Rare Cobb recording found in garage

Wednesday, March 15th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(Tampa, Florida-AP) -- Interviews with "the Georgia Peach" were rare, especially in the twilight of his life. But a conversation recorded in 1949 with baseball immortal Ty Cobb has
been unearthed and Grantland Rice is heard on an old wire recorder asking Cobb about his favorite game that also shackled his soul.

Cobb tells Rice: "I've almost felt like a prisoner who has been set free." Cobb also confesses, "I gave up my life to the game for 25 years."

Jack Brown of Florida recently found the recording in his garage on his father's Silvertone recorder.

Cobb, who died in 1961, was the first player elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. He retired with a record .366 lifetime batting average and holds the record for the most runs
scored.