Heart of a Tiger

Casey Award Winner: The Best Baseball Book of the Year

“Elegantly written and genuinely moving.” — Publishers Weekly

“An unforgettable story . . . that will alter how you feel about baseball’s most demonized star.” — Tom Stanton, author of Ty and the Babe

The previously untold legacy of Ty Cobb, the greatest baseball player who ever lived

Ty Cobb’s grandson Herschel saw a side of him that very few others did. While baseball fans were familiar with Cobb’s infamously cold competitive nature, his relationship with his own children was also deeply difficult. Despite this, Cobb embraced the opportunity to form a loving bond with his grandchildren during their summertime visits in his later years.

Herschel Cobb grew up in a chaotic, destructive household. His father was cruel and abusive, and his mother was an adulterous alcoholic. After his father died, when Herschel was eight he began to spend a portion of each summer with his grandfather. Along with his sister and brother, Herschel visited Ty Cobb at his home in Atherton, California, or at his cabin at Lake Tahoe. These days were filled with adventures, memorable incidents, and discoveries as “Granddaddy” warmed to having his “three redheads” with him.

Heart of a Tiger is Herschel Cobb’s moving account of how a retired sports star seized a second chance at having a close family, with his grandchildren the lucky recipients of his change of heart. He provided wisdom, laughter, and a consistent affection that left an indelible mark. He proved the enormous power of a grandparent to provide stability, love, and guidance. As he developed this new, wholly different legacy, in turn he would finally come to peace with himself.