Evening star., 1924-11-13
SturEUOLUes
CHAPTER XXI.
BY III. G. SALSINGER.

THE turning point in Ty Cobb's
career came in 1907, the year
that Hughie Jennings took
charge of the Detroit team as man
ager. The Detroit team had enough
power, but there had been lacking
a leader to harness this power
Jennings proved to be that man.
There never lived a keener judge
of base ball talent than the red
headed Jennings. Few men have
been his equal. He had heard about
Cobb and he was eager to see him.
After getting his first look at the
youngster Jennings formed his judg-
ment. He watched him closely a
week and then ignored him entirely.
Cobb noticed the slight and spoke
about the matter to a friendly news
paper writer. The newspaper man
told Jennings that Cobb was hurt
because he was ignoring him. Incl
dentally he asked Jennings why he
did not pay some attention to Cobb,
since the boy showed certain
amount of promise. Jennings said
he would take the matter up with
Cobb. In the meantime he would
assure the writer that he had in no
way neglected Cobb. He had fully
observed that young man and his
mind was made up as far as he was
concerned.
Advice of Jennings.
Jennings took Cobb aside the same
evening.
My boy" began Jennings. you
may think I've been overlooking you.
l haven't anything of the kind, I've
L, al
want to tell you this: There isn't a
thing about base ball that 1 can teach
you. Anything ] might say to you
would simply hinder you in your de-
celopment. The only thing for you
TO do is to go ahead and do as you
please. You just use your own judg-
ment. You can teach yourself better
and get along faster than by the aid
of any man I know. Now just go
ahead and work things out in your
own way and do what you think is
best. and I'll back you"
The next morning Jennings met the
newspaper man on his way to the
training grounds.
Il think you'll see Cobb do a lot
better work from now on" observed
the new manager.
DO you think he has the making
of good ball player?" asked the
newspaper man.
Jennings took him by the arm and
answered slowly:
Listen to me. He has the making
of the greatest ball player that ever
lived, and that's exactly what he will
be within the next three years. Mark
my word and play that as strong as
you like. You can't go wrong.
An Exclusive Story.
The newspaper man took jennings
word He played his opinion in eight
column lines. He did not go wrong.
Jennings adhered to his decision.
He let Cobb attend to his own de-
yelopment. He never gave him or
ders. He permitted him to run wild.
There has never been another play
er who was such a law unto hlmselr
as Cobb. No other manager would
have handled him as Jennings did,
and it would have been impossible
for Cobb to develop under another
man the way he did under Jennings.
Another man would have tried to
make Cobb part of machine and
Cobb could never have developed as
one of a whole; to develop he had TO
he one. all alone and apart from the
whole. Jennings. great judge or
playinE talent, realized this. Also ne
realized that, permitted to be law
unto himself, Cobb would be far more
valuable than Cobb as a spoke In a
wheel, figuratively speaking. He
could let Cobb play his own game and
create opportunities from which the
team would benefit.
Jennings studied Cobb from the
standpoint of psychology, as well as
from mechanical playing standards.