MLB power rankings: Top 30 nicknames of all-time
By John Buhler
18. Ty Cobb: The Georgia Peach
Well over 50 years since his death in 1961, Ty Cobb remains one of the best baseball players in history. Known for his bat and his base running ability, Cobb gathered 4,191 career hits and 892 career stolen bases. Cobb was part of the inaugural Baseball Hall of Fame class in 1936.
He spent the bulk of his big league career with the Detroit Tigers playing in the outfield. Cobb may have starred on the diamond, but was reviled among big leaguers during his playing days. He would routinely try to spike middle infielders when he would swipe bags.
His less than pleasant demeanor coupled with his Georgia upbringing resulted in the Georgia Peach nickname. Though Cobb would make a fortune in his post-playing career as an early investor in Coca-Cola and General Motors stock, he would be labelled a racist and never was beloved as a ball player.
Cobb’s stolen base record stood until Lou Brock took it from him. He would have the all-time hits record until Pete Rose came along decades later. Cobb still holds a major league record for the best career batting average at .367. He also has the most ironic nickname in baseball history. There was nothing sweet about the Georgia Peach that was Cobb.