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Philly sports fans have a well-known history of making their feelings know. In just the past 25 years, there have been many memorable boos. But the tradition started long before that.
In 1909, the Philadelphia Athletics were in a tight pennant race with the Detroit Tigers, whose star, Ty Cobb, was known for playing dirty.
After Cobb was accused of trying to take out the A’s best hitter with a slide into second base, so many Philadelphians made threats against the Tigers player that city officials reportedly assigned up to 200 police officers to guard him when he came to town.
Neither the Athletics or the Tigers won the World Series that year — but Philly did notch a different win: the most fans in the stands. Scroll through this thread to see how it all went down.
Forget snowballs and Santa. You want real Philly fanaticism?
— Avi Wolfman-Arent (@Avi_WA) September 16, 2021
How about when the city dispatched 200 cops so fans wouldn’t maim Ty Cobb?
For this week’s “Headline of Yore” we explore today’s Bulletin in 1909:
“SQUADS OF POLICE TO GUARD TY COBB AT THE BALL GAME”
Thread incoming pic.twitter.com/H7UvwxDKd2
First, I want to say I’m indebted to @sabr for this wonderful history on Ty Cobb and his infamous (alleged) spiking of Philadelphia A’s star Frank “Home Run” Baker.https://t.co/5OyI6Pjv5V
— Avi Wolfman-Arent (@Avi_WA) September 16, 2021
In 1909, the Philadelphia A’s and Detroit Tigers were the best teams in the American League.
— Avi Wolfman-Arent (@Avi_WA) September 16, 2021
There were no playoffs back then. The first-place AL team played the best team in the National League in the World Series.
The A’s and Tigers battled all summer for the AL pennant. pic.twitter.com/ax4PAJLBHO
The A’s best slugger in that era was Frank “Home Run” Baker.
— Avi Wolfman-Arent (@Avi_WA) September 16, 2021
He only hit 4 home runs in 1909. But this was before Babe Ruth revolutionized the game — the so-called “dead ball” era.
Different standards. pic.twitter.com/c41joAGDDB
Detroit’s Ty Cobb was arguably the best player of that era. Full stop.
— Avi Wolfman-Arent (@Avi_WA) September 16, 2021
In the 13 seasons from 1907 to 1919, Cobb led the American League in batting average an astounding 12 times. pic.twitter.com/D18DlRmILu
Cobb was also among the league’s most reviled players…in part because he regularly skirted the line between hard play and dirty play
— Avi Wolfman-Arent (@Avi_WA) September 16, 2021
And the 1909 season would help cement that reputation
On August 24, 1909, the A’s came into Detroit on a hot streak… and one game ahead of the Tigers in the standings.
— Avi Wolfman-Arent (@Avi_WA) September 16, 2021
In the first game of a three-game series, Cobb attempted to steal third and was easily thrown out.
As he slid into the base, he made contact with Home Run Baker.
— Avi Wolfman-Arent (@Avi_WA) September 16, 2021
Baker was slightly injured, but remained in the game.
It might have been a non-incident except…
Afterward, longtime A’s manager Connie Mack called Cobb a “pinhead” and said he’d tried to intentionally injure Baker on that slide by “spiking” him with his cleats.
— Avi Wolfman-Arent (@Avi_WA) September 16, 2021
Cobb flatly denied it. pic.twitter.com/wbiFQU9vxD
As @sabr points out, American League president Ban Johnson took the accusations seriously at first. He even hinted at a possible suspension or outright banishment for Cobb.
— Avi Wolfman-Arent (@Avi_WA) September 16, 2021
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Johnson eventually backtracked after an image of the play seemed to support Cobb’s claims. Perhaps the first use of visual replay!
— Avi Wolfman-Arent (@Avi_WA) September 16, 2021
(I’m making that up…but seems possible…) pic.twitter.com/C7mw3Qpszv
That photo did not, however, extinguish the rage A’s fans felt toward Cobb.
— Avi Wolfman-Arent (@Avi_WA) September 16, 2021
And on September 16, 1909 they’d get a chance to air their feelings as the Tigers — now in 1st place — visited Philadelphia for a crucial series.
The Bulletin article claims A’s fans sent at least a dozen letters threatening violence against Cobb.
— Avi Wolfman-Arent (@Avi_WA) September 16, 2021
One letter reportedly read:
“You get shot in Philadelphia; don’t forget, you dirty dog.” pic.twitter.com/RDALaawSUQ
Officials from both teams were alarmed, according to the Bulletin. They feared Cobb would be “soaked with a fusillade of pop bottles, smothered in cushions or stamped into the ground.”
— Avi Wolfman-Arent (@Avi_WA) September 16, 2021
They asked Philadelphia to send 200 cops to Shibe Park to monitor the crowd and protect Cobb. pic.twitter.com/EKVrUTbetn
The A’s also temporarily banned the sale of soft drinks “so that excited fans of the rough element won’t have any empty bottles to hurl at the visitors.” pic.twitter.com/H7GKvipLwY
— Avi Wolfman-Arent (@Avi_WA) September 16, 2021
The A’s went on to win the first game of the series. And the Philly fans “worked their lungs overtime” to show how they felt about Cobb, according to the Inquirer.
— Avi Wolfman-Arent (@Avi_WA) September 16, 2021
It appears some fans threw a few straw hats toward Cobb. pic.twitter.com/wH9jhIA8cB
But there were no reports of major violence toward Cobb or any of the Tigers players.
— Avi Wolfman-Arent (@Avi_WA) September 16, 2021
After the game a group of policemen circled Cobb and led him safely off the field.
The A’s won 3 of 4 games in the series, but that still left them 2 games back of the Tigers.
— Avi Wolfman-Arent (@Avi_WA) September 16, 2021
Detroit held Philly at bay down the stretch and eventually faced the Pittsburgh Pirates in the World Series…losing in 7 games.
The A’s did win a title of sorts that year.
— Avi Wolfman-Arent (@Avi_WA) September 16, 2021
They drew 675,000 fans…the most in the American League.
So yes…it seems Philadelphia’s *special* relationship with sports has deep roots.
And no…you don’t need to regurgitate the snowballs thing to prove it.
End thread! pic.twitter.com/70q62nPKly
🥰 Nice to see you. 🥰
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