For some reason NBA pundits speculate on who is the greatest player to never win an NBA championship. Candidates include: Charles Barkley, Carl Malone, John Stockton and, until yesterday, Lebron James.
We rarely consider that about baseball players. There's Ernie Banks, Mr. Cub, who never even played in a World Series. Ted Williams played in one but his Red Sox lost. Ty Cobb, the greatest Detroit Tiger of all time, would seem to be the obvious choice. Cobb played his first Tiger game August 30, 1905 and his final game September 11, 1928 for the Philadelphia Athletics; Cobb played for Philadelphia in 1927 and 1928. Philadelphia won the World Series in 1929 and 1930.
The Tigers played in the World Series in 1907, 1908, 1909 and lost all three. Cobb was the greatest player in the American League each of those three seasons. Cobb's WS OPS: .538, .821, .656. The first two losses, ironically, were to the Chicago Cubs. The final indignity was to the Pittsburgh Pirates led by the greatest player in the National League: 35 year old shortstop Honus Wagner in his final great season. Wagner completely outplayed Cobb featuring an OPS .967.
Tyrus Raymond Cobb, The Georgia Peach, is considered by many to be the greatest player of all time. Until yesterday when his Miami Heat won the NBA championship, Lebron James was the Ty Cobb of the NBA.
1 comment:
Ty Cobb's team won its league championship three times, leaving him ahead of LeBron James.
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