Rube Waddell

Quotes About Waddell
"He was the aom bomb of baseball long before the atom bomb was discovered..." — Connie Mack, in his biography My 66 Years in the Big Leagues

Played For
Louisville Colonels (1897-1899)
Pittsburgh Pirates (1900-1901)
Chicago Cubs (1901)
Philadelphia Athletics (1902-1907)
St. Louis Browns (1908-1910)

All-Time Rankings
Rube Waddell ranks #31 among the Top 50 all-time at SP. Rankings ⇒

Best Season: 1904
Used in 46 games, Waddell threw eight shutouts, posting a 1.62 ERA. He went just 25-19 (talk about lack of support), pitching 383 innings, allowing 307 hits and 91 walks. Just five homers were hit off the big lefty - and he struck out a then league record 349 batters. Not until Sandy Koufax would a southpaw throw some many K's in one season.

Factoids
Rube Waddell and Eddie Plank together won 267 games for the A's from 1902 through 1907, accounting for 56 percent of the team's victories.

The Odd Couple
Waddell roomed for some time with catcher Ossee Schreckengost, but the two ended up in many crazy quarrels. Schreckengost hated Waddell's habit of eating in bed. One of Rube's favorite snacks was limburger cheese sandwiches, which left a less than desirable odor in their room. Waddell also enjoyed munching on crunchy animal crackers. Schreckengost refused to sign his 1903 contract until it included a clause forbidding Waddell from eating crackers in bed.

Mack: Lefty Better than Rube
Connie Mack managed some of baseball's greatest left-handed pitchers. He saw the best come and go, but in 1931, he compared his top three southpaws for an article in The Sporting News.

"Waddell was a remarkable pitcher. We all know that. But he wasn't dependable. He didn't take care of himself. Grove isn't that way. Lefty's always in condition. He's as dependable as the tides... He's faster than Waddell, too."

"Don't think now that I'm taking anything away from Rube. He had the most perfect overhand delivery I have ever seen on a lefthander. When he delivered the ball he brought his hand down right alongside his head. he threw his curve that way as well as his fast one."

Mack didn't forget about one of his favorite big-game pitchers, either.

"Eddie Plank was a side-arm pitcher.Occasionally, he'd throw a fastball overhand. Grove, I'd say, has a delivery sort of in netween Waddell's and Plank's - half overhand, half side-arm.

"I put Lefty above Plank not becaue he is more dependable, for Eddie was a mighty careful-living fellow, but because Lefty is stronger. he can stand more work than Eddie, who was frail and light."

Where He Played
Waddell also appeared as a reliever as needed between his starts. Connie Mack often used Waddell out of the bullpen in big games.

Born
George Edward Waddell was born on October 13, 1876, in Bradford, PA.

Died
April 1, 1914, San Antonio, TX

Batted:  Right
Threw:  Left

Primary Position:  P

Primary Team:  PHA

Major League Debut
September 8, 1897

Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1897
Coming soon...

Waddell earned the nickname "Rube" because he was a big, fresh kid. The term was commonly used to refer to hayseeds or farmboys.

Similar Players
Ed Walsh

Hall of Fame Voting Year Election Votes Pct 1937 BBWAA 67 33.3% 1938 BBWAA 148 56.5% 1939 BBWAA 179 65.3% 1942 BBWAA 136 58.4% 1945 BBWAA 154 62.3% 1946 BBWAA 87 33.1% 1946 Nominating Vote 122 60.4% 1946 Old Timers %

Post-Season Notes
The A's lost the World Series in 1905 to the Giants, as Waddell was sidelined with an arm injury he suffered while wrestling a teammate. Rumors also circulated that Waddell didn't pitch because he accepted a $17,000 bribe from gamblers to sit out. Connie Mack refuted that charge to his dying day, but the rumor followed Waddell until his death.

Awards and Honors
1905 AL Triple Crown

Feats
Waddell failed to pitch a no-hitter, but he did defeat Cy Young, 4-2, in a 20-inning game on July 4, 1905. In a remarkable 1900 doubleheader, he won both the 17-inning first game and the second game, 1-0.

Pitching Feats

• September 20, 1908: ... Waddell fanned 17 batters in 14 innings, defeating Walter Johnson of the Senators, 2-1.

Transactions
May, 1901: Purchased by the Chicago Orphans from the Pittsburgh Pirates; Before 1902 Season: Jumped from the Chicago Orphans to the Philadelphia Athletics; February 7, 1908: Purchased by the St. Louis Browns from the Philadelphia Athletics.

Best Strength as a Player
His fastball, which was the fastest of his era, until his arm injury in 1905.

Largest Weakness as a Player
His focus. It has been speculated that Waddell may have been retarded, or have a learning disability. Whatever it was, it kept him from staying focused on his career. He was constantly disappearing. Connie Mack once hired a private detective to keep tabs on the lefty.

Learn More about Rube Waddell
Search Amazon.com for Books about Rube Waddell ⇒
Search for Rube Waddell at Google ⇒
View a map of his hometown at Mapquest ⇒