This lot is closed. Bidding ended on 7/23/2020.
A two page handwritten letter dated 4/29/47 on Tyrus Cobb’s personal stationery responding to an autograph request and reads, in part "The picture of Baker spiking incident you no doubt have heard so much of and it only goes to show how unfair newspaper men or sports writers can be. It was Horace Fogel long since dead, a Philadelphia writer...who wrote a most lurid & inflammatory story about it, he was half drunk most of the time and had a poisonous spirit, had the play happened in Philadelphia nothing would have developed as it did for there could have seen the play, I received threatening letters if I played in the series at Philadelphia, I played but did not enjoy the threats, of course...the play was at third, Baker was in the line reaching past inside of 3rd base to tag me, I am well inside the bag with my toe, I ended up at least 3 feet inside and away from bag towards the coaching box, I was coming from second base and in no way am I in a position of intent to spike, only trying for the bag with toe...Baker was only slightly "nipped" by my heel spike...yet I was branded a spiker by a drunk & much has been written about that since..." The reverse pages have scrapbook tape marks and Cobb himself penned his signature in blue ink with a full "Ty Cobb" signature that in our opinion rates a 9. This letter is as good as it gets. Accompanied by a Full LOA from JSA.