Ty:

The Early Years

Ty could be called a typical southern boy at the turn of the century. He was indoctrinated in the ways of the southern gentleman at an early age, and lived up to those standards for much of his life, with only a few lapses because of his exposure to the corrupting influence of early 20^th century major league baseball.

Ty was a very competitive young boy and would stop at nothing to win. He said in his autobiography that "I was a man who saw no point in losing, if I could win" (Cobb, 280). His competitive fire showed in whatever he did—at school, at home, or on the baseball field.

Young Cobb as a Royston Red

Young Cobb with the Royston Reds, bottom row, left.

Like many American boys at the time, Ty spent a great deal of his time playing baseball, much to the dismay of his father. He claimed he started to play "because I loved the competition, the matching of muscle and wits. It was a joust and a challenge" (Cobb, 21). When Ty began to play organized ball, he started with the local Royston team for boys, the Rompers.

Baseball was played with a much different temperment then than it is today. Cobb writes in his autobiography that "it was as gentlemanly as a kick in the crotch" (41), not the sort of environment for son of a Baptist schoolteacher who didn't drink, smoke, swear or chase women. Yet its allure was too strong. "Once an athlete feels the peculiar thrill that goes with victory and public praise, he's bewitched. He can never get away from it" (Cobb, 42). He applied himself fully to baseball, and his talent was quickly noticed by the team of older boys with whom he soon began to play, the Royston Reds.

When young Ty wasn't playing baseball in the summer, he would be in North Carolina with his Grandad Johnny Cobb. Ty's grandfather taught him to hunt and live in the woods and appreciate the excitement of the outdoors. Ty's love of hunting carried with him to the end of his days, despite a hunting accident which left a .22 slug embedded in his shoulder for the rest of his life. He had leaned a rifle against a tree, but when it fell and discharged, it hit him in the shoulder. The doctors were unable to find the bullet, and so they sewed him up, a decision which apparently had no ill effects in the long run.

Growing tired of baseball in Royston and confident in his ability, he wrote to the managers of clubs in the South Atlantic League (Sally League), at the bottom rung of Organized Baseball, in the winter of 1903/04. The only response came from Con Strouthers, the manager of the Augusta Tourists. Strouthers offered Cobb a tryout if he paid his own expenses.

The task now lay before Cobb to secure the approval of his father to do the thing that Ty wanted most and W.H. wanted least. Ty first approached his mother, who gave her blessing but said nothing to W.H. Then, the night before he was scheduled to leave for Augusta, he spoke to his father. W.H. did not approve and implored Ty to stay. Ty persisted, and eventually W.H. relented. He admonished Ty:

"You've chosen. So be it, son. Go get it out of your system, and let us hear from you" (Cobb, 45).

He sent him off with 6 checks for $15 each and wished him luck.

Thus began Ty's journey into professional baseball.