For all of his celebrity as one of the best and most famous baseball players in history, people have a far better understanding of Ty Cobb the athlete vs. Ty Cobb the man. Sure, on the field, Cobb was boldly unapologetic throughout his career in doing whatever it took to win a game. "The base paths belonged to me, the runner," he said, "The rules gave me the right. I always went into a bag full speed, feet first. I had sharp spikes on my shoes. If the baseman stood where he had no business to be and got hurt, that was his fault." There's no doubt that Cobb wasn't making any friends on the field of battle, but off the diamond, Cobb was an accommodating figure to fans.
Presented is the very finest single-signed baseball that we have ever offered (or seen for that matter) featuring the 12-time batting champion, penned while still playing for the Detroit Tigers. A wonderfully bold signature to the left of the OAL (Johnson) stamp and accompanied by the date June 24 -25, an off-day for the Tigers (Cobb would hit a home run the next day). Perhaps Cobb was playing with a chip on his shoulder as the 38-year old legend had taken a lot of heat from the press, who thought he might be losing a step by batting "only .338" the previous season. Cobb certainly put the media in their place, returning to post a career-best 12 homers, driving in 102, and batting .378, the kind of numbers Cobb had posted his whole career.
A very light layer of shellac encompasses the sphere, giving it a slight toning color but adding an attractive shine to the surface that intensifies the Cobb signature and date. The Official Reach stamp is fresh out of the box bold--a rare combination of strong signature and stampings (you usually get one or the other--even on the nicest examples). A truly stunning piece that traces directly back to the heyday of the great Ty Cobb, and we can't emphasize enough how special this museum-quality piece is! Accompanied by a full Letter of Authenticity from James Spence Authentication (JSA).