This lot is closed. Bidding ended on 7/8/2004.
One of the greatest and most controversial players to ever step out onto the diamond, HOFer Ty Cobb captured a record 12 batting titles (nine in a row) and still has the highest career batting average in history (.367). A fierce competitor, Cobb was known to make himself seen to opposing players by sharpening his spikes in the dugout. On August 24, 1909 in a game versus the A's, catcher Paddy Livingston threw Cobb out trying to steal third base on an intentional walk to Sam Crawford. Cobb came in spikes high to third baseman Frank "Home Run" Baker (HOF 1955), tearing up Baker's arm. This is the photo of that play, original taken in 1909, that would cement Cobb's reputation and brand him forevermore as "The Spiker." Double matted and framed to 13-1/2" x 15-1/2", the photo has been signed and dated in black fountain pen by Cobb, "Ty Cobb 1/1/56" with flourishes. Beautiful, bold signature that we would rate a near-perfect 10! Comes with a letter from PSA/DNA. Also included is a 1958 letter from the original owner of the photo, James English, which describes the photograph and reads in part, "...you will see that the charges were entirely false as Cobb's right foot is on this side of the second-baseman's [sic] right arm. As you can see, the second-baseman [sic] would have suffered no more than a slight scratch. Ty has been heart-broken for many years over the reputation he received on account of this play. He felt that while he was a hard player, he was a fair one."