Excellent new book....COBB vs RUTH
 

Posted By: <b>Ted Zanidakis</b><p>This book is very timely, with respect to the recent thought-provoking thread on this forum<br /> posted by Frank Wakefield...."Best/Greatest baseball player ever".<br /><br />Written by Tom Stanton, TY AND THE BABE details the fierce rivalry between Cobb and Ruth<br /> during the 1915-1925 era. It is a fair and balanced treatment of this rivalry, which actually<br /> resulted in both players, playing their best. Especially fascinating is the chapter titled "War <br />of 1921"....Cobb's first year as the playing/manager of the Detroit "Ty-gers".<br /><br />After reading this book, I gained a better understanding of a 1942 poll of which Frank Wake-<br />field cited in his thread regarding Cobb's contemporaries (Ban Johnson, Walter Johnson‚ Con-<br />nie Mack, George Sisler, Tris Speaker‚ etc.) favoring Cobb over any other HOFer. Prior to 1919,<br /> Cobb's "small-ball" style of play was the game of the day....and indeed, Cobb was the best<br /> there was. Most of his contemporaries were accustomed to this style of play. And, although<br /> many disliked Cobb, they still acknowledged that Cobb was the "greatest" in the game.<br /><br />Then came 1919, Ruth, with his "long-ball" style and his flamboyant ways were a real dramatic<br /> change. Most of the old-school players & managers considered this (power vs a thinking-man's<br /> game) as a "corruption" of the game (as they knew it). Some never adjusted to this change;<br />however, one player that adjusted was Cobb, as he started hitting more HR's in 1921.<br /><br />The Appendix highlights Cobb vs Ruth....game by game (200+ ga.), starting from May 11, 1915<br /> to Sept. 11, 1928.<br /><br />If you haven't already read this book....try it. It is well written and this Cobb vs Ruth story has<br /> a happy ending. <br /><br /><br /><img src="http://www.freephotoserver.com/v001/tedzan/bookcobbandruth.jpg"><br /><br /><br />TED Z

Excellent new book....COBB vs RUTH
 

Posted By: <b>Frank Wakefield</b><p>Thanks for posting this!!! Now to get it, then wedge it into my reading pile beside the bed...

Excellent new book....COBB vs RUTH
 

Posted By: <b>Jeff Lichtman</b><p>Ted, if I recall, Cobb whipped Ruth in that golf tournament! Babe probably had 19 beers the night before while Cobb trained for a month just to beat him.

Excellent new book....COBB vs RUTH
 

Posted By: <b>barry arnold</b><p>many thanks for the recommendation, TRex.<br />i'm in the process of going through Alexander's Ty Cobb,Stump's Cobb,<br />and Montville's The Big Bam again and will make sure this new volume<br />becomes the icing on the cake.<br /><br />all the best,<br /><br />barry

Excellent new book....COBB vs RUTH
 

Posted By: <b>Ted Zanidakis</b><p>Once you turn the page upon getting this book, you wont put it down. I started reading it at Borders this past Saturday,<br />and my wife realized that the only way she was going to get me out of there was to buy it for me.<br /><br />TED Z

Excellent new book....COBB vs RUTH
 

Posted By: <b>Craig W</b><p>There are a lot of copies on eBay under $20 (incl S&H). I just ordered mine thanks to Ted's review.

Excellent new book....COBB vs RUTH
 

Posted By: <b>boxingcardman</b><p>4-5 rounds, by KO. He's going to be much nastier inside unless he gets DQ'd for biting Babe's ear off. <br><br>Sic Gorgiamus Allos Subjectatos Nunc

Excellent new book....COBB vs RUTH
 

Posted By: <b>Ted Zanidakis</b><p>...."Cobb whipped Ruth" ! ?....Which Golf tournament ?....What are you talking about ? <img src="/images/happy.gif" height=14 width=14><br /><br />Actually, they had three Golf matches in 1941......<br /><br />1st.....Newton, Mass...........Cobb 81....Ruth 83<br />2nd.....Fresh Meadow, NY.....Ruth 90....Cobb 91<br />3rd.....Grosse Ile, Mich.........Cobb 78....Ruth 81<br /><br />Here's my guy....looking good in his golfing outfit....and, Ruth looks like he could still hit some<br /> more 600 foot HR's.<br />Let's see a golfing pix of your guy....Cobb.<br /><br /> <br /><br /><img src="http://www.freephotoserver.com/v001/tedzan/ababeruthgolf.jpg"><br /><br /><br />TED Z

Excellent new book....COBB vs RUTH
 

Posted By: <b>Jeff Lichtman</b><p>Ted, I just finished reading a bio on Cobb -- I'll get some particulars and post it on here. The golf matches were a small part of the Alexander bio but very interesting.

Excellent new book....COBB vs RUTH
 

Posted By: <b>Ted Zanidakis</b><p>Sounds like you are also interested in the golf playing days of these two giants. Then, I highly recommend<br /> this book to you. The last 10 chapters of this book's 30 chapters are devoted to their golfing days and their <br />three golf matches.<br /><br />Another aspect that you might appreciate....Stanton is quite kind to Cobb. He alludes to Al Stump's "merci-<br />less biography" and the follow up movie, COBB; as the begining of Cobb's reputation plummenting. And, fur-<br />thered by such movies as the Field of Dreams.<br /><br />One chapter is devoted to Cobb's influence in Joe DiMaggio's early playing days in the PCL. Furthermore,<br /> Cobb (on the QT) was very instrumental when Joe D. was negotiating his Yankee contract with Ed Barrow.<br /><br />TED Z

Excellent new book....COBB vs RUTH
 

Posted By: <b>Brian Macdonald</b><p>While on the topic of Babe Ruth, can anyone recommend a good biography?

Excellent new book....COBB vs RUTH
 

Posted By: <b>Jeff Lichtman</b><p>Brian, although I have not yet read it, I understand that "The Big Bam" by Leigh Montville is a very good bio.<br /><br />Ted, just ordered the Cobb/Ruth book on Amazon. <br /><br />Ted: I loved the Stump bio though it did paint Cobb as a psycho -- but he probably was! I just finished Charles Alexander's bio of Cobb which is evenhanded. According to his book, Stump's was a bit exaggerated. But unlike Alexander, Stump had first-hand info on Cobb.