July 17, 1961 - The world of baseball today mourned the death of Ty Cobb (pictured with Stan Musial in 1957), hailed by many as the game's greatest star and acknowledged by all as its fiercest competitor. Casey Stengel called Cobb "the most sensational of all the players I have seen in my life. He would shock his opponents with startling base-running plays and he could always outhit any opponent." Stengel recalled once seeing Cobb tag up and score from third on an infield pop-up. "He just waited until the infielder got ready to throw to the pitcher," said Stengel. Mickey Mantle said: "I'm sorry to hear it. He used to come see me in the dugout when he visited New York and give me batting tips. He would say, 'Come here, kid, let me show you what you're doing wrong.' He must have helped me two or three times."
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