Some confused fans at the games tonight

.367. That is one of those hallowed numbers for me, just like #56 or #4256.

"what do you think Ty Cobb would hit today?"

"oh, I don't know, maybe .320"

"that low?"

"well, you have to consider, he has been dead for 20 years now"

Not sure who said that. Might've been Ted Williams.

That's just the way I remember hearing or reading about it. Either way, it was never proven, but I think the biggest extent of the crime with regards to Cobb was just being a suspect. I wouldn't put it past him though, and I could be wrong, just what I remember.

And steal home.

And that quote from Field of Dreams was classic!

It was, and while it can't really be forgiven by moral standards, it could be better understood.

He played to win, and in the end, that's what you're supposed to do. His standards were low, and he was one of if not the biggest jerk of all-time in baseball, but man could he hit. 

Babe Ruth even said, "Ty Cobb is a P***k, but he sure can hit. God Almighty, that man can hit."

Ha I remember that quote 14 straight!

They asked Ted Williams what he would hit today (I guess it was like 1980's or 1990's when Teddy was getting up there in age). His response was .320. They said that low..he said remember I am like 70-80 years old... Hilarious!

Love the story about Williams hitting foul balls so hard that you could smell the wood of his bat burning in the front rows....wow love stuff like that.

Cobb was certainly a great player in his time (and in any time). Now it is getting a bit late...and I am not sure if I have this right, but I believe I do. Cobb purchased large amounts of stock in a new young company (Coca-Cola) and left that to his son I believe. That turned out to be a pretty good deal I think...

Funny story, and it plays into what I'm about to write.

If you read his book, Cobb was very bitter about how MLB "juiced" the baseballs after Babe Ruth came on to the scene. He called them "rabit balls". Anyway, he refused to be that type of player(home run hitter) and stuck to his game as a "punch and judy" type. One day he was taking some crap from reporters about never hitting homers, and he said "What? Hitting home runs is easy.". The reporters, as you can imagine, doubted that statement. "alright, I''ll show you. I'm going to go out there today to hit home runs". In the double header they had that day, he hit 3 homers. That's how good Ty Cobb was. That story is off on a few details, I'm sure, but you get the point.

That story about Cobb sorta sounds like Ichiro Suzuki today. He could hit a bundle of HRs, but hits for average instead (please do not confuse this as a comparison bw the two because that would be insane...).

Lots of changes during that time of the game. More baseballs were used in a game so they wouldn't be so dirty and difficult for the hitters to see (after a player died when he was hit in the head with a pitch). These new balls were easier to hit by most estimations.

If you want to learn a lot about the history of the game check out Ken Burn's documentary on PBS (on sale on DVD now) called Baseball. It has 9 innings (each about an hour long) which explains the history and great stories of players of the different eras. Really an impressive series (not to mention his great works on the Civil War and WWII...but I digress again...).

I own it. Got it as a gift. Only watched a few innings, but what i watched was good. Really need to go back and watch the rest one of these days.

Okay, on that note, I've been on here for about 2 hours, so it's time for something else. Bye, all.

Guys, I'm sitting here soaking up the knowledge reading through all your posts, and had to share these 2 stories I heard about Ted Williams. I searched to make certain of the facts and here it is:

1) Williams's analytical ability surfaced again during spring training one season when the Red Sox were barnstorming their way north to start the season. They stopped in Louisville, Ky., home of the Hillerich & Bradsby factory, where the Louisville Slugger bats are manufactured. Williams made sure to tour the plant, taking his teammate and fellow Hall of Famer, Bobby Doerr, with him. They arrived a halfhour before the factory opened. Doerr told me later, "He was just dying to get in there"

When they did, Williams told one of the lathe operators, "Anytime you see any pin knots in the wood, stick those bats in my bag." Williams believed pin knots were harder wood, which in turn would help him to hit the ball harder. The lathe operator didn't forget and, sure enough, a shipment of bats with pin knots arrived at Boston's Fenway Park later. But it wasn't just a good memory on the part of the lathe operator. "When Ted walked away," Doerr remembered, "he handed the guy a $20 bill."

2) At the end of that 1941 season, he was less excited than others over his feat of hitting .406. In a comment even more refreshing today, he told reporters, "What the heck, I figured if I'm getting paid $30,000, the least I can do is hit .400."

Glad you are enjoying this Steve...it is really great to discuss this stuff with people who actually care (most of my family could care less when I tell them these stories).

The story of the last day of the 1941 season for the Red Sox and Williams is really impressive. Although is last place he played in both games and got his average up to .406...even though it would have ended at .400 (rounded up from .3996). What a great feat.

Also the stories of Williams in the war are impressive. When he was shot at...and crashlanded the plane. He was afraid that he would lose his kneecaps if he ejected (because of his long legs) so he crash landed. He walked away from the crash and went back to play in the bigs....what a guy.

The stories of Williams hitting through the shift that was created for him (now seen for many lefties). He didn't want to hit the left side but instead hit ropes passed the shifted defense.

Stories of Willaims taking pitches which were slightly off the plate and taking a walk instead of hitting it are incredible. As they said in the day.... The umpire knew it was a ball if Ted took it (and it was close).

Williams is truly one of those American heroes who has reached almost folklore status. On that note I ought to head to bed. Thanks for the conversation guys.

Steve,

Which one? I've read one, maybe two. Ted William's biography and autobiography are both good reads. Funny guy. I will find the title of the biography I'm reffering to.

Ah, here we go.

Montville, Leigh Ted Williams: The Biography of an American Hero

I believe that's the one I'm thinking of. A good book.

I think the Koufax book I read is A Lefty's Legacy. But I read it so many years ago, that the cover of the book I see online is not how it looked when I read it. So I'm not 100% sure of the name.

The Ted Williams book that you're suggesting to me, is that the best place for me start? I want to start brushing up on my baseball history, but I'm basically starting from scratch.