What surprised you about the story? Almost everyone I talk to is surprised to learn that Ty and Babe became friends. In our minds, they are eternal enemies. In truth, despite their wicked history, Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth grew to like and respect each other. It happened late in Cobb's baseball career, and it may have been helped along by Ruth's second wife, who had dated Cobb years earlier in Georgia. Though Ty and Babe remained extremely competitive, they developed a cordial relationship that revealed itself to the public in a 1941 charity golf tournament that is the focus of the final third of the book. As part of the Left-Handed Has-Beens Golf Tournament, Cobb and Ruth faced off in matches outside of Boston, New York, and Detroit. It marked their final battle as athletes. Were they good golfers? They were decent. Based on his five handicap, Ruth was probably the better golfer. (Cobb was a nine.) But those numbers became irrelevant when you placed them on the same course. They had too much history together. It wasn't just about who could make the shots. Cobb was a champion of mind games. He relied not only on his skills but on psychology. He felt certain he could psyche Ruth out of victory. Ruth was the more experienced golfer, but both men loved the sport. They played in charity and amateur tournaments. In retirement, Ruth golfed most days of the year. When I started this book, I knew their 1941 golf tournament would be a major part of the project. It captures them after their playing days, as their fame is waning and as other baseball stars – DiMaggio, Williams, Feller – are seizing the spotlight. Where did you draw your information? I did extensive newspaper and magazine research. I read letters, pored through box scores and game accounts, and conducted many interviews. Everyone who played major league ball against Cobb has died. But I found several marvelous sources, including Jimmy Lanier, who grew up in Augusta, Georgia, near the Cobb family and served as Ty's personal batboy. He was a treasure. Various Ruth and Cobb family members also cooperated.
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