A man possessed, he played baseball and lived life with a deep anger. The original music score was composed by elliot goldenthal. Al stump was a reprehensible scumbag who unfortunately did not live long enough to be held fully accountable for his brutal distortion of the facts surrounding ty cobbs life in this biography. Al stump, the sportswriter and ghostwriter whose two versions of the life of ty cobb provided contrasting portraits of the tempestuous baseball immortal, died. Al stump redefined americas perception of one of its most famous sports heroes with this gripping look at a man who walked the line between greatness and psychosis. Alexander, a professor of history at ohio university, athens, and the author of a biogrpahy of ty cobb. Fifty years of believing al stumps version has made it difficult for those who. A noted case is the book written by sportswriter al stump in the months after cobb died in 1961. The film is told through the partnership between cobb and sportswriter al stump who served as a ghostwriter of cobbs autobiography. Tys dirty laundry daughter angered by cobb movie, book. Superbly reported, wonderfully written and often quite funny, charles leerhsens ty cobb. A new cobb emergesmanyfaced and passionatein this important, original view of a figure well installed in baseball lore.
The book s actual author was a man named al stump, whom cobb had chosen to be his ghostwriter. I would go back to the original source materialthe newspaper accounts, documents, and letters that previous biographers had never really looked at. Above, a partial listing of the ty cobb memorabilia items from the al stump collection offered or sold at various times between 1980 and 2001. But thanks to the impeccable charles leerhsen i dont believe that anymore, nor should anyone else. Later that year, al stump wrote a story for true magazine that portrayed cobb in a much. The article, and later expanded book, further accused stump of numerous false statements about ty cobb, not only during and immediately after their 1961 collaboration but also in stumps later years, most of which were sensationalist in nature and intended to cast cobb in an unflattering light.
What was one of the most memorable moments of ty cobb. A biography by al stump and ty cobb 1996, paperback at the best online prices at ebay. Born in georgia in 1886, cobb began his baseball career wit. Like most baseball fans, i grew up believing the immortal ty cobb of the detroit tigers was one miserable, awful sob.
Aug 30, 2011 al stump, commissioned in 1960 to ghostwrite ty cobbs autobiography, my life in baseball. Based on stumps interviews with ty cobb while ghostwriting the halloffamers 1961 autobiography, this awardwinning new account of cobbs life and times reveals both the. The book cobb by al stump is a look into the late 19th century and early into the 20th through the eyes of ty cobb. Al stump was a reprehensible scumbag who unfortunately did not live long enough to be held fully accountable for his brutal distortion of the facts surrounding ty cobb s life in this biography. Cobbs most notorious biographer was a sports writer and author named al stump. Ty cobb stories you can tell at parties nuckolball. Al stump, commissioned in 1960 to ghostwrite ty cobbs autobiography, my life in baseball. Our legacy of a jerk podcast covered the notorious legacy of baseball great ty cobb, whom history has recorded as an ungracious and vicious human being.
Al stump, commissioned in 1960 to ghostwrite ty cobb s autobiography, my life in baseball. In fact, cobb was a millionaire not because of baseball, but because he was a genius at. Stumps reputation is now effectively destroyed and nothing he said has much remaining credibility. Leerhsen lays the blame for this toxicity primarily at the feet of al stump, the collaborator on cobbs 1961 autobiography, my life in baseball. I am effectively changing my outlook on this book on 31 july 2018 as a result of the book of by charles leerhsen ty cobb. Al stump, commissioned in 1960 to ghostwrite ty cobbs. But shortly before his death, cobb was so offended by the tone and the factual errors contained in the manuscript that he wrote a letter to doubleday demanding that stump be fired and the book rewritten from scratch. The knife in ty cobbs back history smithsonian magazine. Al stump was the ghostwriter for the 1961 autobiography of baseball great ty cobb entitled my life in baseball. Stump claimed to have been kidnapped by cobb and forced to write the book a particular way. My life in baseball is the other side of the story, and the third one in the middle, the most accurate, is charles alexanders ty cobb. Al stump, 79, sportswriter and chronicler of ty cobbs life. More on ty cobb from his biographers son freakonomics. Comparison of this list to the six specific items gifted to stump by ty cobb in the note of exhibit 3 raises the question of the legitimacy of stumps possession of these ty cobb collectibles.
It was, after all, cobbs book, he said, so the sportswriter filed the murder confession. A true record was released shortly after cobb s death. May 03, 20 next time you get into a baseball conversation, here are some terrific stories you can tell about ty cobb. Al stumps book about ty cobb is a must for all baseball loving fans. Stump spent approximately three weeks with ty cobb over. Charles leerhsens biography of ty cobb reassesses the toxic reputation.
Based on stump s interviews with ty cobb while ghostwriting the halloffamers 1961 autobiography, this awardwinning new account of cobb s life and times reveals both the. Stump spent time with detroit tigers hall of fame baseball player ty cobb in 1960 and 1961 collaborating on cobbs autobiography. At any rate, leerhsen not only presents the most accurate but also the most well written account of ty cobb. Al stump in recent years has proved to be a liar and a forger so sports historians are calling into question a great deal of his supposed insight into ty cobb. A biography by al stump and ty cobb 1996, paperback. Al stump was a writer who graduated from the university of. Popular culture and hack author al stump who wrote cobb. This bison book edition of my life in baseball is introduced by charles c.
The second or current ty cobb museum was borne out of the negative publicity and legacy destruction that mr. In cobb, stump tells how he was given a fascinating window into the georgia peachs life and times when the dying cobb hired him in 1960 to ghostwrite his autobiography. That calls for a reevaluation of this book and the stories around it. I would find fresh examples of cobb being monstrous, blend them with the stories that al stump and others wrote, and come up with the first major cobb book in more than 20 years. A biography that was the basis for the film cobb starring tommy lee jones. Ty cobb biography life, family, children, parents, wife.
Oct 07, 2016 and scps card was not even the version with the rare ty cobb. A terrible beauty, is a highly enlightening and highly enjoyable book. Stump was later discredited when it became known that he had stolen items belonging to cobb and also betrayed the access cobb gave him in his final months. The major popular accounts of the last 20 years are al stumps cobb.
Ty cobb, hall of famer, betrayed by writers for 50 years. The picture was written and directed by ron shelton and based on a book by al stump. During the years in between, he became, according to al stump, the most shrewd, inventive, lurid, detested, mysterious, and superb of all baseball players. Huge thanks to old friend, bill mccarthy, who is posting relentlessy on facebook for me. Sportswriter al stump ghostwrote cobb s biography, drawing from interviews cobb gave in the last year of his life. In cobb, author al stump tells how he was given a fascinating window into the georgia peachs life and times when the dying cobb hired him in 1960. Cobb is a 1994 biopic starring tommy lee jones as the famed baseball player ty cobb. Jul 17, 2011 ty cobb, hall of famer, betrayed by writers for 50 years. Al stump s book about ty cobb is a must for all baseball loving fans. When ty cobb would be trotting to first base, he maybe would suddenly start running at full speed. This book however clearly reveals that stump repeatedly and deliberately lied in order to deliver a more sensational product. I read all 400 plus pages in three days of reading and it was very difficult to put down at the end of the night. And scps card was not even the version with the rare ty cobb. This is the book that made me truly appreciate the game of baseball and ty cobb.
The life and times of the meanest man in baseball was the impetus for the movie cobb, which starred tommy lee jones as ty cobb and robert wuhl as al stump. Al stump, 79, sportswriter and chronicler of ty cobbs. He wroteboth independently and in collaboration with famous athletessix books, including ty cobb s my life in baseball, sam sneads education of a golfer, champions against odds, and the champion breed. Stump, al and a great selection of similar new, used and collectible books available now at great prices. As someone said getting a home run isnt as exciting as ty cobb getting a walk because home runs are exciting but theyre over in a flash. From this research, stump later went on to write at least two books and at least one. The true record, would say it was a boozy, pillinduced, offthe. That book made a lasting impression on me, and made me look at ty differently. The movie they made about ty showed him as a drinker.
During the years in between, he became, according to the author of this new biography, the most shrewd, inventive, lurid, detested, mysterious, and superb of all baseball players. Charles leerhsens biography of ty cobb reassesses the toxic reputation of one of baseballs greatest players. A terrible beauty, by charles leerhsen the new york. Stump spent time with detroit tigers hall of fame baseball player ty cobb in 1960 and 1961 collaborating on cobb s autobiography. Stump also traded after the book was written in variety of lured stories. The true record by al stump and ty cobb 1993, paperback, reprint at the best online prices at ebay. And the myth grew further with the rise of the internetsearch for ty cobb on twitter and see what you find. But i always thought since the book came out in the 60s and that was the beggining of the civil rights movement, younger people may have put extra hate towards cobb because of that book and it probaly stuck around for the past genarations. Then came ken burns baseball documentary, which parroted stump and alexander.
According to stump, cobb told him, in 1912 and you can write this down i. For his baseball documentary, ken burns used some information from stumps book. Not long before his death, ty cobb, as complex and haunted a human being as ever stepped onto a diamond, tapped a young writer named al stump to. May 31, 2015 charles leerhsens biography of ty cobb reassesses the toxic reputation of one of baseballs greatest players. A terrible beauty is not only the best work ever written on this american sports legend, but its also a major rehaul of a reputation unfairly maligned for. Usa today baseball weekly one of the most remarkable sports books ever written. Youll learn that cobb wasnt all mad, and he could do very nice things when opportunities present themselves. First things first, this movie is based off of a book written by al stump, who is played by robert wuhl in the film.
Cobbs game on the bases was and this was a revelation for me really great. Alvin john al stump october 20, 1916 december 14, 1995, was an american author and sports writer. But the writer charlie leerhsen, who is working on a new biography of cobb, says this reputation is undeserved and, moreover, is largely the product of one mans assessment, that man being an earlier cobb biographer named al. The true story would come a year later, after cobbs death, when stump wrote an awardwinning piece for true magazine about his time with cobbty cobbs wild 10month fight to livewhich. Al stump later claimed that this book, written with cobb and approved by cobb, was not the truth. The two things everyone knows about ty cobb are that he was a phenomenal baseball player and that he was the worst racist ever to play the game.
Dec 18, 1995 al stump, the sportswriter and ghostwriter whose two versions of the life of ty cobb provided contrasting portraits of the tempestuous baseball immortal, died on thursday in hoag memorial hospital. Ty cobb was a magnificent ballplayer without a doubt but as for his personal life, well lets just say he had many, many issues. The historical biography of tyrus raymond cobb follows his path from classroom screwaraound and fighter to the greatest hitter to ever grace the major leagues. Stump, ty cobbs ghostwriter for the 1961 autobiography my life in baseball, fleshes out the story in this bareknuckle, shocking biography. The journey of ty cobb in cobb by al stump essay 755. The film is told through the partnership between cobb and sportswriter al stump who served as a ghostwriter of cobb. Tys dirty laundry daughter angered by cobb movie, book why dont they leave the private life alone and stay with daddys records and give him his due. Stump s reputation is now effectively destroyed and nothing he said has much remaining credibility. This book came out shortly after cobbs death in 1961. The true record by al stump and ty cobb 1993, paperback, reprint at the best online prices at. A terrible beauty, a book largely intended to rehabilitate its.
I read all 400 plus pages in three days of reading and it. He was assigned by a publisher to work with cobb on an astoldto autobiography. May 31, 2015 the two things everyone knows about ty cobb are that he was a phenomenal baseball player and that he was the worst racist ever to play the game. Sportswriter al stump ghostwrote cobbs biography, drawing from interviews cobb gave in. This 1994 book, also entitled cobb, was a huge bestseller and was excerpted in sports illustrated. I thnk i may have read this here but ty cobb didnt really have too bad of a reputation until after his 1962 book.