Ty Cobb - Hero of the Deadball Era and Cardboard Values

Aloha, everybody, 

In my previous post we broke down a Conlon Collection card featuring Chief Meyers. Something in his words on the back of the card got me to thinking.   

Meyers talked about pitchers from his day being scared of the new "jackrabbit ball". This highlighted that he was a player in the Deadball Era, a time I've heard of, but never thought much about. 

 I was pretty sure that faster ball he referenced was something baseball had introduced to increase runs and kill the low-scoring times. I hit the net and learned some interesting tidbits, but I'm not here to school you on the Deadball era - I just wanna show off some baseball cards. 

Let's begin with one of the most (in)famous players to come out of the times, and the guy who's cards are rocking the foundations of the baseball card-collecting world as you read this. 

Did you hear about the find of seven Ty Cobb T-206's in a crumbled up paper bag?  A family from perhaps South Carolina found seven tobacco Cobb cards, pushing the number of known specimens from 15 to 22. They say the find's worth is measured across seven digits! 

My Cobb cardboard won't fetch that kind of money, but then again, I'm happy keeping them all in my collection.

 It seems Cobb's career was directly influenced by the jackrabbit ball that Meyers talked about, as his batting average jumped up to .420 when cork-centered baseballs were introduced. 

 This 2001 Upper Deck Cooperstown Collection card is no T-206, but it's a jewel to me, with its gold stamping and poignant photo of a thousand-yard-staring Cobb. 

Finally, the Georgia Peach, coming at ya! 

Next time: More heroes from the Deadball Era. Aloha!