Evening star., 1961-07-18

ATLANTA. July 18 (AP).-
Tyrus Raymond (Ty) Cobb
whose many records stand a!
= towering monument to tn,
nercest competitor ever tt
flash across the baseball scene
is. dead at -.
The incompatible Georgi;
Peach died yesterday Of cancer
Of the prostate gland. The
diagnosis, first made in 1858
was not made public unit
death claimed the baseball
great at Emory University Hos
pital. Cobb, who had made
several trips to Emory, entered
the, hospital for the last time
June 5.
I'm addition to the cancer
he had diabetes and chronic
heart disease" Cobb's physi-
elan, DR.. Hugh Wood, said
DR.. Wood said X-ray exam
nations in December, 1859
showed that the cancer had
spread to the pelvic bone and
Vertebrae.
He died peacefully and
without pain" the physician
reported.
With Cobb during his last
days were his son James, two
daughters, Shirley Cobb and
Mrs. Beverly McLauren. all OF
California, and his first wife,
the former Charlie Marion
lombard or Augusta, Ga. The
Cobbs we're, married in 1903
and divorced in 1947. Two
years later, Cobb married Mrs.
Frances Cass of Buffalo, N. Y,
and they, were divorced.
Private funeral services will
be held tomorrow in the chapel
Of the Thomas j. McGahee
Funeral Home, Cornelia, Ca,
with burial at nearby Royston.
The family requested that in
lieu Of flowers, contributions be
made to the Cobb Education
Foundation.
Death thwarted Cobb's desire
to build . home-''in which to
die" as he put. it - atop a
mountain near Cornelia in
Northeast Georgia only a few
miles from the Narrows COM
munity where he was born De-
cember 18, 1886.
II came back to Georgia to
die" Cobb said in one Of his
last interviews. I'm q small
town boy who never got used
to the big lights"
Had 1867 Average
He spent most of his retire
ment years at Atherton, Calf,
and at Lake Tahoe, New, re-
turning to his native State In
1858. He lived in a small apart
meht In Cornelia.
. Ty quit baseball after the
1928 season with a lifetime
batting average of .367, highest
in the history Of the game. He
batted only .240 in his first
season as q Detroit outfielder
in 1905, then topped 300 for
%; consecutive years, his last
two at Philadelphia. He man.
aged Detroit for six years start
ing in 1921.
Cobb led the Americ a n
League in hitting for IL sea-
sons, nine of them consecutive.
He hit over 400 three times,
compiled q lifetime total of
4.l91 hits, scored 2.244 runs and
stole 892 base. He stole SO
bases in 1915 for one of his
many all-time records.
Always Played to Win
Cobb's position at the sum-
NIT Of baseball was emphasized
I'M. 1896 when baseball writer's
awarded him 222 of a possible
226 votes, more than they gave
Babe Ruth, Hans Wagner, Wal
ter johnson or Christy Mathew
son when the first group was
enshrined in baseball's Hall of
Fame.
~ wouldn't change a thing"
Cobb declared recently in re-
viewing his baseball career. Il
played every game to the hilt.
I always played to win. But
never filed my spikes the way
they said I did, and I never
deliberately spiked anyone in
my life"
Cobb frequently was critical
of power baseball after his re-
tirement. He deplored the trend
away from finesSe.
He was q mellower man in
his last few years, and he
talked less of baseball. Projects
close to his heart, besides the
home on the mountain, were
Cobb Memorial Hospital al
Royston. Ca, near his birth
place. and the Cobb Education
Fund. He endowed the hos
pital and the fund from the
considerable wealth he accumu.
lated through investments. He
set aside money for the care
Of INDECENT patients, and his