Zimagal Monthly Magazine - Volume One, Issue Five

1910 The introduction of the cork-centered baseball. As opposed to the rubber-centered ball which had been in use up until that time, the cork-centered version was found to be more "lively." This ball was first used in the 1910 World Series between the Philadelphia Athletics and Chicago Cubs, and the two clubs batted .272, which was about twenty points higher than the regular season league average. The following year, both leagues adopted the cork-centered ball. Batting averages climbed dramatically.

In 1911, the overall American League batting average rose by thirty points. The League's batting average leader, Detroit's Ty Cobb, hit a stunning .420. No doubt a little assisted by that new cork-centered ball. Ty Cobb with his glove (inset)
1907 - In his first full season, Ty Cobb leads the Tigers (and the league) with a .350 batting average, 212 hits, 116 RBI, and 49 stolen bases.
1928 - Ty Cobb ends a remarkable career, calling it quits at age 40, one with 4191 hits, .367 career batting average, 2245 runs scored, 1961 RBI, and 892 stolen bases.

1919 The Black Sox Scandal. In 1918, the WhiteSox players began complaining about their constantly decreasing salary. They were the best team in the league, yet were paid the least, given the least for food, and stayed in the cheapest hotels for away games. The owner would either lie about salary increases or just flat out refuse to discuss them. Thus, a group of nine baseball players who were in need of money turned to gambling and decided to throw the World Series. The WhiteSox were highly favored to win the 1919 World Series; when they threw the game, it was noticed. There was an investigation and a trial, and the players were eventually acquitted by a jury.

Shoeless Joe Jackson

1921 As a direct result of the Black Sox scandal, Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis becomes the game's first commissioner, with absolute power over both players and owners. He banned the "eight men out" from baseball for life.

The "Roaring 20s" was a decade of booming prosperity in which there were hefty increases in recreational spending by the American people. By 1929, Americans were annually spending $4.9 billion for recreational pursuits. Much of this spending was diverted into movies, radios, and automobiles, but major sports like baseball were attracting millions of hero-worshipping fans. Such adulation made demigods of athletes like Babe Ruth, who became the most photographed American of the decade.

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Babe Ruth, signed baseball (inset)
1927 The Yankees unveil "Murderers' Row," a powerful lineup that features Babe Ruth's 60 home runs and Lou Gehrig's 175 RBI, which lead the team to a 110-44 record and a sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Lou Gehrig