivant5908 Thanks. Seems Cobb is finally getting his reputation restored.
@@MrTrackman100 I believe he stated Pete had the same DETERMINATION Ty. No proof required.😊
Wow. Thanks.
I just read your book. it was amazingly eye-opening. Ty Cobb has been unfairly maligned for years!
The biggest racist in MLB history
@@TheLuscious So? He was one of the best to ever play.
@@patton3914 so, huh? You’re okay with Cobb being a piece of garbage human being… Got you!
@@StoneGone your not complaining about Joe Bidens racist remarks over a 50 year career
@@StoneGone the allegations made my AL Stump, have been proven false. The scum bag tried to smeer a dying man to make money. Ty Cobb was never those things. 5 mins of research would tell you that. You chose to continue to spread lies without any knowledge. 🤡
Ken Burns owes Ty Coob’s family an apology for his inaccurate portrayal . Now I question everything he produces.
I agree. I used to love Ken Burns films and docs. Now I think he absolutely owes the Cobb descendants a big apology. How about that writer that started this...Stump?
Remember, Burns is a flaming liberal, and those sick people tend to throw that label around incessantly.
@@tikitavi7120Shaddup, bih.
You have to now. He made that documentary about the civil war and then interrogated by the “woke” about how he felt about slavery, the confederate flag and threw those brave confederate soldiers under the bus. I’m not bragging it’s just a fact but I’m a direct descendant of 6 confederate soldiers and another one was a great great uncle confederate soldier killed at the Battle of Chickamauga. And another traitor is Tweed Roosevelt who is Theodore Roosevelt’s great grandson. He threw the former president under the bus and agreed with the mob that a statue of the president be removed. That’s even more disgusting than Ken Burns betrayal. Theodore and Franklin were great men. I would never throw my great great grandfathers under the bus to appease the mob that only care about their “feelings”. Truth be known, most of them are WHITE derelicts that just pay lip service to black people and just use the color of their skin to advance their evil plans. They don’t give a sh** about black people, gay people or any other minority they only use them to hide behind and play the race card and gay card when it suits them
Totally agree.
Thank you Mr Leerhsen for setting the record strait about the greatest baseball player that ever played.
Leerhsen has only replaced one false narrative with another. Yes, Cobb’s “evil” has been exaggerated. But every other biographer- and there have been countless-would describe Cobb as a violent man on the edge, deeply unpopular, and strongly racist.
Thank you for doing this video. I now have renewed respect for Ty Cobb.
Leerhsen's Cobb bio is terrific. He dug much more deeply into the historical records than Ty's previous biographers, so much so that he dismisses some of the bad-Cobb stories beyond doubt and establishes others as dubious.
AND CL writes like a bat out of hell upon which grace has descended. Great read.
Leerhsen has only replaced one false narrative with another. Yes, Cobb’s “evil” has been exaggerated. But every other biographer- and there have been countless-would describe Cobb as a violent man on the edge, deeply unpopular, and strongly racist.
In my humble opinion the greatest baseball player of all time. He led the league in every offensive category that mattered at some point. And when you have extreme talent, people take shots at you
Buck O'Neil is on record as saying Ty Cobb was NOT a racist. He played winter ball in Cuba against black players every year. Far from bring a racist he hated everybody because they were going to try to takel his job. His one regret in life was never expressing to Tris Speaker how much he admired and respected him. He was a complicated often misunderstood man. RIP. Mr. Cobb. Your lifetime batting average will never be bettered.
Great job on the 5. Captivating to watch.
Mr. Leerhsen's book is fantastic. As a lifelong (74 years) Tigers fan, I learned a lot about Ty from my Dad, who saw him play. A pure ballplayer and hitter was Tyrus Raymond Cobb.
This is my first exposure to this 5 minute format to inspire people to learn important details of famous people to read more about. Children need inspiration to perform to be good at something, acquire heroes in life, and to learn of history. Ty Cobb was an important man in baseball history. As stated below, I too wish there was a good documentary of Cobb's life. I'm sure if someone put together sets of film's of his games, those would sell too. A .366 LIFETIME batting average (over more than 20 years) is a tremendous achievement.
I used to be one of those people who believed all the nasty stories about Cobb but since looking into this that this Author started I apologize and will never talk bad about another person again from hear say. I am glad to find out he was not only a great player but a good soul as well.
Leerhsen has only replaced one false narrative with another. Yes, Cobb’s “evil” has been exaggerated. But every other biographer- and there have been countless-would describe Cobb as a violent man on the edge, deeply unpopular, and strongly racist.
Very glad I saw this. I was raised in the 80's and 90's to believe he was a bigot. Shameful lie.
Me too
Yep, yep. Born in '78. Believed in the lie almost as a given until I recently listened to and read Mr. Charles Leerhsen, here. A true historian with fantastic research skills.
Literally never heard anything different until this exact moment
@ just be. Don't be fooled. Most of those early baseballers were racist. That was the sign of the times. I'm sure he didn't want to compete during his playing days. Remember what time period you are looking at.
@@freds.9407 How many years did you play in the majors during the early 20th century?
I am 69 years old I've been a baseball fan for over 60 years I heard all them stories about Ty Cobb he gets a bad rap he was a smart businessman and help help a lot of his former teammates I wish someone would make an accurate movie of him the movie with Tommy Lee Jones was awful thank you for this interview
I learned more about the real Ty Cobb in four-minutes-eleven-seconds than I ever had.before. I DEFINITELY want to read Charles Leehsen's book "Ty Cobb: A Terrible Beauty!!!"
It's a great and informative book.
Leerhsen has only replaced one false narrative with another. Yes, Cobb’s “evil” has been exaggerated. But every other biographer- and there have been countless-would describe Cobb as a violent man on the edge, deeply unpopular, and strongly racist.
Thank you thank you for setting the record straight on Ty!!!
I think Ken Burns needs to rewrite his scathing portrayal of Cobb in his Baseball documentary.
nope, its the truth
Nope. Burns did not do the proper research, as this man did.
@@OneEyedKeys What research did this man do?
@@joeferguson2606 why would you pretend to know that?
@@joeferguson2606
Shut up.
I read a book about Ty. The book is around here somewhere. What really made me shiver was a story in the book. I think it was about Ty or a teammate where the player had tonsillitis. He went to the doctor like 6 hours before a game. The Doctor cut the tonsils out while he was wide awake without any pain killer. He made it to the game though. Those old timers were a different breed.
+AmericanIsraeliJew Thanks for the feedback!
Thank you for your tonsillectomy report.
The lack of anesthesia may also have been due to the low salaries they made at the time. When money is tight, you have to make difficult choices. Even so, a tough guy.
@@michaelmelen9062 Possibly , but it must have been early in his career because many years he was the highest paid player in MLB, earning $20,000 per year most of the 1910s. $20,000 was a very large amount of money in that decade. I just looked it up and the average income in 1915 was $687 per year.
@@joefaller4525 It was at the start of his career when his mother had shot his farther he was operated on 3 times and a year later the same dentist was put in a mental hospital
Charles, I hope you can maintain your truthfulness, as the purveyors of popular culture don't like those who tell 'like it really is...'
I've read TERRIBLE BEAUTY, it is MUST-READ for anyone who loves Baseball or History. Great story, expertly told!
Thanks for the feedback!
I'm reading it right now. Great book and Cobb is becoming one of my favorite historical players!
Thank you for your post, that book I will read!!
@@doublehelix1185 You need to read it. It will make you reconsider everything about Cobb. He should definitely be celebrated!
Leerhsen has only replaced one false narrative with another. Yes, Cobb’s “evil” has been exaggerated. But every other biographer- and there have been countless-would describe Cobb as a violent man on the edge, deeply unpopular, and strongly racist.
60 years ago today you left us.But you still the best ever. From Cuba 🇨🇺 with love.
This was GREAT. At a time where we need something like Baseball to help us forget the economic situation that is on the horizon for all of us, Baseball has become the sport of millionaires. Because of this, it seems like there's no way we can relate to the players, or them with us. Very few times you can watch your favorite team, and see the game played with passion. Its Great to once in a while be reminded of what this game was, and how and why the fans became so faithful. Thank you
Outstanding research. Leerhsen unquestionably deserves a Pulitzer Prize for this!
+jrneobliviscaris Thanks for the feedback!
A Pulitzer Prize for a 4 minute 11 second UA-cam video? There is no category for that.
@@lancebaker3132 honey, for the book. Are you paying attention at all?
This was a phenomenal read. I loved the book so much and recommend it to everyone.
One of my idols. Made the trip to Royston Georgia and it was worth every minute. Greatest Baseball Player ever.
An OUTSTANDING "History in Five"! Thank you
No one can tarnish a good reputation like a writer.
I agree that what we think we know about Ty Cobb may be becaused he was stereotyped many years ago. His reputation may have been skewered by those who wanted to besmirch his name in the late 1950's and 1960's. I will pray that if Cobb was an innocent man, that his reputation will be resusitated for good baseball players in future generations, no one deserves a bum wrap.
This is a real story of him-having had a grandfather raised in the Jim Crow South he hated Cobb because Cobb supported EVERYONE'S right to play. Maybe thanks to him we had Aaron, Vaughn, Bonds etc. Thanks for telling the truth S & S.
The best sports book I have read in years.
Great book. Well documented, interesting and informative.
One and Only.
All the respect to the "Greatest Baseball Player."
Thanks for uploading this video.
Extra sensitive ...exquisitely so ...we're the same Ty ❤
.367/4,191 hits/2,138 Rbi/2,246 Runs scored/54 steals of home/12 batting titles-Amazing
@MANCHESTER UNITED Soccer sucks.
@MANCHESTER UNITED dude why are you posted on every American sport hero? Soccer has never been a American game we know its play around the world
@MANCHESTER UNITED We don't care. Baseball is our game here in America. Stop posting this on every freaking baseball video.
@MANCHESTER UNITED F.C nobody cares about your dumb kid's game
@MAN UTD yes watching games end in a 0-0 tie sure is exciting!
Wonderful segment. Always been a fan of Cobb's and now I really want to buy the book.
One comment on the Ruth Cobb debate. When the inital HOF voting took place, Cobb received the most votes. These men saw both guys play. That's good enough for me.
Cobb held the HOF Induction percentage record of 98.2 for 63 years until Tom Seaver topped it in 1999 with 98.6%.
@@jerrybrownell3633 Don't forget Mariano Rivera 100%
@@bridgmjm -You didn't understand my comment. Seaver was the first person to beat Cobb's 98.2%.
Comment had nothing to do with Rivera. Griffey Jr. also beat Seaver's mark but again it has nothing to do
with my comment.
@@jerrybrownell3633 And the only reason Seaver and Rivera got higher numbers, was because they played in NYC - where the mainstream media is b(i)ased.
@@cornfilledscreamer614 -That is an absolutely dumb comment. Main Stream Media has nothing to do
with Hall of Fame voting. The Base Ball Writers Association of America( BBWAA)votes on and inducts the
members.
Finally, a non-tainted bio of Mr. Tyrus Cobb!
BOOOOOORRRRINNNGGGG.
........Raymond.....
@@cobaltcanarycherry you'd rather hear the bullshit version of things , right? I'm sure it's disappointing for some people to discover that he wasn't actually a racist and a demon. I know how some like to imply that so they can feel better about themselves. It is a habit with people who have the all too common inferiority complex
@@Cincinnatus1869 The book has factual value, which I welcome. I found the style tiresome at times, thus the comment. My family are from Royston and Franklin Springs and knew him personally. It would never occur to any one of those folks to believe a two bit Yankee yellow journalist over the man that brought his money home and spread it around to build the hospital, scholarships and other benefits to his neighbors.
@@cobaltcanarycherry Stumps book has enough baloney to undermine any value as far as I'm concerned
Mr. Leerson, I read your book and found it to be marvelous!
Bullshit, Cobb was a deep south racist all hos life. He was a terrible human being who died lonely, bitter old man.
My favorite player of all time
2Live Ang the greatest hitter ever
why?? he is racist and a terrible human being
Your favorite player that you never saw ever play one game ever but your favorite player all time, mmmkay
@@techdeck2638 lol @ you for believing lies and commenting on videos you clearly didn't watch.
Love ❤️ ty Cobb baseball ⚾️ greatest baseball hitter 😊
Just found you guys ! Been binge watching for real ! Great channel
One of the true greats ever
Legend! As an ex pro ball player,ss, he was my hero growing up!
Yanksfan23 where did you play?
@Duane Allman probably hit .170 in the 2nd chance league,,,haha
❤ty cobb; master baseball ⚾️ hitter
Really master hitting: basestealing; stock market:: etc etc
It is hard to argue with his assertion that Cobb was the first baseball celebrity. Perhaps he was, perhaps not. It doesn't really matter because Cobb was undoubtedly one of the first. But the man who changed the game of baseball from a roaring, drunken, violent entertainment to America's pastime was none other than Christy Mathewson. A college man, a non-drinker and a thorough-going gentleman, Mathewson popularized the better elements of the game and ultimately made it possible for a man to bring his wife and children to the ball yard.
The cause of celebrity status is related to scoring runs. Pitchers deserve recognition, but if you ask 100 people to name 5 greatest baseball players of all time, few if any pitchers will be named. This doesn't reduce the importance of pitchers, but it emphasizes the public's recognition of hitters. Sadly, nowadays best batting average is pushed aside for most home runs. LET'S HEAR IT FOR STEROIDS!!!
It was actually TB that got him in the end - his family had a history of TB taking them way too early. And yes, Mathewson was an excellent role model, even serving as the model for a literary pinnacle of athletic perfection (forget the character's name) but he also had a flair for the dramatic, wearing a long leather duster out to the mound, after everyone else was at their position.
John L. Sullivan
Thanks for being so positive about Ty Cobb,
Your book Mr. Leerhsen was one of My Favorites. well written and informative
Starts for me in center on my all time.'Nuff said.
Same.
Willie Mays starts in center field on my all time team. However, when it comes to dead ball era players, very few come close to Cobb.
@@Jacobthekid28
Cobb said he'd pay to watch Willie.
I actually DID! Willie's the best!
You couldn't miss with a number of players. My list(of the top of my head) is Charleston, Mays, Cobb, Trout, DiMaggio, Griffey Jr., and Mantle.
59 years ago you left us today....God bless you...From Cuba with love....
No one could get his hits but rose,and pete needed 2,600 more at bats.Never be another Ty Cobb.
Pete wasnt a racist.
Would've loved to seen a younger ichiro give it a shot. We missed a lot of good years from him playing in japan
@@joeferguson2606 why do you think Cobb was? His actions suggest just the opposite
I've also heard Cobb was racist for many year's. That he hated black people so I'm not taking this new narrative to heart. Could be a PR stunt to clean-up his image
@@dins5066 the way Cobb lived his life doesn't suggest that he was racist at all . In fact , considering the time and place he grew up in , he was remarkably non racist. His family had been abolitionists in previous generations. Cobb was known to attend Negro League ballgames and at least once he threw out the first pitch at a Negro League game. That doesn't sound like something a racist would do
I recall reading some of Ty Cobb notes on a Life Magazine article at the Elliott Museum in Stuart, FL. In his words, he wrote that Willie Mays was the best of the modern ballplayers and ranked with the best he ever saw (Tris Speaker, etc.). No mention of race, just an appreciation for great baseball.
I've read about 20 books and perhaps 100 articles about Ty Cobb, as well as sifting through various newspaper articles arhived online, and Leehrsen's book is the most accurate account of any of them. I highly recommend it.
How do you know which stories are accurate and which aren't? I'm not being sarcastic. How do we know which stories to believe
If I was starting an all time team I'd start with Ty Cobb and Pete Rose.
Cobb yes..Rose no. Insert Stan musial.
I routinely recommend this book, often on UA-cam posts that include some mention of Cobb. Fantastic book.
Finally! Someone who speaks the truth about the great Ty Cobb!
He was a great man. I'm glad there is videos like this out there that are truthful.
Leerhsen has only replaced one false narrative with another. Yes, Cobb’s “evil” has been exaggerated. But EVERY other biographer- and there have been countless-would describe Cobb as a violent man on the edge, deeply unpopular, and strongly racist.
Rickey Henderson was a mental hazard for opposing players too with a few records.
Thoughtful selection of 5 salient facts of Cobb’s legacy.
TY. My grandfather who was born in 1899 said Ty Cob was the best ball player of all time.
Bryan Cranston could play Ty as he actually was in a film...there could even be a scene with him in a restaurant giving a tip to a black waiter and thanking him for his service.
Thank you so much for thee information on Cobb.
I visited the Ty Cobb Museum in Royston, GA, several years ago and enjoyed a conversation with the curator. Many of Cobb's descendants and extended family still live in the area, and have long disputed Al Stump's portrayal. Cobb was very generous to his hometown, building a hospital (which has been enlarged a few times) and creating an endowment so that economically disadvantaged students of Georgia could attend college (this fund distributes scholarships to this day). Cobb very publicly supported the integration of major league baseball, and was in particular a great admirer of Jackie Robinson, Roy Campanella and Willie Mays (locally, Ty Cobb's father, state senator William Cobb, was a vocal proponent of equal rights for blacks, which was quite unusual for a rural Georgian of the late 19th/early 20th century). While it's true that Cobb did not have many, if any, close friends during his playing days, not even among teammates, he apparently forged close ties with several other former players following the end of his career, a few of whom attended his funeral but many who sent messages of condolence to his family. As for Al Stump, one must wonder why he never published anything else of note following his Cobb books (the original was published in 1961, but the movie was based on a later edition). Al Stump had already been banned by several newspapers and magazines for writing fiction as fact.
Ty Cobb-Greatest Center Fielder of all-time. Starts for me at that position.
Beelzebub Me,As Well.
Beelzebub Same Here,Bro.
Beelzebub Yep,Same.
Beelzebub Yeah.If I Did Not Start Cobb,It Would Be Speaker.
Beelzebub Yes,Same.Cobb Had No Equal,When You Combine His Offense With His Defense.
Being a grandson of the South, I've been loathe to believe the charges of racist behavior leveled at Cobb, and one of my deep regrets is that I didn't look beneath the surface of the wildly offensive picture of him painted by the hack sportswriter Al Stump. I'm halfway through "A Terrible Beauty" and I can't believe I was so completely conned regarding Mr. Cobb. I'm so sorry to admit that I fell for the lies, and so delighted to know the truth. Thank you, Charles.
sup I am his great great grandson
Ken4Pyro wow you're related to ty Cobb ?
@@jaybrick8973 No, I'm not, that was the remark of the other person who replied.
Nice video about a classic great.
I enjoyed watching this. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for spreading the word about this good man and the good he has done. He was a victim of anti-Southerism which was and still is a prevailing attitude amongst the rest of the US.
Its always Great to Hear the Truth!
Cobb-An unbelievable ballpalyer!
Ty Cobb best ball player of all time !!! Hands down !!!
I always wondered for DECADES why I thought Ty Cobb was the greatest baseball player of all time, and I'm not a real baseball enthusiast (home runs not his fort'e) and now realize late in life why. I guess it boils down to if there was that ONE game that had to be played, and it mattered, and HAD to be won, Ty Cobb would be my all time number one player on that roster, Robert at 66.
Good 5 minutes of excellent information
A book that tells the truth about Cobb. Long overdue.
Thanks for informing me that Ty Cobb was not a racist, these so-called baseball historians should owe us an apology for their lies.
Cobb had more records than any sports star,save for Ruth.What a player.
So true.
Baseball star you mean?
He has a more impressive record than Ruth
Ty cobb owned the baseball records book in his hand
You can't compare him or the babe compare to the players today the game is faster player's are bigger and parks are bigger.
Thank you, sir. I read your book, the definitive story of s great ball player and man…
Wow - I grew up with the image of Ty Cobb as a horrible racist. Thank you for setting the record straight. Tigers forever!
The Babe Greatest Player ever! Great pitcher then Great Hitter
This looks like a great book - as well as doing a great service to rectify the historical record.
Now you can see proof of the old adage: the judgement of history depends on who writes it.
Very instructive about how myths can grow to become universally accepted truths.
Thanks for clearing up the fallacy about Cobb's racism. I like many fell for that party line, read the book, watched the movie, and it hurt because as a child I used to read bios of the greats (mostly written the 50's) and Cobb was one of my favorites. Anyway, thanks.
Not sure that Cobb being the first sport’s celebrity. I’d say it was John L. Sullivan. It’s subjective, of course.
I'm glad I watched this. I was led to believe Ty Cobb was a merciless racist. Sad some loser writer tried to destroy his character with lies. Hopefully more people will know the truth now
The idea the Cobb’s reputation mainly owes to the snowballing of one scurrilous article is an insult to our intelligence. There are reams of evidence that support the public’s negative perception of Cobb. Biographers want to make a splash. One guy makes a splash by telling us that in reality, our “hero” Joe DiMaggio was a monster. This joker tries to make splash by telling us that in reality the “monster” Cobb has merely been misunderstood. Cobb was an angry, hot-tempered, combative, violent man who had problems with human relationships. This does not mean he was incapable of acts of kindness; life is rarely that simple. In 2021, many of his actions would rightly put him behind bars. And yes, I did read the new book, along with several others. Cobb was an incredible ball player. But you wouldn’t want your daughter to marry him.
You wrote a interesting and fact filled book. Thank you.
When asked why he'd only hit .300 against pitchers in 1959: "You've got to remember, I'm seventy-three now." Ty Cobb
There will never be another, like the one and only Georgia Peach, Tyrus Raymond Cobb.
Ty cobb & pete rose original 4000 hits baseball players ; no more 4000 hitters
Cobb's batting average was actually .367.
It was re-evaluated to .366 several years ago.
+NoGoodBoyo1000 Oh brother! Revisionism strikes again! 😒
Yeah, they took two hits away from his 1910 season total.
+NoGoodBoyo1000 GEEZ!!!!! 😤😤😤😤😤 These sports nerds ruin everything, don't they? 😠
+Dario Witer I don't know if I should agree, seeing as how I likely am one! But yeah.
Cobb Was The Greatest,Save For Ruth.
CATITUDE Agree 100 %
CATITUDE Oh,Yeah.No One Else Got The Records They Had.
CATITUDE Gotta Say Yes On That One.
And Mays
Where did you get this
he started the first strike when even other teams didn't agree with what a heckler did and cobb did jump into the stands and beat the man or at least hit him. The players supported him enough to start a strike that cobb asked his fellows to go back and play... cobb supported other retired or out of work players and started hospitals and other such things
that man had no arms
Which hospitals did he start???
That fight took place in 1912, two years before Babe Ruth played his first Major League season.
Check out The Ty Cobb Healthcare System in Royston, Ga.
Reply
Cobb's daddy was colored
Fascinating. will buy this book...terrible they way this man was slandered.
Thank you. This is so true and so kind of you to post it.
Fascinating ! I read Ty Cobb became a very wealthy man. I wonder if he invented the Corn Cobb Pipe. They were very popular at one time. Even Gen. Douglas MacArthur smoked one !
Thank you Charles.