Creators Podcast
Episode #3
07.28.2024
Looking back at the creation of the Ty Cobb T-206 tobacco baseball cards was blast. I couldn’t believe the amazing history I found by connecting these two subjects, the T-206 baseball cards, and one of the greatest baseball players of all-time, Ty Cobb.
One of the most interesting things I discovered was the timing of James Buchanan Duke rising to the top of his game in the tobacco industry, and Ty Cobb simultaneously becoming the best baseball player in the major leagues.
We need to start with James B. Duke, then we can connect the dots with Ty Cobb.
I read two incredible books to learn more about these two characters. ‘The Dukes of Durham,’ written by Robert Franklin Durden, and ‘Ty Cobb: A Terrible Beauty,’ by Charles Leerhsen.
The American Tobacco Company
What started as a small tobacco farm near Durham, North Carolina, grew into the biggest tobacco monopoly in the world. It all began with Washington Duke. After the civil war he had nothing but a small farm. He started from scratch, but slowly realized tobacco was in demand, and he found a way to grow and sell it.
Washington Duke had two sons, Ben and James Buchanan Duke, who quickly learned the tobacco business by working for their father.
James B. Duke was only 14 years old when he started learning the business. He had his eyes on the growth of the company from a very young age.
The Bonsack Machine
About this same time, there was a race to build a machine that would automatically roll tobacco cigarettes. Rather than pay manual labor to roll cigarettes by hand, tobacco growers searched for an invention that would do the dirty work without expensive labor.
James B. Duke had his eye on this development from the very start, and struck a deal with James A. Bonsack of Virginia. With his machine, and a very skilled mechanic, William T. O’Brien, Duke found himself with one of the first tobacco rollers in the world.
Duke, and the Deal of a Lifetime
James Buchannan Duke was not just hard working, he was also possibly the best dealmaker in the business. The deal that Duke struck with the Bonsack Company would propel Duke to the top of his industry within a matter of years.
Duke signed a royalty contract with the Bonsack Company for use of their machines at a set rate, but in the process, set in place the agreement that if any of his competitors should use the machine, Duke would always pay 25% less than any other competitor for the use of the machine.
I nearly fell out of my chair when I read that small detail in ‘The Dukes of Durham’ book. This was the only machine available to roll tobacco, and Duke just guaranteed his company the ability to run his competition all the way into the ground, if he so choose to do so.
It wouldn’t be long before his competitors realized they were completely cooked if they didn’t partner with Duke. So that’s what they did. The Tobacco trust was formed, with James Buchanan Duke at the helm. He called his new trust the ‘ATC,’ or ‘American Tobacco Company.’
Young Ty Cobb in Augusta, Georgia
They didn’t call him the ‘Georgia Peach’ for nothing. Ty Cobb was born and raised near Augusta, Georgia, growing up in the late 1800s. By the year 1900, Cobb was 14 years old, and deciding he wanted to get really good at the game of baseball.
The amazing book I read, ‘Ty Cobb: A Terrible Beauty,’ by Charles Leerhsen, goes in depth on Cobb’s entire life. The book also tries to set the record straight. Back in the day, there was sportswriter by the name of Al Stump, who helped Cobb on his autobiography before he passed away.
Decades later, Al Stump wrote another book about Cobb, painting him in just about the worst light you could imagine. Just making things up, and embellishing stories about Cobb that he knew to be incorrect.
The biggest problem with Al Stump wasn’t the vicious things he wrote about Cobb that just weren’t true, it was the fact that his book was later used in a Hollywood movie called, ‘Cobb,’ starring Tommy Lee Jones. I’m sure you’ve heard of the movie.
Hollywood producer Ron Shelton directed the 1994 ‘Cobb’ movie, and unfortunately, he used Al Stump’s book for the script.
So I really love the fact that Charles Leerhsen, in his book, is trying to set the record straight, and at least sway the pendulum back the other way on Ty Cobb, even if just a little bit.
The Real Ty Cobb
So, if an old crusty sportswriter named Al Stump was making things up about Cobb just to sell books, and a hot-shot Hollywood producer was just looking for the most outlandish things he could throw in a script to sell movie tickets, then what do we believe?
Who was the real Ty Cobb? That’s was Leerhsen really tries to do with his book. Tell the real story of Ty Cobb, and let us, the readers, figure out the rest.
Now you might be disappointed with what I’m about to tell you, but Ty Cobb was no angel.
There are plenty of stories in Leerhsen’s book that have been verified by multiple sources, that will still make you raise your eyebrows a little bit. And I’m not about to defend everything Ty Cobb ever did and said. In my podcast episode I explained it this way, “he was feisty.”
Even his earliest childhood friends remember seeing a side of Cobb that stuck in their memories.
“The skinny lad who always seemed to be tossing up stones and whacking them with sticks had become known as a bare-knuckled battler. “You saw it the minute you set eyes on him,” said a childhood friend of young Ty’s hair trigger temperament.” – From Charles Leerhsen’s book
Another friend said he was a “born battler.” And a “peculiar soul, brooding and bubbling with violence, combative all the way, a streak, incidentally, he never lost.” – Another quote from Leerhsen’s book.
But he’s getting really good at baseball, and finds his way to the minor leagues, where he would meet an unlikely mentor.
His name was George O. Leidy, and he was an older teammate of Cobb’s who never really made it much further in his career. But the guiding words he passed on to Cobb changed his life forever. Something Cobb never forgot.
This is a story from Leerhsen’s book, and I really love the idea of a turning point that Cobb talks about decades later. Something that changed him for the rest of his career.
One day, Cobb was screwing around in the outfield during a game. He was actually snacking on some popcorn, when a fly ball was hit to him and he missed it. George Leidy saw this, and had to have a sit-down with Cobb.
What he told him would change Cobb’s life. Leidy explained to Cobb that someone with his talent should take this game seriously, and it would bring him to places he couldn’t imagine.
This is how it’s told in the book by Leerhsen,
Eating popcorn in the outfield was all right if you thought the game was just a joke. But suppose you were too ambitious for that kind of horseplay? Suppose you kept your eye on the ball, studied, practiced, learned to make the most of what nature had given you. You could go to towns that would make Augusta look like a crossroads. You could be famous, you could make a fortune. And every boy in America would idolize you. Your name would go down in the history books. That night was the turning point,” Cobb said. “I made up my mind to be a big leaguer if it killed me.” – Charles Leerhsen’s book
So this mystery man, this minor league veteran, who never really made another impression in the game of baseball, that anyone can find, George O. Leidy, changed the course of Ty Cobb’s career from that single talk.
Cobb to the Big Leagues
Now Cobb makes a quick leap to the Big Leagues. As he arrives to join the Detroit Tigers team, he realizes the older players are not exactly supportive of a young kid that doesn’t take any flack.
Cobb’s playing good ball, which doesn’t help his relationships on the team. Many of the other players are jealous, and commence hazing and bullying that is typical of those days.
Except for one small problem. Cobb doesn’t suffer fools. He’s not going to listen to a word of grief. And he has no problem with a fight, if anyone is looking for trouble.
Cobb struggles to fit in, and Leerhsen’s book describes all the difficulties he had with the older players on the team. Missing uniforms, harassment, and even sawing Cobb’s wood bats in half and leaving them at his locker. The older players could sense that Cobb was bothered, and they continued to pour it on.
It didn’t stop Ty Cobb from playing great baseball and improving his game. He seemed to thrive the more hate he got from people around him. Cobb was always looking to prove something. The book explains it this way, he liked to, “lead with his chin.” That’s a perfect way to describe Cobb. I also love the phase, he “didn’t suffer any fools.”
Ty Cobb the Star Player
There’s only one way to win when all your teammates seem to be against you. Become the best player on the team. That’s exactly what Cobb did. Not only did he become the star player on the Tigers, but he rose to become the best player in the Big Leagues.
Fans from opposing teams would cheer him as he stole second base, the third base on the next pitch, then stole home just because he could.
Cobb was tearing up the league, and making it harder on his enemies. Connie Mack once said about the superstar, “Don’t get Cobb mad.” Because the madder he got, the better he played.
Ty Cobb loved the fight. He couldn’t escape it. Trouble seemed to find him, and he dealt with it the same way over and over again, by punching it in the face. (figuratively)
Let’s not forget about the incredible stats that Ty Cobb put up over his career. And right in the middle of the “Dead ball era,” nonetheless. He hit over .400 in three different seasons, he won 11 batting titles, set records for games played of 3,035, and hit over .300 in a record 23 straight seasons!
Cobb, at one point, held 900 Big League records over the course of his career. I could go on- and on about his numbers. But here’s possibly my favorite stat of them all…
Ty Cobb stole home plate a record 54 times! Out of any record that might not ever be broken, I think that’s the one. I just can’t imagine anyone stealing home 54 times ever again. And I think the next closest player to that record has 32 or 33. (Max Carey)
His career batting average of .366 has been the highest ever since he retired nearly one hundred years ago. Cobb was a monster, and put up numbers day-after day- after day…
Ty Cobb the Superstar Investor
One amazing fact that many forget about Ty Cobb was he might have been one of the best investor-athletes of his day. With money pouring in from his large salary, he invested in multiple ventures that would pay off in a huge way.
He owned stock in General Motors. And became friends with the CEO of Coca Cola, and purchased a large amount of shares. Just that investment alone would grow to many-millions of dollars in his portfolio over a few decades.
He would retire as a very wealthy man, with stocks and real estate that would give him a very comfortable lifestyle after his playing days were over.
Cobb Did Not Suffer Fools
As I’ve already said, Ty Cobb did not suffer fools. And if trouble was brewing, we didn’t back away. Some said trouble found Cobb over and over again. Others said that Cobb never picked a fight, but he wasn’t going to take any grief from anyone, weather it’s an opponent on the field, a taxi driver, or a hotel waiter.
So, needless to say, there’s plenty of stories in the book where Cobb was not the kindest person. Maybe it was his ego, maybe it was anger issues. Maybe he was targeted by others who knew that his buttons were easy to push. Whatever it was, there’s no denying that Cobb should have shown restraint in many situations where he did the opposite.
There’s even a story about his wedding that turned into a controversy. And it wasn’t about who we would marry, but when. Cobb decided to disappear for his wedding late in the season, just when the Tigers were fighting for a playoff spot. Many times, Ty Cobb just did what he wanted, because he was Ty Cobb.
Let’s not move any further until we remember the book was full of praise for Cobb during his playing days. From teammates and from opponents. Here’s one of my favorite lines from Leerhsen’s book –
“Cobb was the roughest, toughest player I ever saw, a terror on the base paths,” said Shotton. “He was not dirty, though. I never saw him spike a player deliberately. But if you ever got in the way of his flying spikes, brother, you were a dead turkey.”
The Ty Cobb T-206 Baseball Cards
Now, let’s not forget about James Buchanan Duke, and his American Tobacco Company, the trust company that he grew to a monopoly by 1900. And was dominating the industry.
Before the “ATC” tobacco companies had to compete for sales. They developed “picture cards” that could be inserted into cigarette packs. The curiosity of what card you might get in each pack helped sales.
With the rise of the ATC that James Duke controlled, there was no more competition. All the big tobacco companies had merged to form the trust, so the expensive picture cards were no longer necessary. Why print cards to insert into cigarette packs when you owned all the companies that made the cigarettes?
President Roosevelt, the Trust Buster
After 1900, President Roosevelt felt that monopolies were unfair. He took aim at the many monopolies in banking, railroads, and even tobacco. James B. Duke and his ATC trust were in the crosshairs of the President.
It took several years, but by 1908, the ATC trust was as good as dead. James B. Duke knew he was going to be “busted” by Roosevelt.
With the ATC now busted by the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890, the U.S. government split up the tobacco monopoly into 4 separate companies. These four tobacco companies would be back to competing for sales, which would mean they dusted off the old marketing playbook of the 1890s, and started printing insert cards into cigarette packs once again.
With baseball as popular as ever in the early 1900s, it just made sense to make “baseball cards” and insert them into each pack.
The T-206 Baseball Cards Were Born
You can hear this entire story in much more detail in my podcast episode, but the T-206 cards were brought back mainly because of President Teddy “Trust Buster” Roosevelt. The 1909-1911 T-206 cards were made so each tobacco company could once again compete for sales.
And now it brings us to the two titanic personalities that we focused on during the podcast episode, James B. Duke and Tyrus Cobb. Two guys who rose to the very top of their chosen fields.
Ty Cobb T-206 Baseball Cards
What remains are some of the most valuable baseball cards of all-time, the Ty Cobb T-206 cards.
Now, there’s several variations of these Ty Cobb T-206 cards that we must clarify.
Let’s take a look at each one –
Ty Cobb T-206 Red Background
Ty Cobb T-206 Green Background
Ty Cobb T-206 Bat On Shoulder
Ty Cobb T-206 Bat Off Shoulder
Ty Cobb T-206 “Cobb Back”
And now the monster, the most famous and valuable Ty Cobb card out there. It’s the Ty Cobb T-206 “Ty Cobb King of Tobacco Smoking World” card.
The front of the card is the same portrait as the “Red Background” card, but the back of the card features an advertisement for a Ty Cobb brand tobacco. It’s the only back of it’s kind in the entire T-206 set of any player.
Why was this card produced? It is still somewhat of a mystery. Even though we know where the card was produced by the markings, it’s not entirely known why the card was made. Perhaps, Ty Cobb had an endorsement deal or some sort of partnership with a tobacco brand to lend his name as a sales tactic.
What we do know is the card is incredibly rare, even more rare than the historic Honus Wagner T-206 card. The famous card that everyone can’t stop talking about because it’s so rare. Yeah, that one. This card is much more rare that the “Wagner.” By a long shot.
There’s an estimated 80 known Honus Wagner T-206 cards in existence. But there’s only about 20 of these Ty Cobb “Cobb Back” T206 cards. I believe it to be the greatest of the T-206 cards, but that might be a highly controversial take.
Nonetheless, a recent sale was right around $1 million for the highest graded “Cobb Back” T206 card. While the Honus Wagner card has sold for $6 or $7 million or more.
Ty Cobb, an American Icon
While nobody could argue that Ty Cobb was the nicest, friendliest, kindest, or most pleasant guy all the time, he was one hell of a ball player. And judging from what other teammates and opponents said about him back in the day, there’s a chance he was even a better guy than most of us would think he was.
Just as we learned Babe Ruth was not a perfect man, somehow he gets a pass. I’m going to lend Ty Cobb some of that same leniency. And I have Charles Leerhsen’s book to thank for changing my opinion on Cobb. I hope others can see the light just like I did.
Recently I did a podcast episode on Babe Ruth. Reading all about Ruth had me thinking, he was also a very flawed guy in many ways, but public perception is so much different when comparing him to Ty Cobb. Maybe it’s because The Babe had less physical altercations, which is never a good thing to rack-up on your resume, but The Babe sure had his share of late-night escapades that many people look past.
I guess it’s different for everyone. People judge other people all day long. And maybe it’s because I can relate, even just at the slightest bit – to Cobb. Maybe I can relate a little too much, and know how difficult it can be when you don’t suffer fools, even when it would make much more sense to just ‘grin and bear it…’
I absolutely loved learning more about Ty Cobb and James Buchanan Duke. Two American icons, no matter how you slice it. Their epic fight to become great is now permanent record in the history books. There’s a certain respect that comes from going all-out. And finding a way to win, no matter what it takes.
If you are the lucky owner of a Ty Cobb T-206 “Cobb Back” card, just one of 20 cards to exist, I would sure like to visit more with you. Please contact me! There’s no greater baseball card out there, in my very humble opinion.