Detroit Red Wings Win 60 Games

On April 11, 1996, the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings become second NHL team to win 60 games in a season.

The Red Wings are members of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL), and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, Boston Bruins, and Chicago Blackhawks.

They play home games in the 20,066 capacity Joe Louis Arena after having spent over 40 years playing in Olympia Stadium. The Red Wings are one of the most popular franchises in the NHL, and fans and commentators refer to Detroit and its surrounding areas as "Hockeytown".

Between the 1933–34 and 1965–66 seasons, the Red Wings missed the playoffs only four times. More recently, the Red Wings have made the playoffs in 27 of the last 29 seasons, including the last 22 in a row (1991–2013). This is the longest current streak of post-season appearances in all of North American professional sports.

The Red Wings have won the most Stanley Cup championships (11) of any NHL franchise based in the United States, and are third overall in total NHL championships, behind the Montreal Canadiens (24) and Toronto Maple Leafs (13). 

The 2007-2008 Detroit Red Wings squad, the last of which won the Lord Stanley Cup.

The Red Wings have won six Conference Championships including back-to-back in 2007-2008, 2008-2009. They have won six Presidents Trophies and 19 Division Championships including three consecutive from 1993-1994 to 1995-1996. They have won six Clarence S. Campbell Bowls, 11 Prince of Wales Trophies, and five O’Brien Trophies.

The Red Wings have retired several numbers including Hall of Famers Terry Sawchuk and his no.1 jersey. Ted Lindsay and his no. 7 jersey. Gordie Howe and his no. 9 jersey. Alex Delvecchio and his no. 10 jersey. Sid Abel and his no. 12 jersey. Steve Yzerman and his no. 19 jersey. Finally Wayne Gretzky’s no. 99 jersey as it has been retired league wide in the NHL as of 2000.

The no. 6 jersey formerly worn by Larry Aurie a right wing from 1927-1939, has not been officially retired but has not been issued since 1939. From 1975-2000 it was listed as retired, but has been changed back to being unofficially retired.

The no. 16 jersey of Vladimir Konstantinov, a defender on the Red Wings teams from 1991-1997 had his jersey retired in 1997 followed a career-ending car accident.

Montreal Canadiens Debut Molson Centre

On March 17, 1996, the Montreal Canadiens played the first game in their new area, the Molson Centre. The Canadiens hosted the New York Rangers and beat them by a score of 4-2.

The Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada.

The arena was named after Molson, Inc a brewing company that owned the team at the time of the arena opening. However, when Molson decided to sell the team they also sold the naming rights to the stadium,

Canadian Telecommunications Company, Bell Canada would buy the team, and purchase the naming rights to the stadium. The Bell Centre still has the largest seating capacity for any NHL stadium with 21,407 seats.

The Bell Centre is known throughout the league for having some of the loudest and largest crowds on hand for any given game.

Tonya Harding Pleads Guilt On Attack Of Nancy Kerrigan

On March 16, 1994 Olympic Figure skater Tonya Harding pleads guilty to a felony attack on Nancy Kerrigan. The attack occurred just before the 1994 Winter Olympic Games.

Kerrigan was an American figure skating champion, a two-time Olympian, and a two-time Skate America Champion.

Nancy Kerrigan in 1993.

In 1991 she won the U.S. Figure Skating Championships and placed second in the World Championships. She was the second woman, and the first American woman, to complete a triple axel jump in competition. She was also the first woman to successfully execute two triple axels in a single competition as well the first ever to complete a triple axel combination with the double toe loop.

Harding became notorious in conjunction with the January 6, 1994 attack on her competitor Nancy Kerrigan. The widely publicized attack took place during a practice session for the 1994 U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Detroit. Her ex-husband, Jeff Gillooly, and her bodyguard, Shawn Eckhardt, hired Shane Stant to break Kerrigan's right leg so that she would be unable to skate.

Tonya Harding in 1993.

He followed her to Detroit after failing to find her at her training rink in Massachusetts, and struck her on the thigh a few inches above the knee with an asp baton. Her leg was only bruised, not broken, but the injury forced her to withdraw from the national championship. Harding won that event, and they both were selected for the 1994 Olympic team.

After Harding admitted to helping to cover up the attack, the USFSA and United States Olympic Committee initiated proceedings to remove her from the Olympic team, but she retained her place after threatening legal action. She finished eighth in Lillehammer, while Kerrigan, by then fully recovered from the injury, won the silver medal.

The attack on Kerrigan and the news of Harding's alleged involvement led to a media frenzy of saturation news coverage. She appeared on the cover of both Time and Newsweek magazines in January 1994. Reporters and TV news crews attended her practices in Portland and camped out in front of Kerrigan's home. CBS assigned Connie Chung to follow her every move in Lillehammer. Counting 400 members of the press jammed into the practice rink in Norway, Scott Hamilton complained, "The world press was turning the Olympics into just another sensational tabloid event". The tape-delayed broadcast of the short program at the Olympics remains one of the most watched telecasts in American history.

On Feb. 1, 1994, Gillooly accepted a plea bargain in exchange for his testimony against Harding. Gillooly, Stant, Eckhardt, and getaway car driver Derrick Smith all served time in prison for the attack. Eckhardt was sentenced to 18 months in prison for racketeering but was released four months early in September 1995.

Harding avoided further prosecution and a possible jail sentence by pleading guilty on March 16 to conspiring to hinder prosecution of the attackers. She received three years probation, 500 hours of community service and a $160,000 fine. As part of the plea bargain, she was also forced to withdraw from the 1994 World Figure Skating Championships and resign from the USFSA. On June 30, 1994, after conducting its own investigation of the attack, the USFSA stripped her of her 1994 U.S. Championships title and banned her for life from participating in USFSA-run events as either a skater or a coach.

The USFSA concluded that she knew about the attack before it happened and displayed "a clear disregard for fairness, good sportsmanship and ethical behavior". Although the USFSA has no control over professional skating events, she was also persona non grata on the pro circuit because few skaters and promoters would work with her. Consequently, she failed to benefit from the pro skating boom that ensued in the aftermath of the scandal.

Harding continued to maintain that she was innocent and professed her disgust with the attack, even going so far as to get an angel tattooed on her lower back, allegedly as a symbol of her innocence.

In her 2008 autobiography, The Tonya Tapes, she said that she wanted to call the FBI to reveal what she knew, but refused when Gillooly allegedly threatened her with death following a gunpoint gang rape by him and two other men she did not know. He subsequently changed his name to Jeff Stone and called the allegations "utterly ridiculous". Eckhardt, who legally changed his name to Brian Sean Griffith following his release from jail, died of natural causes at age 40 on Dec. 12, 2007.

After her figure skating career Harding got into boxing and had a record of 3-3. She also dabbled in auto racing and set a land speed record. On August 12, 2009, Harding set a new land speed record for a vintage gas coupe with a speed of 97.177 mph driving a 1931 Ford Model A, named Lickity - Split, on the Bonneville Salt Flats.

Gordie Howe Signs With Syracuse Crunch

On March 14, 1997, that a 68-year-old Gordie Howe signed a contract with the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch.  He was attempting to become the first player to play professional hockey in six consecutive decades.

The Syracuse Crunch of the AHL's jersey.

Unfortunately, Howe’s comeback had to be canceled because the Crunch were in the playoff hunt and could not afford to sacrifice a roster spot for a player that they felt could put them at a disadvantage. 

Later on that year, he would get his chance to accomplish the milestone, stepping onto the ice for one shift as a member of the IHL’s Detroit Vipers.

Godie Howe (right) at 68-years-old became the oldest player to suit up for a professional hockey team, and became the first player to suit up in six consecutive decades.

Strangely enough, the significance of this day for Howe goes beyond just his contract with the Syracuse Crunch.  He also became just the second NHL player to score 500 goals on March 14, 1962. 

It was just another one of the many milestones Howe reached during his incredibly long professional hockey career.

Howe set several marks of longevity in the NHL, playing in a record 1,767 regular season games over 26 years spanning an incredible five decades.

Gordie also held the records for most goals, assists and points in a career until Wayne Gretzky came along and broke them all.

Howe won four Stanley Cups, six Art Ross trophies and six Hart trophies as the league’s MVP.

Howe is often referred to as Mr. Hockey, and is generally regarded as one of the greatest hockey players of all time.

Red Wings Retire Howe's Jersey

On March 12, 1972, that Gordie Howe had his no. 9 jersey retired by the Detroit Red Wings. 

 

Gordie Howe in the late 2000s at a Detroit Red Wings press conference.

Howe would return to playing a couple years later for the Houston Aeros of the newly formed WHA.  After the WHA went bust in 1979,  “Mr. Hockey” would return for one more year in the NHL with the Hartford Whalers.

Howe set several marks of longevity in the NHL, playing in a record 1,767 regular season games over 26 years spanning an incredible five decades. 

Gordie also held the records for most goals, assists and points in a career until Wayne Gretzky came along and broke them all. 

Gordie Howe in 1968 with the Detroit Red Wings.

Howe won four Stanley Cups, six Art Ross trophies and six Hart trophies as the league’s MVP. 

Howe is often referred to as Mr. Hockey, and is generally regarded as one of the greatest hockey players of all time.

Howe is most famous for his scoring prowess, physical strength, and career longevity. He is the only player to have competed in the NHL in five different decades (1940s through 1980s). A four-time Stanley Cup champion with the Red Wings, he won six Hart Trophies as the league's most valuable player and six Art Ross Trophies as the leading scorer. He was the inaugural recipient of the NHL Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008.

Howe's name and nickname, "Mr. Hockey," as well as his wife's nickname as "Mrs. Hockey," are registered trademarks.

During his NHL career Howe scored 801 regular season goals and 1048 assists totaling 1850 points 1767 games. In the playoffs Howe would score 68 goals and 92 assists for 160 total points in 157 games. 

In 1998, The Hockey News released their List of Top 100 NHL Players of All Time and listed Howe third overall, ahead of Mario Lemieux, but behind Wayne Gretzky and Bobby Orr. Of the list, Orr was quoted as regarding Howe as the greatest player.

On April 10, 2007, Howe was honored with the unveiling of a new bronze statue in Joe Louis Arena. The statue is 12 feet tall and weighs about 4,500 pounds. The man who was commissioned to create the art was Omri Amrany. The statue contains all of Howe's stats and history. Another statue of Howe was erected in downtown Saskatoon, Saskatchewan on the corner of 20th Street and 1st Ave. He is depicted wearing a Detroit Red Wings sweater. The statue has since been relocated to the Credit Union Centre.

In February 2011, various groups have proposed naming the Detroit River International Crossing bridge, a proposed bridge that will connect Detroit and Windsor by linking Highway 401 in Ontario with Interstate 75 and Interstate 94 in Michigan, in honor of Gordie Howe. Gordie Howe is a prime choice, because he is a native Canadian and his long affiliation with Detroit. This name is backed by Canadian politicians and Michigan governor Rick Snyder.

Athletics Fall To Tigers In ALDS Game 5

Mojo in Oaktown runs out as Oakland falls to Detroit in yet another Game 5 in the ALDS

OAKLAND, Calif. – In a rematch of Game 2 the Oakland Athletics sent out rookie pitcher Sonny Gray for the pitching duties to matchup against the former Cy Young winner Justin Verlander in a winner take all Game 5 of the ALDS.

Verlander was bringing in 22 consecutive innings of scoreless ball against the A’s, while Gray was only making his second postseason start of his career, in what was also his second of the series.
The pitching matchup proved to be similar from Game 2 as Gray and Verlander were un-hittable through three full innings, with Gray allowing just one walk to Prince Fielder. But for Gray the wheels began to spin like a truck in mud. He continued to pound the zone with fastballs and gave up back-to-back hits to Torii Hunter and a home to Miguel Cabrera in the top of the fourth inning.

TOD FIERNER / Courtesy -- Detroit Tigers Miguel Cabrera (right) hit a two-run home run in he fourth inning off of Oakland Athletics Sonny Gray. Cabrera’s two-run home run would prove to be all the Tigers would need to clinch their second straight ALDS title at the O.Co Coliseum on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2013.

The home run for Cabrera was his first since Sept. 17, also his first extra base hit in the same time span.

“He didn’t have the leg driving he normally does, and I surprised he pulled it for a home run,” said Oakland A’s Manager Bob Melvin. “But I guess you can’t be surprised when Cabrera hits a home run.”

Gray would continue to get in trouble in the inning after he got Fielder to ground out, he allowed back-to-back singles to Victor Martinez and Jhonny Peralta before walking Alex Avila to load the bases. After a mound visit by pitching Coach Curt Young, Gray would get Infante to ground out to escape what would have been instantaneous danger.

Gray would again come out to pitch the fifth and sixth innings, but would be pulled in the sixth after allowing back-to-back hits to Martinez and Peralta again. Gray would leave the game to a standing ovation from the crowd, as Melvin also gave the youngster a round of applause on his way to the mound.

Reliever Dan Otero would come in and get out of the inning, but only before allowing one of the two inherited runners from Gray to score pushing the score to 3-0 in favor of the Tigers.

TOD FIERNER/ Courtesy -- Detroit Tigers Justin Verlander proved to be too much for the Oakland Athletics to handle in Game 5 of the ALDS on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2013. Verlander was dominant pitching a perfect game until the sixth inning, a no-hitter until the seventh inning and eventually pitching eight scoreless innings in the 3-0 win.

In the other dugout it was Verlander who continue to stifle the Oakland offense as he took his perfect game bid into the sixth inning before walking Josh Reddick with one out. Reddick would advance to second on a fly ball from Stephen Vogt, the hero from Game 2, but he would be left at second as Coco Crisp flied out to end the inning.

Otero would work a clean inning, allowing two hits to Fielder and Martinez, but not allowing any runners to score, keeping the score at 3-0.

“Since he came up for his, look at his numbers, they have been fantastic,” said Oakland Manager Bob Melvin. “We used in a number of roles, and he’s been a guy we really leaned on late in games. And he was the first guy we called on tonight to come in and stop the rally.”

Verlander would continue to dominate with the no-hit bid still in tact but would give up a single to Yoenis Cespedes with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning. The fans would go crazy as Cespedes rounded first base, only to trot back to pound fists with first base Coach Ty Waller. However for the A’s fans and Cespedes, he would be left on-base as Verlander would strike out Seth Smith, for his eighth strikeout of the night.

Then it was Sean Doolittle’s turn to get some action as he came in from the bullpen. Doolittle would work a one-two-three inning, giving the A’s fans some hope that their team could work around the 3-0 deficit.

The bottom of the eighth inning saw Brandon Moss strike out for his third time in the game and Alberto Callaspo ground out to Fielder at first before Reddick got on-base for the second time in the game, this time with a single up the middle.

Still with a bit of hope in their pocket the A’s fans rose to their feet hoping that Vogt would get a clutch hit. However, it was Verlander who would have the last laugh as he recorded strikeout number 10 on the night.

“Justin was locked in tonight,” said Tigers Manager Jim Leyland. “I don’t know how he is locked in against a certain team, but he was.”

The top of the ninth brought in Australian closer Grant Balfour to face the Tigers top of the line up.

Balfour would strike out Austin Jackson, earning his third strikeout of the game, and Divisional Series record of 13, a record that Oakland’s Moss tied with his three in the game. Balfour would continue to do what he did throughout most of the season, get batters out as he got Hunter to fly out to Crisp in center for the second out. Then it was time to face Cabrera, who only had two hits after the first inning of each game in the series. Balfour would get Cabrera swinging, breathing one last breath of life into the stands of the O.Co Coliseum.

Down 3-0 and with the top of the lineup due the Tigers brought in closer Joaquin Benoit for Verlander, as well as their defensive replacements as Peralta and Cabrera went to the dugout in favor of Jose Iglesias and Ramon Santiago respectively.

“You feel relieved when Verlander doesn’t come out,” said Melvin. “But Benoit has been doing well too.”

“Verlander told me he was dead tired after the eighth inning,” said Leyland.

With the fans on their feet and chanting “Let’s Go Oakland,” Crisp started off the inning against Benoit with a ground out to second, bringing up Donaldson who had been slumping in the series, holding just a .150 average in the series into the at-bat against Benoit would strike out swinging.

Down to there last out former Stanford Cardinal product, and first year A’s shortstop Lowrie would step into the box to face Benoit, looking to give the Oakland fans some sort of miracle. But like Donaldson he had been slumping in the series, bringing a .105 average into the at-bat, but he would come through, hitting a double to left-center field.

That brought up one of the two hottest hitters for the A’s in the series, Cespedes, the player who broke up Verlander’s no-hit bid earlier in the game. Once again the fans jumped to their feet to cheer on their slugger.

Once again the fans chanted “Let’s Go Oakland,” as Cespedes took a pair of uninhibited hacks at pitches from Benoit.

With a two-ball and two-strike count Benoit would hit Cespedes on the inner leg, bringing the tying run to the plate in Seth Smith, who would work the count, but would eventually fly out to right field, ending the Oakland A’s season.

“I was worried when Smith came in,” said Leyland. “I wasn’t very comfortable.”

“Our fans were just waiting to get into a frenzy, we just needed to get some base runners, and let our fans pull us the way we did last year,” said Melvin.  “We just didn’t get any consistency, until the last inning.”

TOD FIERNER / Courtesy -- The Detroit Tigers celebrating on the field at the O.Co Coliseum in Oakland, Calif. after recording the final out of the 2013 ALDS.

But you wouldn’t have noticed that the game was over by the way the Oakland fans stayed and cheered on the team again raining down chants of “Let’s Go Oakland,” as the Detroit Tigers rushed the field to celebrate on the infield.

The A’s loss to the Tigers makes it 10 consecutive playoff losses to the Tigers dating back to 2006 when they lost to the Tigers in the ALCS. The last six losses coming in the last two ALDS matchups from 2012 and 2013.

For the Tigers, they head to Boston to face the Red Sox in the ALCS.

The Tarps Are Coming Off In Oakland

Your wish is my command!

Those are a few words Oakland Athletics fans would have never expected to come from the front office of the East Bay’s baseball franchise, the Oakland A’s. However, your wish is being granted.
No the ownership group didn’t decide on a location in Jack London Square for a new stadium to keep the team in Oakland, but they did agree to take the tarps off of the third deck of the coliseum, minus the tarps that cover Mt. Davis. Of note, the third deck already has a few sections behind home plate that are called the “Value Deck” where you can purchase a ticket that includes free food and beverages. Those seats will now be apart of the “View Level” seating which is the entire bowled section of the third deck.

Here is a tweet from the Oakland Athletics official twitter handle @Athletics – Due to strong demand, additional View Level seating is now available for #Athletics ALDS games #OAKtober http://atmlb.com/188XA4y - 12:44 PM - 17 Sep 2013.

Last year the A’s ownership group noted they would take off the tarps on the third deck if the team made the ALCS, although the note was made after the team was already down 0-2 to the Detroit Tigers in the ALDS. The team would push a Game 5 at home, but would eventually lose to those same Tigers, who ended up losing in the World Series to the San Francisco Giants, the A’s cross bay rival.

My assumption is, if the A’s move on beyond the American League Divisional Series to the American League Championship Series (ALCS) or the World Series the tarps will remain off, and possibly more tarps will be coming off of Mt. Davis, in an attempt to gain more revenue.

So what does this mean?

First off, it means more seats for people looking to go to a playoff game in the Bay Area.
The current capacity, and will be for the remainder of the regular season of the O.Co Coliseum is 35,067 plus standing room only tickets. For the ALDS and likely the Wild Card game or other series in the playoffs, the attendance figures will be bumped up to near 44,000 seats plus standing room only.

Secondly, it means that the fans and fan base that supports the A’s is growing in numbers and their voices are beginning to be heard. Well at least their dollars are willing to seen.

The seats in the third deck are starting at $35 for the ALDS and will continue to increase if the team extends its post-season run.

Third, this means the A’s are giving their fan base a shot as packing the house, like it used to be in the early 2000’s and before that, a few more times once the post season begins.

So A’s fans, and baseball fans alike, now is your chance to get tickets, which went on sale Tuesday, Sept. 17 at 10 a.m.

To purchase tickets online you can visit www.OaklandAthletics.com/tickets, you can also visit their box offices at the O.Co Coliseum in Oakland, Calif.

With less than two weeks until the post season begins, it’s time to put on your rally cap and root for your team. The playoffs are upon us.

Murray Blasts 500

On this day in 1996, Eddie Murray hit career home run 500.

Murray was playing with the Baltimore Orioles at the time. Murray's bomb came against the Detroit Tigers. He would play just one more season and end his career with 504 home runs.

Murray was just the fourteenth player to reach the milestone of 500 home runs. 

 There have been 10 players to reach the 500 home run mark after him. Murray is now ranked no. 25 on the all-time list of home run hitters. 

Murray ended his career as an eight time All-Star, including six consecutive selections from 1981-1986. He won all three of his Gold Gloves consecutively from 1982-1984 and won three Silver Slugger awards in 1983, 1984 and 1990.

Murray was the AL Rookie of the Year in 1977 and was part of the Baltimore Orioles team that won the 1983 World Series.

Murray’s career also saw playing time with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Cleveland Indians and Anaheim Angels to go along with his time with the Mets and Orioles.

Murray would finish his career with a .287 batting average, 3,255 hits, 504 home runs, 1,917 RBIs and 1,627 runs scored. He is one of only four players to have 3,000 hits and 500 home runs. The other three are Hall of Famers Hank Aaron and Willie Mays as well as another famous Orioles slugger Rafael Palmeiro.

His 504 home runs are the most of a player who never hit more than 33 home runs in a season, the second most by a switch hitter to that only of New York Yankees great Mickey Mantle, who hit 536 in his career. They also rank Murray twenty-fifth in all-time home runs.

At the time of his retirement he was tied with Chili Davis for the most games in which he hit a home run from both sides of the plate, 11. In 2011 New York Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeria broke the record with 12.

A record not shown on the stat book but valuable is that Murray is the record holder for sacrifice flies with 128.

The Baltimore Orioles retired Murray’s jersey number 33 in 1998.

In 1999, Murray ranked Number 77 on The Sporting News list of Baseball's Greatest Players, and was nominated as a finalist for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team.

Murray was also inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2003 with 85.3 percent of the vote on the first ballot in which he appeared.

Murray served as the hitting coach for the Cleveland Indians from 2002 to 2005.

On June 14, 2007, Murray was fired as hitting coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers, after just months on the job.

In 2012 a Bronze statue of Eddie Murray's left handed hitting stance unveiled at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

Cobb Collects His Final Hit; 4,191

On September 3, 1928, Major League Baseball Hall of Famer and Detroit Tigers great Ty Cobb gets career hit 4,191, it would also be his last.

At the time of his retirement he was the hit leader in baseball, but since has been passed by one man, Pete Rose. He and Rose are still the only members of the 4,000 hit-club in MLB history. However, Ichiro Suzuki now has over 4,000 hits if you total his time with in the Japanese Leagues with his time in the MLB.

Cobb, nicknamed "The Georgia Peach," was an American Major League Baseball outfielder. He was born in The Narrows, Georgia, a small rural community of farmers that was not an official city or village at the time.

Cobb spent 22 seasons with the Detroit Tigers, the last six as the team's player-manager, and finished his career with the Philadelphia Athletics. In 1936 Cobb received the most votes of any player on the inaugural Baseball Hall of Fame ballot, receiving 222 out of a possible 226 votes.

At the end of his playing career Cobb was credited with breaking 90 MLB records including 54 career steals of home, still the most of all time, 892 stolen bases, which has since been surpassed by three players including current stolen base champion Oakland Athletics great Rickey Henderson.

Most runs scored with 2,245, which has since been surpassed only by Henderson. Most career hits with 4,191, which has since been surpassed only by Rose.

Cobb finished his career as a one time American League MVP in 1911, the winner of 12 batting titles, including nine in a row from 1907-1915, both of which are the most of all time. He batted over .400 three times, which is tied for an MLB record and only batted under .320 once in his career. He also led the American League with a .350 batting average at age 20, second youngest in MLB history to do so.

Cobb’s career numbers include a .366 batting average, a .433 on-base percentage, a .512 slugging percentage, 4,189 hits, 724 doubles, 295 triples, 117 home runs, 1,249 walks, 1,938 RBIs, 2,246 runs scored, 897 stolen bases in 3,034 games played.

Cobb was named to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team, and Cooperstown Hall of Fame in 1936 with 98.23 percent of the vote. Cobb received the most votes of any player on the inaugural Baseball Hall of Fame ballot, receiving 222 out of a possible 226 votes.

Since the inception of the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York there have been 300 members elected with only three members with a higher percentage of the vote being inducted after Cobb including in this order of percentage; New York Mets great Tom Seaver 98.84 percent, Texas Rangers, Houston Astros and California Angels great Nolan Ryan 98.79 percent and Baltimore Orioles great Cal Ripken Jr. with 98.53 percent.

Only Kansas City Royals George Brett has topped 98 percent of the vote without surpassing Cobb, with 98.19 percent.