In Ty Cobb's Shadow: The Story of Napoleon Lajoie, Baseball's First Superstar

Napoleon who? Often called the Emperor of the Diamond, he was baseball’s first superstar. Cy Young called him “the Babe Ruth of our time.” When he endorsed a popular cigar, it was said that half of the nation’s youth were sick the next day. Three cities claimed him as their hero, even as thousands upon thousands nationwide streamed through the turnstiles to see his mesmerizing talents on display. And yet, the Emperor’s reign was too short, usurped by a brilliant streaking meteor named Ty Cobb. But Napoleon Lajoie had risen from the street and the mills. He would not go down without a battle. Many years later, Ty Cobb came to visit. Each man was but a few years away from death, but under the swaying palms of a warm Florida afternoon, the two gladiators of the game needed to talk. In the Shadow of Ty Cobb is the story of America’s fanatical love affair with baseball. It is the story of baseball heroes who played the game as it will never be played again. From his impoverished French-Canadian childhood in the mills of Woonsocket, Rhode Island, to his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame, he remains one of baseball’s greatest Horatio Alger figures, a man who kept true to his roots and found light even in the shadows.