The Chalmers Race: Ty Cobb, Napoleon Lajoie, and the Controversial 1910 Batting Title That Became a National Obsession

The Chalmers Race offers a compelling account of the race for the 1910 batting championship and the troubling events that made October 9, 1910 one of the darkest moments in baseball history. Huhn's detailed analysis includes insightful passages about the overwhelming importance of batting averages at the time and the inexact science of score keeping.Regarding the cover photo, I think Huhn could have stated why Cobb and Lajoie refused to sit behind the wheel. Superstitions were far more prevalent in those days and were a key factor in their refusal to sit together in the front seat. If both sat in the front seat one of them would have to sit behind the wheel - a jinx that worried both players.The Chalmers Race, though, is a superb book about one of baseball's most shameful episodes and the Deadball Era itself.

It brings the controversy back to life between these 2 baseball legends. Great research for historical information by the author.

Purchased as a gift, did not read or open. I'm sure it's fine.

Great book. The author has done a lot of research.

Very fine book about my favorite subject.

Service and product were excellent.

The Dead Ball Era of baseball (1900-1920), is one of the most colorful in the National Pastime’s history. With the help of a burgeoning mass media, more leisure time for the working man (and woman) and a few more dollars to spend on that time, the game’s popularity was growing in leaps and bounds. Add in an oftentimes nefarious group of club owners and ballplayers of varying skills and personalities and one has the perfect era for entertaining and informative reading. The Chalmers Race fits the bill perfectly.Rick Huhn has done an extensive amount of research in bringing to light the 1910 baseball season and its batting title race. Although there has been a batting title winner ever since the statistic was first recorded in 1876, this season’s winner would drive off in a brand new Chalmers automobile. That fact alone would draw any crank’s interest but the fact that the race involved two of baseball’s emerging superstars, Cobb and Lajoie, made the race front page news all across the country. And, of course, it came down to the last game of the season, which is where all the trouble started.Ty Cobb, with his club’s permission, skipped the last two games – seemingly with the title in hand. Napoleon Lajoie, in a meaningless double header with the St. Louis Browns, suspiciously garnered eight hits in the two games. Enter American League President Ban John son, with the last and final word in the decision. The results are still being debated.This is the story of baseball when the fix was usually “in”, score keeping and statistics keeping were haphazard at best and human foibles definitely took their part. Huhn has done a remarkable job in presenting all of the facts in an entertaining story. The Chalmers Race belongs on every cranks’ bookshelf.