Ty Cobb

The Topps trading card company included ten 'All-Time All-Stars' with their 1976 set. One of those ten players was Ty Cobb.

I had heard of Ty Cobb by the time I was nine years old. I knew he had a kick ass lifetime average of .367, because it said so right there on the back of his card. 

This told me he must have been pretty good. However, I had a hard time believing that, based on the front side.

It seemed like I'd get a Ty Cobb card within every other pack. I clearly remember having at least twenty of them. My best friend and main (i.e.-'only') trading partner Jeff had at least a dozen of them too, so his trade value was essentially worthless in my neighborhood. Every time I'd spot him when flipping through a newly purchased pack for that first time, I'd groan.

My nine year old mind was full of skepticism when it came to Ty Cobb, beginning with his running ability. Did he even know how to run properly? It appears he's turning the corner at third base and about to head towards home, but his balance seemed questionable at best and on top of that, his eyes look like they're closed in the photo. Seriously, who runs like that?

On top of that, it's not completely clear he's even on a baseball field. There does appear to be an outfield wall in the distance and there may in fact be dirt defining the basepaths, but a part of me wondered if they dressed him in a Tigers uniform, then took this picture while he was running through Farmer Brown's cow pasture. Is he trying to score a run or avoid a bull?

Babe Ruth was in the set of ten greats. I never questioned his greatness because, well, what kid didn't know about Babe Ruth? Lou Gehrig and Walter Johnson were both included and they too were unquestionable legends in my mind. When I got duplicates of those cards, I added them to my collection without complaint.

But this guy Ty Cobb? I didn't understand how he was considered an all time great. As a nine year old boy who could run swiftly with balance (not to mention with his eyes open!) and one who spent his free time on baseball fields and not cow pastures, I wasn't buying into it. 

Baseball cards helped shape my world in the '70's. 

Those shapes didn't always fit with reality.