Joe Cobb

Who was Joe Cobb?

Joseph Stanley Cobb was a Major League Baseball catcher who appeared in one game for the Detroit Tigers on April 25, 1918. Born in Hudson, Pennsylvania, Joe Cobb was not related to his Tiger teammate Ty Cobb.

Cobb's lone plate appearance was as a pinch hitter for pitcher Rudy Kallio in the bottom of the eighth inning, during an 8-4 loss to the Cleveland Indians. Cobb has long been shown in major league records to have walked in his only plate appearance, but recent research shows that the original 1918 box score for his only game credited Cobb with striking out. In either event, Cobb did not play in the field, and his major league career consisted only of this single plate appearance.

Outside of the majors, Cobb had an extensive minor league career, which began in 1917. After three seasons, Cobb dropped out of baseball before returning in 1923 with the Jersey City Skeeters and the Baltimore Orioles. In 1923-24, Cobb was the starting catcher for the Orioles, one of top teams in the International League. The 1923 Orioles had a record of 111-53, and the 1924 Orioles are considered to be one of the five greatest minor league teams of all time, having finished with a record of 117-48. After the Orioles won the 1923 pennant, The Sporting News wrote an article describing Joe Cobb's role on the team: "[Manager] Dunn’s first moves were to obtain catcher Joe Cobb from Jersey City . . . and to sign veteran pitcher Chief Bender. The addition of the peppy Cobb put new life in the Orioles." In 1923, Cobb hit .320 with 72 runs and 80 RBIs. In 1924, Cobb was named to the International League all-star team and hit .320 with 84 RBIs and 75 runs. Cobb also had the distinction of catching for future Hall of Famer Lefty Grove, who had his breakout year with the 1924 Orioles, going 26-6.