In 1921, Ty Cobb took over from Hughie Jennings as manager of the Tigers. Bush became involved in repeated arguments with Cobb's "first lieutenant", Dan Howley. The "Detroit Free Press" wrote that Howley "never is quite so contented" as he is when arguing with Bush and added: "Bush would fight at the drop of a hat for Dan, yet the midget never gets nearly so mad at anyone as he does when Howley, with deliberate intent, corners Donie somewhere and starts a debate. . . . Often Donie becomes so enraged that he pulls his cap off his head and throwing it off the door of the hotel lobby or in the turf of the ball field, stamps on it in his hysteria." For the first half of the season, Bush continued as the Tigers' starting shortstop. Halfway through the season, however, Cobb moved Bush from his regular shortstop position to second base.