After 22 years as a ballplayer and five as the manager of the Tigers, Ty Cobb retired. The baseball world was shocked - Ty Cobb was a legend in his own time. Although he was being to be eclipsed by new stars like Ruth and Gehrig, the Georgia Peach was still able to bat .378 and .339 at the age of 38 and 39. Then, just as fast as he had retired, Ty Cobb reemerged in 1927 as a member of Connie Mack’s Philadelphia Athletics.

      He picked up where he left off, hitting a robust .357 for Mack. In the offseason, Cobb returned to Augusta, Georgia and like all ballplayers do, hunted, relaxed and caught up on his correspondence. This 1928 letter is one written by Cobb just before joining the A’s for his last season as a ballplayer. The letter, addressed to “Mr. Geo. B. Groves” who he affectionately calls “Dad”, is typewritten on a sheet of Ty Cobb’s personal letterhead.

      Dated March 7, 1928, the letter was written after his first season playing full-time after giving up the managerial reigns of the Tigers. Cobb’s “retirement” from managing was under a cloud of game-fixing that also forced the “retirement” of Cleveland manager Tris Speaker. After an investigation the two stars were exonerated and Cobb chose to join the Philadelphia A’s as a player. Cobb describes his feelings of being a player again: “This last year was most enjoyable and I felt so much better getting away from the mental worry of managing. It was a blessing in disguise”. Cobb goes on to discuss Mr. Groves coming to see him play when they come to Boston and tells of a recent hunting trip to Wyoming.

      Of interest here is that even the great Ty Cobb refers to the A’s manager by the formal “Mr. Mack”. Cobb has signed the letter in black fountain pen, his distinguished script bold on the creme colored paper. The sheet has two vertical and one horizontal crease from being mailed. The original mailing envelope is included. The envelope has some edge toning from age and the right corner has been torn to retrieve the letter. To make this Cobb correspondence all the more sweeter, the letter and envelope have been framed with a stunning SCG 50 Sweet Caporal T-206 Ty Cobb red portrait card. Of all the baseball cards produced during Cobb’s career, this portrait of the young ballplayer is by far the most beautiful. Professionally framed and matted to 19 1/4” x 19 1/4”, this is a truly stunning display honoring one of the greatest ballplayers of all-time. This signed letter comes with a letter of authenticity from PSA/DNA (B31409).

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