While it's impossible to attribute all of Cobb's flaws to Stump's fabrications, Stump's portrayal of him as the most villainous figure in baseball history was accepted as fact for so long that it remains the dominant representation of him, said author Charles Leerhsen, who is researching and writing a biography of Cobb.

WSJ: Ty Cobb: A Juicy Look At the Georgia Peach

Although he can seem a bit cerebral on the stump, the 37-year-old Mr Sununu cuts a youthful figure compared with Senator Smith's old-school style.

ECONOMIST: Senate campaigning