EDDIE WELLS: It's a funny thing. The opposition hated Cobb. I mean, he was a hustler and he'd spike you to get that base. A lot of the players on that Detroit club didn't like him because he was tough. Harry Heilmann didn't think much of him, and neither did Ken Holloway or George Dauss. But me and Cobb always got along great. Always did. I thought a lot of him and he thought a lot of me.

Cobb didn't hit home runs hardly at all. Doubles now and then, but mostly singles. He aimed for the pitcher's box all the time. He's the hustlingest player of all time. There's never been another since him, though Pete Rose is close to him.

I can't complain about Cobb one bit. He was real nice to me. After I graduated from Bethany College in 1924, I went straight to Detroit to report. And Ty told me, "Listen, I'm staying at Walter Briggs's house while they're away in Europe." He said, "Come out and spend the night." I said, "That's fine." Cobb treated me royally. He had his domestics [black servants] up from Georgia, and I had a good dinner that night. That evening he said, "Ed, we play Cleveland tomorrow a doubleheader. I'm going to pitch you the first game."

Anyway, the next day we get to the ballpark, and a fella by the name of Luther Roy pitched for Cleveland. I guess the Lord was with us because we won, 3-2. I even hit a double my first time up, a line drive to left field. That was my first big-league win. After the ball game Cobb comes up to me and says, "Ed, that's how easy it is in the big leagues to win." Well, I soon found out that he sure was wrong.

Good gosh, I happened to pitch one day against the Yankees that summer. Beat Herb Pennock, 3-2, to put us in first place. That was in August. Then we go to Philadelphia and Lu Blue breaks his ankle sliding into home plate. Man, that crumbled the ball club. Cobb wanted to buy Johnny Neun from the American Association to play first base. But old Frank Navin, I don't think he wanted to win a pennant. He'd have to pay us too much money. He wanted to stay in second, third place.

As a manager, Ty did the best he could. Cobb knew his job, which was hitting, but I remember he didn't know that much about pitching. One time Cobb and I happened to be in the clubhouse alone in New York. I was in a slump. I said, "Ty, I'm having a tough time."

Cobb said, "I know it." I said, "What in the name of sense do you think my trouble is? I can't seem to figure out what's wrong."

Today you've got all that movie stuff. Today they can analyze a pitcher by taking these pictures all the time. Got him when he's going good and got him when he's going bad. Then they compare them, see what the problem is. They can figure out what's wrong with your stride, all that stuff.

But Cobb said, "Ed, that's something I know nothing about -- pitching."

I remember one year in spring training in San Antonio. Cobb was out there standing behind the pitchers, see. Carl Hubbell was up from Oklahoma City, I think it was. Ol' Hubbell was foolin' with this darn screwball. I was standing there beside him. And Cobb told him, "Forget that screwball." He didn't want any of his pitchers foolin' around with any screwballs. And they got in an argument. Well, Carl was gone by the next week. He got with the Giants. Boy, Cobb made a mistake there.

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