Cobb (1994)

I would have rated the movie a lot higher if it had been labeled 'fiction', but as a biopic it's absolute garbage. I would love to see a serious movie on the 'real' Ty Cobb.

I first saw this movie some 20 years ago and thought what most people probably thought, that Cobb was an amazing ballplayer, and a half-crazy racist. Yet I recently read George Leershen's book 'Ty Cobb: A Terrible Beauty' and my opinion has definitely been swayed. Mr. Leershen researched Cobb like no other and discovered that much of the things said and written about him (most notably by Al Stump's and his book that the film was based on) were untrue or wildly exaggerated. Cobb never killed a man, he wasn't a racist (in fact his Father, Grandfather AND Great Grandfather were abolitionists if nothing else), he never sharpened his spikes, and never went out of his way to use them on somebody, unless they were in his path to the base. Even that famous picture of him flying airborne into what looks like the crotch of the catcher, was really him knocking the ball out of his glove, which he did, confirmed by the catcher himself. Al Stump was a notorious liar and fabricator who's 'Tale' of Ty Cobb didn't nearly add up to all of Leershen research or even Cobb's Grandson's first hand knowledge of Ty's place in Tahoe, both know more of truth than what Stump was willing to write about, for the sake of telling the story he wanted for the sole interests of making money, which is why he waited until AFTER Cobb died to release it. Now all that being said, was Cobb an Angel? Absolutely not, but let's look at the facts of what we know for sure. Cobb was relentlessly Hazed by other players before and after his Mother killed his Father mere weeks before his professional debut at 18 years old. And most baseball players back then were poorly educated, alcoholic thugs. Take a look at some of those early Detroit Tiger team photos that Cobb played on, never before does 'A picture speak a thousand words' or hold more truth than some of the faces and personalities you'll see he came up playing with. Cobb himself was educated and liked to read, yet he also loved the game of baseball and overcame a lot to prove what he could do and that he 'belonged', always playing as if his life depended on it. Many players in turn became jealous of his abilities and 'wild-child' ways on the base paths, which only added to his legend of how he was able to do what he did.Did Cobb have a couple of altercations with people of color? Yes, but make no mistake he had WAY more altercations with whites. Cobb didn't hate black people, I don't even think Cobb hated anybody, but if you got in his way or went up against him, he would have something to prove, black, white or even a handicapped guy in the stands in a wheel chair missing a few fingers. Apparently that heckler in question was pretty famous for it, and had been laying into Cobb whenever he came into town for a while until finally Cobb snapped and went up into the stands to shut him up once and for all. Does anybody know what the guy said to Cobb? Not sure, but you could easily imagine a couple of sore spots in Cobb's life that would potentially set him off. If you add what Cobb endured and had to overcome from others and it explains his behavior a little better. It by no means gives him a free pass, but it put things in a different context.People love to knock other people, and in case you didn't notice, this goes on today more than ever, in newspapers and social media etc. Ty Cobb was in a league of his own and people either loved or hated him for it. Al Stump took some random stories handed down through the years, twisted them into what he wanted while adding some of his own BS and turned it into a book he thought would sell.. And then they made a movie from THAT book?! Cobb could be a lot of unpleasant things at times, but he too was once an innocent baby who eventually got molded into the man who became one of the greatest to ever play baseball, but at a price. Without the hazing or his Father's untimely death, who knows if those demons would have pushed him to that same greatness? Let alone becoming the ornery, temperamental man he was? A Terrible Beauty Indeed.

Let's start out with a few indisputable facts. At first, Al Stump wrote a glowing book about Ty Cobb which did very well. After Cobb's death, he recanted. He started in stag men's magazines, that also talk about aliens, and Voodoo. Hardly a reputable source. This is where he invented the details of the shooting. Eventually he gave credit for the details to a neighbor of Cobb. There's only one problem, this guy was dead 4 years before Cobb ever approached Stump to write his book! They never even traveled to Royston Georgia. Where Stump claims Cobb started telling Stump about the incident.Stump stole tons of artifacts from the Estate and eventually got caught! This is the character of the story teller here folks. He was even selling multiple copies of forged letters! Forged Autographs. Writing new stories and selling Cobb memorabilia was his meal ticket.Somehow this aspect never gets reported. Go ask anybody in the sports memorabilia market if they're interested in stuff from Al Stump, and get ready for an earful. It's all considered fake and forged. But what he said about Cobb is gospel? So I come here and read all these reviews and as usual people just believe all these things and even stamp them as authentic and true.By the time Stump met Cobb he was elderly and frail. None of that manic misadventures stuff happened! There's no corroboration on any of those insanely made up movie events. Nobody shot off a gun in a casino. Or any of the rest of it.Cobb was a curmudgeon who pushed everybody away, even family. Most of the Urban legends about him are just that. I run into old miserable guys all day long. I've actually been to Royston Georgia and interviewed people.They all have stories about Cobb being off putting and speaking his mind. But they all also have stories about his generosity. He made it possible for children charities to thrive 70 years after his death. He donated the single biggest endowment in US history at the time. As the black lady who ran his Museum said "Look around, who do you think that benefited?" She also mentioned how all of his staff received pensions. Something unheard of back then.I'm not saying the guy wasn't racist. From all of his quotes, he didn't particularly care for people of any race! But he came from a time period where everybody was racist.There is only one truth in this entire movie. At the time of his death, he was considered far and wide the best player ever. By the sports writers who saw him play! Day in, day out. How that has morphed into him not even making lists nowadays is the true intolerance. While Ruth is still right there on on top of many.

I don't know that I understand the point of a movie like this.Ty Cobb played professional baseball from 1905-1928, during which time he was, by anyone's reckoning, one of the all-time greats, accomplishing things no one had done before, and few since. He lived another 33 years after retiring, during which he did nothing that millions of other men his age haven't done. He died at the age of 74, evidently a bitter and lonely old man.I confess that I don't see the point of making a movie about the last, bitter years of such a bitter old man when they hold nothing of exceptional interest. Yes, Tommy Lee Jones does a fine job of playing a bitter old man, but frankly, why should I care? This movie won't teach you much about Ty Cobb, or baseball. It will show you yet another bitter old man, but it won't make you empathize with him. Do you really want to sit through 2 hours of that?