Great moments in baseball history
Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2005 2:30 pm
From ESPN Classic.
And we think Barry Bonds is an asshole.March 16, 1907: During spring training at Warren Park in Augusta, Ga., Detroit Tigers outfielder Ty Cobb, known to be a racist, gets into a fistfight with an African-American groundskeeper he has known for several years.
When the man, nicknamed "Bungy," tries to shake his hand and calls him "Carrie," Cobb pushes Bungy's hand away. When he comes close again, Cobb slaps him and chases him toward the clubhouse.
The groundskeeper's wife runs out of the clubhouse, which she has been cleaning, and yells at Cobb. He grabs her and begins to choke her. Husky Tigers catcher Boss Schmidt, who reputedly had fought an exhibition fight against future heavyweight champ Jack Johnson, intervenes and stops Cobb from hurting her further. Then Cobb and Schmidt get into a fight until separated by their teammates, who generally side with Schmidt.
That night, Detroit manager Hughie Jennings tries to trade Cobb to Cleveland for outfielder Elmer Flick, the 1905 American League batting champion. But he's turned down because Cleveland manager Nap Lajoie thinks Cobb is a troublemaker.