Ty Cobb is irrefutably one of baseball’s most polarizing players. While there is no doubt that the legendary Tiger’s centerfielder is one of the sport’s greatest figures, his divisive personality is what defines his legacy to most fans. For every on-field accolade he received, there seems to be a polemic that accompanies it. Most fans are more likely to recall the story about the time he beat up a heckler who had lost his hands in an industrial accident than they are to name Cobb’s career achievements. When a fan cried out to Cobb about the man’s disability to urge him to refrain from violence, the Georgia Peach replied with an excoriating retort that proved he was anything but sweet, yelling “I don’t care if he got no feet!”
Though it would come to stain his reputation, his fiery attitude led Cobb to ascend to unparalleled heights. He still holds the all-time record for the highest batting average in history as a .367 career hitter. Until Pete Rose broke the record in 1985, Cobb also had the most hits in the history of the sport. His legacy was cemented in stone when Cobb was awarded the most votes in the inaugural Baseball Hall of Fame class of 1936, receiving more than even Babe Ruth. Though the evolution of the baseball from the Deadball Era to the sabermetrically driven game of today has brought drastic changes to the sport, Cobb is still impossible to exclude from a shortlist of the best players to ever swing a bat.
This 1902-1911 W600 Sporting Life Cabinet Ty Cobb Rookie Card is an artifact that is as important to the history of baseball as the player himself. Released in 1907, this rookie card was part of a set that has been preserved for over a century. The W600 set even predates the famous T206 cards that were released from 1909-1911. In fact, the image taken for his rookie card was used on the T206 of Cobb that would follow in its footsteps. This particular card has stood the test of time, evaluated as being in Vg-Ex+ condition by authenticators. Robert Edward Auctions will be taking bids on this piece of historic memorabilia, which is worthy of a place in Cooperstown itself.