Ty Cobb got his first Fall Classic hit in the second tilt of the 1907 Fall Classic. But his Detroit Tigers still lost the game. The Chicago Cubs had a reputation, you see, of getting to the World Series a lot back then, and they weren't about to let a brass young man deny them. Even someone with the highest lifetime batting average of all time.
Having stopped The Georgia Peach from even getting it out of the infield in game one, all the Cubs could show for that was the first World Series tie. A tie for Ty despite not good wood on the ball?
So in game two in Chicago (Playing at the West Side Grounds), the Cubbies sent Jack Pfiester to the hill. Jack The Giant Killer, as he was called. And it seemed like a good choice. That year, he led the National League in ERA with a microscopic 1.15.
Things didn't start out well, however. Detroit put two on with only one out in the top of the first on a pair of singles. Now, here's where guys like Cobb come through, right? Wrong. Ty hit into a double play. That was rough. Things would get rougher for Cobb, later.
Tied1-1 in the top of the fourth, and Cobb led off the inning. The right way! He singled. When Claude Rossman followed suite, it looked like the Tigers had a big inning on their hands. They could take the lead, and get some insurance! They did neither, however!
Cobb made it to third on the play, no doubt pleased with how fast he was. But Rossman decided to try for second. He was gunned out. The next two men were also retired, leaving Ty at third. Ty tied in game one. Ty on third in game two. Tied in game two, as well. Ty, Ty, Ty!
Ty's third at bat ended in failure as he grounded out in the top of the sixth. Detroit needed him now, you see. Chicago had taken a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth, and were running out of time. Time for Ty an co. to take over! But they did not do that.
Davy Jones led off the top of the eighth with a single. He took second as the next batter grounded out. Sam Crawford was out on a fly to right, Jones holding. Cobb came to bat as the tying run. Time to get one for the team, Ty!
Instead, he took one for the team. Pfiester hit him. I don't know if that was a good move. Was it intentional? Odds are, yes! Did Detroit make him pay? No. Jones decided to try for third on an attempted steal. He was gunned out!
Detroit, still down 3-1, got the side out in the bottom of the eighth. In the top of the ninth, it was Rossman, atoning somewhat for his earlier mistake, with a single. However, a double play and a groundout ended the game. Chicago, had drawn first blood in the 2007 Fall Classic.
The Cubs went on to win the next three games for good measure, so Detroit had to settle for the opening game no-decision as their only salvation. Cobb had little to be happy about. Not only did his team fail to win a game, but he ended the five games with just four hits for a batting average of just .200.
The greats do fail. And it's always painful to see them not come through on the big stage. Look at Ted Williams in 1946, along with Stan Musial for that matter. Cobb would have two more cracks at a World Series win, but Ty did no accomplish that. He batted .368 in 1908, but Detroit lost again. When he hit .231 in 1909 and the Tigers again came up short, Cobb had played in his last Fall Classic. He was only 22 years old.
Having stopped The Georgia Peach from even getting it out of the infield in game one, all the Cubs could show for that was the first World Series tie. A tie for Ty despite not good wood on the ball?
So in game two in Chicago (Playing at the West Side Grounds), the Cubbies sent Jack Pfiester to the hill. Jack The Giant Killer, as he was called. And it seemed like a good choice. That year, he led the National League in ERA with a microscopic 1.15.
Things didn't start out well, however. Detroit put two on with only one out in the top of the first on a pair of singles. Now, here's where guys like Cobb come through, right? Wrong. Ty hit into a double play. That was rough. Things would get rougher for Cobb, later.
Tied1-1 in the top of the fourth, and Cobb led off the inning. The right way! He singled. When Claude Rossman followed suite, it looked like the Tigers had a big inning on their hands. They could take the lead, and get some insurance! They did neither, however!
Cobb made it to third on the play, no doubt pleased with how fast he was. But Rossman decided to try for second. He was gunned out. The next two men were also retired, leaving Ty at third. Ty tied in game one. Ty on third in game two. Tied in game two, as well. Ty, Ty, Ty!
Ty's third at bat ended in failure as he grounded out in the top of the sixth. Detroit needed him now, you see. Chicago had taken a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth, and were running out of time. Time for Ty an co. to take over! But they did not do that.
Davy Jones led off the top of the eighth with a single. He took second as the next batter grounded out. Sam Crawford was out on a fly to right, Jones holding. Cobb came to bat as the tying run. Time to get one for the team, Ty!
Instead, he took one for the team. Pfiester hit him. I don't know if that was a good move. Was it intentional? Odds are, yes! Did Detroit make him pay? No. Jones decided to try for third on an attempted steal. He was gunned out!
Detroit, still down 3-1, got the side out in the bottom of the eighth. In the top of the ninth, it was Rossman, atoning somewhat for his earlier mistake, with a single. However, a double play and a groundout ended the game. Chicago, had drawn first blood in the 2007 Fall Classic.
The Cubs went on to win the next three games for good measure, so Detroit had to settle for the opening game no-decision as their only salvation. Cobb had little to be happy about. Not only did his team fail to win a game, but he ended the five games with just four hits for a batting average of just .200.
The greats do fail. And it's always painful to see them not come through on the big stage. Look at Ted Williams in 1946, along with Stan Musial for that matter. Cobb would have two more cracks at a World Series win, but Ty did no accomplish that. He batted .368 in 1908, but Detroit lost again. When he hit .231 in 1909 and the Tigers again came up short, Cobb had played in his last Fall Classic. He was only 22 years old.
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