Georgia’s Homegrown Heroes
I have long been curious about Georgia’s 159 counties, stopping to read historical markers when I travel and researching famous folk who put their hometown on the map.
1922 Babe Ruth International Newsreel
Recently when I drove through Royston, I thought of Ty Cobb, the famous baseball player who grew up there and made it to the Big Leagues when he was 18 years old. I seldom think of Cobb, with whom I spent an afternoon in the spring of 1962, without reflecting on the fact that around 40 miles separates two small towns famous for two of the greatest hitters in major league history – Cobb and Johnny Mize.
Mize was a native of Demorest and has the distinction of being distantly related to Cobb and, by marriage, to Babe Ruth. Ruth’s second wife Claire, born Clara Mae Merritt, was Mize’s cousin.
Merritt’s first marriage was to fellow Athens native Frank Bishop Hodgson, who died at 37. I have visited his grave in the Oconee Hills Cemetery, not too far from Sanford Stadium.
That first marriage brought about the birth of a daughter, Julia, who was later adopted by Ruth and lived to be 102 years old. It is interesting how these famous people are interconnected and grew up only a few miles apart.
One summer several years ago, I discovered that Julia Ruth Stephens lived in North Conway, New Hampshire, and drove to see her. At the time she was in her 80s. She was a very affable woman who considered Babe Ruth to be her father and was not eager to talk about her birth father, whom she described as “shiftless.”
That, she explained, is why her mother struck out for New York and became a chorus girl, which brought about an introduction to Ruth. As his wife, she would be widely credited with instilling discipline in baseball’s “Sultan of Swat,” a notorious carouser.
As baseball fans are keenly aware, Ruth held the home run record for 39 years before it was broken by Hank Aaron of the Atlanta Braves in 1974. Aaron’s records were broken decades later by players whose performance was reportedly enhanced by steroids. That was never the case with Aaron, and it is generally understood that the Babe trained on hot dogs and beer.
I seldom think of [Ty] Cobb, with whom I spent an afternoon in the spring of 1962, without reflecting on the fact that around 40 miles separates two small towns famous for two of the greatest hitters in major league history – Cobb and Johnny Mize.
Whatever Cobb ate, it enriched his skills in that he set 90 records, some of which still stand. He finished with a career batting average of .366 and won nine consecutive American League batting titles, 12 overall.
Mize played 15 seasons in the majors but missed three seasons of his prime years due to World War II. He was either No. 1 or tied for most home runs four times in the National League. His 2,011 hits resulted in 359 career home runs and 1,337 RBI. Six times in his career he hit three home runs in a single game, which is a record that has been tied by two other players.
Another Big Leaguer of note, Spurgeon “Spud” Chandler, grew up in Carnesville, which is near the Mize-Cobb neck of the woods. Chandler had a spectacular run in the majors following a football-baseball career at the University of Georgia. He spent his entire time in the major leagues with the New York Yankees.
He was the American League’s most valuable player in 1943, posting a 20-4 record. His 1.64 earned run average was the lowest of any major leaguer between 1920 and 1967, which is still a Yankee record. His career winning percentage of .717 is the highest of any pitcher with 100 victories since 1876.
As spectacular as his record is, he has been consistently passed over for induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. The reason? His best seasons came during the WWII years, and there are so many former Yankees already inducted that it is difficult for players like him to gain induction momentum.
Many years ago, after a conversation with the legendary Ted Williams, who adamantly said that Chandler should be inducted at Cooperstown, I called to tell him of Williams’ endorsement. He broke down in tears, saying, “Well, they better hurry.”
Several small-town Georgians in business, entertainment and politics have shone a light on their corner of the state. But it seems to happen more often in sports. Take the time to visit their stomping grounds. It’s a fun way to learn about the state’s homegrown heroes.
Loran Smith is a veteran sportswriter and longtime UGA sidelines reporter.
