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Cobb Heads North
from the Confederate Baseball Weekly, June 27, 1908:
Ty Cobb, disgruntled star of the Atlanta Crackers, was granted his wish this week as the team dealt him to the Baltimore Orioles. Cobb had long been openly critical of both management and his team mates in Atlanta, which soured relationships on both sides. He publicly asked to be traded earlier this month, and this week, the club granted his request.
Cobb heads to defending Confederate champion Baltimore, a very good team which currently sits two-and-a-half games behind the Louisville Gears in the Dixie League race. With Cobb's trade demands known to all within Confederate baseball circles, the Crackers probably did not get as much for him as they would have liked. Baltimore sent left fielder Bill Foster and catcher Bob Kocher to the Crackers for Cobb, who steps into right field and joins a lineup that also features young hitting stars Sebastian Thibeault and Kevin Durr.
With Atlanta, Cobb was hitting .317 and had stolen 24 bases. He will hit third in the lineup with Thibeault (.338 this year) in the four slot and Durr (.342) hitting fifth. Cobb, as expected, had something to say:
"It's exciting to be going to a team in the thick of the pennant race. I expect to help the Orioles move ahead of the Gears and win another Dixie League pennant. I really look forward to talking hitting with Thibeault and Durr - both those fellows really swing the wood. You all are going to see a very happy Mr. Cobb the rest of this season."
Bill Foster, the 28-year-old left fielder who was born in the United States, was the key to the other side of the deal. Atlanta asked for Thibeault and received a reply that was, well, unprintable in a newspaper. But Foster is no second-prize. He's hitting .307 and will bat third for the Crackers. The addition of Bob Kocher also gives the Crackers an upgrade behind the plate. Though Bob's average is only .213, he will hit sixth and be Atlanta's starting backstop.
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