Ty Cobb was an enigma. Horrible, racist asshole on and off the field. But, when the discussion as to who was the greatest hitter of all time was, there is no doubt. It's not Ted Williams or Babe Ruth, it's Cobb. In 1925, when he was in the twilight of his career and Babe Ruth was destroying all homerun records, a reporter asked Cobb why he didn't try to adjust his swing and hit homeruns like the Sultan of Swat. It's what was bringing more fans out to the games, but Cobb played the game scientifically. He told the reporter that, but just to show everyone that he could if he wanted to, against the St. Louis Browns he put on a show that even the Bambino never accomplished. In two games he went 9 - 12 with 5 homeruns, a double and three singles, amassing 11 RBIs and 25 Total Bases. All 9 hits were consecutive too.
I'm a Red Sox fan and I love Babe Ruth, but Cobb was the greatest hitter of all time...PERIOD!