It is not confusing. It’s simple – you won. You go ahead and tell the whole wide world that the greatest ballplayer who ever lived is also the greatest bastard. Eureka! Who fucking cares?
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As the title suggests, Cobb is a 1994 film in which Tommy Lee Jones plays Ty Cobb, one of the greatest baseball players of all time — many would say the greatest.
The film plays as a ‘so crazy it’s true’ account of Al Stump’s time spent traveling with Ty Cobb to ghostwrite his autobiography. As it would turn out, ‘so crazy it’s true’ was actually ‘sensational bullshit made up by Stump to sell books.’
Decades after Cobb’s autobiography, My Life in Baseball: The True Record, was published, Stump released another volume telling the story of what really happened during their time together. Other biographers would later discover that the account was almost entirely fabricated. It turned out Stump made a habit of forging and fabricating during his career, especially in relation to Cobb. The truth about the book came out after the film, so at the time it was still believed to be a true account.
Still, even if those particular events were fabricated, Cobb was still quite possibly the most miserable son of a bitch to ever step on a Major League ball field. He was a racist, bigoted, misogynist, abusive, world class piece of shit. His opponents hated him, his teammates hated him, his family hated him, even baseball fans often hated him. Anyone who had the misfortune of interacting with him lamented the experience.
On the field, Cobb played dirty. He was famous for his attempts to harm opposing players — something he was transparent about. For example, he consistently slid into bases with his spikes high enough to cause injury. Cobb apparently kept his metal spikes sharp for this explicit purpose.
As a human, he was the worst. He was also one of the most remarkable baseball players of all time. Like Ruth, he single-handedly changed the game. That fact is particularly interesting because they men were contemporaries, had opposite playing styles, and still left indelible marks on the game moving forward. Cobb changed how the game was played forever.
With a character like that, a really compelling biopic could be made about his life. This was not that biopic. I’d say some grace was necessary for a film made 28 years ago, but it came out the same year as Pulp Fiction, The Shawshank Redemption, Quiz Show, and The Professional, just to name a few.
The movie is a mess in so many ways. To name one, the tone changes wildly from time to time, then swings back. For example, there’s a zany segment where Stump tries to survive as a drunk Cobb drives a car along windy roads in a snowstorm. The scene is complete with playful, adventurous music that belongs in a dated film about a troublemaking but lovable rascal, something in the vein of Uncle Buck. Why was that placed in the middle of an otherwise dark film about a monstrous man at the end of his life? I don’t know, you’re going to have to tell me.
I also think Jones’s performance — which many see as the lone saving grace in the film — is significantly overrated.
I wouldn’t say I outright hated Cobb, but I also can’t think of a single positive to say about it.
Whatevs, onto the next one!
Up Next: Field of Dreams — After three straight films I didn’t like, it’ll be nice to get back to an old standby to right the ship.
