How Cobb Played the Game

Part 2: His Fielding Abilities

Cobb improved his fielding steadily throughout his career, especially after his first two seasons. In 1907, he collected 30 outfield assists, his career high. Not only did he throw out runners at second, third and home, but he also managed to throw out a few runners who failed to hustle to base on balls hit to the outfield. Time claims that he once threw out three runners at first in one game (28 July 1961, 62).

He used the momentum from charging ground balls and running up to catch fly balls to generate stronger throws to the infield, practices which seem to have made him a better outfielder.

Cobb had essentially mastered the outfield, but in 1913, due to a knee injury that had kept him out of action for a few weeks, he talked Hughie Jennings into letting him play second base, just to get into the lineup. That was the only trial for him at second base, as he made three errors in five chances, and proved to one writer that he was "the worst second baseman living or dead" (Alexander, 114).