Ty Cobb, Player/Manager of the Detroit Tigers, 1924
Photographer: F Wells Shilson, Detroit
Photo Subject: Player/manager Ty Cobb at Navin Field Surveying his Detroit Tigers.
Fun Fact: Ty Cobb was named manager of the Detroit Tigers in 1921, and it seemed like a logical choice. Who knew the AL pitchers better than him? I can only image how difficult it must have been to be a player under his management.
But where he really excelled was as a player. He was a twelve-time batting champion, and holds the highest MLB career batting average of .367. These are just two of the 90 MLB records he set over his 23-year career.
I first learned about Cobb the person through the Al Stump biography that characterized him as a violent, ill-tempered bigot who was battling internal demons. Recent biographic tellings of his life are more generous. Acknowledging that Cobb was not an angel, newer biographers show a different side of him, citing his philanthropic acts and charity toward the handicapped and people of color.
Painting Detail: Printed on 13” x 19” canvas and painted using Schmincke Mussini and Marshall’s oil paints. Pinstripe details were made using Prismacolor pencils.