Ty Cobb

Inducted into the Michigan Baseball Hall of Fame in 2017.

When he died in 1961, his estate was worth approximately $12 million, $10 million in General Motors Stock, and nearly $2 million in Coca-Cola stock. He left 25% of his estate to the Ty Cobb Educational Foundation, with the remainder divided among his children and grandchildren.

The first player inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. [1939]

Member of the inaugural class voted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936. Induction ceremony was held in 1939 for the first four classes.

When he retired in 1928, he had set 90 MLB records.

Could not stand Babe Ruth's power at the plate, maintaining that "any fool with a stick could hit it over the fence." He finally decided to prove this in 1925, at the age of 39, when the Tigers met the Yankees in Detroit. "Just this once, I'm swinging for the fences. No science." Ruth went 3 for 4 with one home run. Cobb went 6 for 6 with three home runs, two doubles, and a single, plus 3 stolen bases.

In 1924, he lent his name to endorse General Motors Automobiles for a fee of $25,000 per year.

In 1922 he appeared in a "See-How Movie Viewer" which was a movie in a box. The viewer showed an image of Cobb sliding into base. The plastic baseball-shaped viewer shows a 16mm film of Major Leagues instructing viewers on all aspects of the game. The film was complied and produced by Leslie Mann.

Former teammate Dutch Leonard claimed that he, Cobb, Smokey Joe Wood and Tris Speaker fixed a 1919 Detroit Tigers - Cleveland Indians game. Kenesaw M. Landis later exonerated the players. However, many believed Leonard and thought Landis ruled as he did because he didn't want another gambling scandal to taint baseball.

In 1918, he borrowed $10,800 to purchase 300 shares of Coca-Cola stock. He acquired additional shares of Coca-Cola over the years, eventually owning 24,000 shares. During his lifetime, he earned over $4 million from his investment in Coca-Cola. His initial investment would be worth over $1.6 billion in today's terms.

He was an actor, known for Somewhere in Georgia (1917), The Baseball Revue of 1917 (1917) and Ty Cobb and Grantland Rice Talk Things Over (1930). He was married to Frances Fairbairn Cass and Charlotte Lombard.

In 1916 he was the first athlete to star in a commercial motion picture, Somewhere in Georgia.

Has been the author of three books: 1914 Busting 'Em 1925 Memoirs of Twenty Years in Baseball 1961 My Life in Baseball

After he hit a fan in 1912, his fellow team members went on strike, and the Tigers' owner had to bring in nine fans from out of the crowd to replace them; the volunteers lost 24-2 in seven innings. One of them had a name so long that the scorekeeper abbreviated it to "L'n'h'sr." This man's true identity remains unknown to this day, and thus Cobb is responsible for one of the all-time great baseball mysteries.

1911 American League MVP. Finished 7th in voting for same award in 1912.

In 1909, he used his earnings from that year's World Series to invest in a copper mine in Bisbee, Arizona. He bought stock in the mine for $3 per share, and later sold his interest for $1,000 per share. In an era when the best players were earning $6,000 per year, he was worth in excess of $300,000.

Member of 1907-1909 American League Champion Detroit Tigers teams.

In 1906, Cobb had a nervous breakdown and entered a sanitarium.

Played for the American League's Detroit Tigers (1905-1926) and Philadelphia Athletics (1927-1928).

Ty Cobb was born on December 18, 1886 in Narrows, Georgia, USA as Tyrus Raymond Cobb.