Books and articles about Rube Waddell

The colorful, eccentric, and talented Waddell was "one of the best lefthanders I ever saw," according to Connie Mack, for whom Waddell had his best seasons. His great fastball was compared to that of Walter Johnson, and he threw a sharp-breaking curve. He collected 50 career shutouts. His strikeout-to-walk ratio was almost 3-to-1.

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Waddell grew up on the farmlands around Bradford, PA. "He often missed school," said his sister, "but I could always find him playing ball, fishing or following a fire engine." He pitched for a college team for one year, and for town teams at $25 a game, before signing his first contract with Louisville (NL) in 1897. He was playing for Pittsburgh when, unhappy with the stern discipline of manager Fred Clarke, he jumped the club. Clarke, preferring not to have to deal with the flaky hurler, let him go.

Connie Mack "borrowed" Waddell from the Pirates' Barney Dreyfuss for his Milwaukee team in the newly christened American League, which was still a minor league in 1900. On August 19, Milwaukee played a doubleheader against the White Sox. Waddell went all the way in the 17-inning opener, winning it 3-2 on his own triple. The two managers agreed the second game would be five innings. Mack, knowing Waddell was an avid fisherman, asked him, "...how would you like to go fishing at Pewaukee for three days instead of going with us to Kansas City? All you have to do is pitch the second game." Waddell threw a five-inning shutout.

Waddell joined Mack's Philadelphia Athletics in 1902 and went 24-7, leading the AL in strikeouts for the first of six straight seasons. In 1904 he struck out 349 - an AL record that stood for over 70 years until surpassed by Nolan Ryan. (He had been credited with 343 until after Bob Feller fanned 348 in 1946; further digging later increased Waddell's total to 349.) In 1905 he led the league with 26 wins, 8 relief wins, 46 appearances, 287 strikeouts, and a 1.48 ERA.

It was rumored that gamblers paid Waddell to fake an arm injury and sit out the 1905 World Series against the Giants. "That's ridiculous," maintained Mack. "Money meant nothing to him." In truth, Waddell had fallen on his left arm while horsing around with teammate Andy Coakley. It stiffened up overnight, and he didn't pitch again that season. Though he pitched four more ML seasons, he never again threw with the same snap.

It is believed Waddell never made more than $2,800 a year, and he spent money as fast as he got it. For a time the A's paid him in dollar bills, hoping to make his money last longer. He was forever borrowing or conning extra money out of Mack.

Waddell enjoyed waving his teammates off the field and then striking out the side. He actually did so only in exhibition games, since the rules prohibit playing with fewer than nine men on the field in regulation play. But, in a league game in Detroit, Waddell had his outfielders come in close and sit down on the grass. He struck out the side. Once the stunt almost backfired. Pitching an exhibition in Memphis, he took the field alone with his catcher, Doc Powers, for the last three innings. With two out in the ninth, Powers dropped a third strike, allowing the batter to reach first. The next two hitters patted flies that fell behind the mound. Waddell ran himself ragged but finally fanned the last man.

Waddell wrestled alligators in Florida, hung around in firehouses, married two women who then left him, and tended bar when he wasn't the saloon's best customer. He held up the start of games he was scheduled to pitch while he played marbles with children outside the park. There was a provision in Waddell's contract barring him from eating Animal Crackers in bed. In those days, two players had to share a double bed on the road, and Ossie Schreckengost was Waddell's catcher and roommate. "Schreck wouldn't sign unless he saw that clause in Waddell's contract," said Mack, "so I wrote it in there, and the Rube stuck to it."

Though Waddell was always a fan favorite, his erratic behavior and declining effectiveness strained the tolerance of his teammates. Some threatened not to report in the spring of 1908 unless Mack got rid of him. Waddell was shipped to the Browns. That July 29, he tied what was then the AL single-game strikeout record by fanning 16 of his former A's teammates.

By 1910 Waddell was back in the minors. He won 20 games for Joe Cantillon's Minneapolis (American Association) club in 1911. In the spring of 1912, he was staying at Cantillon's house in Hickman, Kentucky, when a nearby river flooded. Standing in icy water, Waddell helped pile sandbags on the embankments. The incident affected his health; though he went 12-6 that year, he collapsed while with Virginia (Northern League) in 1913 and landed in a sanatorium in San Antonio, Texas. He died there in 1914 on April Fool's Day.

For several years there was no monument on Waddell's grave. The president of the San Antonio ballclub told Connie Mack and John McGraw, whose Giants trained there. They raised enough money to put up a six-foot granite marker. Waddell was elected to the Hall of Fame by the Committee on Baseball Veterans in 1946. (NLM)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » December 8, 1899: Louisville president Barney Dreyfuss is transferring to the Pittsburgh club (of which he is part owner) most of his top stars, including player-manager Fred Clarke, Hans Wagner, Claude Ritchey, Tommy Leach, Rube Waddell, and Deacon Phillippe. Louisville is a likely candidate in the reduction of NL franchises from 12 to 8. » April 26, 1900: The Pirates score seven runs in the 9th inning, but still lose their home opener, 12-11, to the Reds. Cincy scores eight runs off starter Rube Waddell in five innings, and four more off reliever Jack Chesbro. Attendance today is 11,000. » June 19, 1900: In the year’s best pitching duel, Clark Griffith of the Chicago Colts and Rube Waddell of the Pirates match shutouts for 13 innings, before Griffith’s double in the last of the 14th drives in the only run. Waddell strikes out 12. » August 19, 1900: Milwaukee's Rube Waddell and Chicago White Sox hurler Roy Patterson go 17 innings before Rube wins, 2–1 in the first game of a twinbill. Three days earlier, the two squared off for 12 innings with Waddell winning, 3–2. When Connie Mack offers Rube a few days off to go fishing if he'll pitch the nitecap, Rube allows just one hit and wins in five innings, 1–0. » October 11, 1900: Rube Waddell of Pittsburgh strikes out an NL season-high 12 in a 2-1 win over Chicago. He will lead the league with 130 strikeouts and a 2.37 ERA. » October 15, 1900: The Pittsburgh Chronicle-Telegraph World Title series between first-place Brooklyn and 2nd- place Pittsburgh begins with a 5-2 win for Joe McGinnity over Rube Waddell. The Superbas win the series, the Cup given by the newspapers, and half the gate receipts three days later. For his efforts, which include a league-leading 29 wins and 347 innings pitched, McGinnity is given permanent possession of the trophy and a $100 bonus. » June 15, 1901: After two losses to the Giants, Chicago gets back on track, 9-2, behind the 10 strikeout twirling of Rube Waddell. The Colts trample Christy Mathewson for nine runs and 13 hits and hand the phenom his 4th loss in a row. » June 11, 1902: Connie Mack signs Rube Waddell, who was pitching in the Pacific Coast League. He will go 24-7 during the remainder of 1902. » July 1, 1902: Rube Waddell wins his first game for the Athletics, blanking Baltimore on two hits 2–0. He fans the side three times, once on nine pitches in the 3rd, and faces only 27 batters, as C Ossee Schreckengost throws out the two base runners. In fanning the side in the 3rd, 6th, and 9th, Waddell strikes out the same three men each time: Billy Gilbert, Harry Howell, and John Cronin. » July 8, 1902: A rough outing as Boston righthander Doc Adkins faces 16 batters and gives up 12 hits and 12 runs in the 6th inning of a Philadelphia A's 22–9 win over the Somersets. Five players—Hartsel, Davis, Lave Cross, Seybold, and Murphy—collect two hits apiece in the frame. The A's new 2B Danny Murphy does not arrive until the 2nd inning and takes the field with no batting practice: he is 6-for-6, including a grand slam off Cy Young, while handling 12 chances flawlessly in a sensational debut. Teammate Harry Davis adds another grand slam to tie the major-league record for a game. The 45 hits —27 by the A's—by the two teams sets an American League record. Rube Waddell picks up the win, facing just three batters in relief, while singling in the big inning. » July 9, 1902: The A's Rube Waddell and Boston's Bill Dinneen battle for 16 innings before the visiting Philadelphians push across two runs in the 17th to win, 4–2. Shortstop Monte Cross hits a 2-run home run in the 17th. » September 10, 1902: In a doubleheader with the Orioles, the A's bring Rube Waddell in for eight innings of relief in the opening win. Rube comes back to pitch another two innings of relief in the nitecap to pick up his 2nd win for the day. It won't happen again until 1915. » April 20, 1903: Since yesterday was Sunday, today is both Opening Day and Patriot's Day in Boston. The Pilgrims play an a.m. game before 8,376 fans beating the A's Rube Waddell, 9–4. The Athletics take the afternoon contest, 10–7, watched by 27,658, behind Eddie Plank and Chief Bender. Cy Young and Long Tom Hughes pitch for Boston. » April 22, 1903: In the American League's formal Opening at Philadelphia, the Athletics top Boston, 6–1, before 13,578. Rube Waddell bests Bill Dinneen. AL President Ban Johnson presents the 1902 championship pennant to the A's. » July 17, 1903: Rube Waddell is arrested for assaulting a fan who had criticized his pitching. Connie Mack bails him out of jail. » August 1, 1903: Rube Waddell no-hits the Highlanders, except for Kid Elberfeld, who has four singles. These, plus a lavish six walks, down the A's 3-2. Waddell observes afterward, "If I would have walked him four times, I would have pitched a no-hitter." » August 11, 1903: A crowd of 10,600 cheer as the Pilgrims Tom Hughes defeats the A's ace Rube Waddell, 5-1. » August 21, 1903: Philadelphia's Rube Waddell allows 3 hits in edging the Tigers 1–0 in the opener of a doubleheader. Waddell then pitches the nitecap as well, giving up 8 hits before losing 2–1. With 13 K’s in the DH Rube boosts his strikeout total to a record 302 for the season in these two games, the last he’ll pitch this year. » April 25, 1904: In Philadelphia, Boston's Cy Young pitches eight innings and allows six hits in losing to the A's Rube Waddell, 2-0. Young allows no-hits in the last six outs, the start of a record 25 1/3 hitless inning skein. » May 2, 1904: At Huntington Grounds, the A's Rube Waddell stops Boston on one hit, a spoiler by Patsy Dougherty in beating Jesse Tannehill, 3-0. Rube taunts Cy Young to face him and suffer the same fate, and the two aces will square off on the 5th. » May 5, 1904: Boston Pilgrim Cy Young pitches the 2nd of three no-hitters, a 3-0 perfect game against the Philadelphia Athletics and Rube Waddell. After Waddell flied out for the final out, Young yells at him, "How do you like that, you hayseed!" For Waddell it is one of his 18 losses this year, the most of his career, against 25 wins. He will strike out 349, a record until Sandy Koufax fans 382 in 1965. Today, he strikes out six while allowing 10 hits. Young stretches his hitless inning skein to 18. » February 7, 1905: In Lynn, MA, Rube Waddell prevents a fire by carrying a burning stove out of a store and throwing it into a snow bank. Three days later he flees nearby Peabody to escape charges of assaulting and injuring his wife's parents. » June 9, 1905: Rube Waddell loses after 10 wins in a row; as the White Sox beat him 3–2 in 14 innings. Waddell will be 26–11 for the Athletics this year; his 1.48 ERA will be the American League's best. » June 30, 1905: At New York, Eddie Plank is removed with no outs in the 9th inning and the A's leading 7–4. Rube Waddell comes in and retires the side to preserve the A's victory. » July 4, 1905: In an a.m.-p.m, doubleheader between Boston and Philadelphia, the A's take the morning game 5-2, using pitchers Eddie Plank, Andy Coakley and Rube Waddell on the mound to beat Jesse Tannehill. The afternoon contest proves a classic as Philadelphia's Rube Waddell bests Cy Young in a 20-inning marathon, when the Athletics prevail, 4-2. Boston outhits the A's, 15 to 13, but the 38-year-old Young loses on an error, hit batsman and two hits. Young walks nobody in the 20 innings, while 1B Bob Unglaub records 31 putouts. Philadelphia C Ossee Schreckengost works 28 innings in one day, a ML record. » July 22, 1905: Weldon Henley of the Athletics, who will win four games all year, fires a no-hitter against the 7th place St. Louis Browns 6-0. Harry Davis and Lave Cross each have three hits off Barney Pelty. St. Louis cops a split by defeating Rube Waddell, 3-2, in the nitecap. » August 2, 1905: The Athletics go into first place as Rube Waddell beats the White Sox, 4–3, fanning 14. He will lead the American League with 287 strikeouts, the 4th of six straight seasons when he tops the league. » August 15, 1905: The A's Rube Waddell is the whole show today as he hurls a 5-inning no hitter over the Browns. The A's are ahead 2–0, when the rain starts pouring after the A's bat in the 5th. Waddell strikes out nine batters, and three more bounce out to Waddell. The one runner reaches on Rube's error. » September 5, 1905: When Boston beats the Athletics 3-2 in 13 innings, they score the first runs off Rube Waddell in 44 innings. Waddell strikes out 17. » May 17, 1906: Detroit's Ty Cobb's bunt single spoils Rube Waddell's no-hit bid. The Philadelphia A's win 5-0. » August 29, 1906: The A's Jim Dygert and Rube Waddell combine for a 5-inning no hitter against the White Sox. The A's barely win, 4-3. » September 9, 1907: Boston's Cy Young and the A's Rube Waddell battle to a 13 inning scoreless tie. Neither pitcher walks a batter. » September 30, 1907: An overflow crowd lines the OF at Philadelphia's Columbia Park for the showdown Monday doubleheader between the A's and Tigers. In the first game, the home team gets off to a 7-1 lead against 25-game winner Bill Donovan. But Rube Waddell, who relieves in the 2nd, fails to hold the lead. A 2-run home run by Ty Cobb ties it 8-8 in the 9th. Both teams score once in the 11th; an umpire's ruling costs Philadelphia the game in the 14th: Harry Davis hits a long fly into the crowd in left CF, ordinarily a ground-rule double. As Tiger CF Sam Crawford goes to the crowd's edge, a policeman stands up and moves, either to interfere or to get out of the way. Home plate umpire Silk O'Loughlin says there is no interference, then reverses his ruling when base umpire Tom Connolly offers a different opinion. When play resumes, the Athletics' Danny Murphy hits a long single that would have scored Davis. The game is called because of darkness in the 17th, a 9-9 tie. The 2nd game is never played. The Tigers, in first place, leave for Washington where they will win 4. They will finish one 1/2 games in front. » October 5, 1907: In the last game of the year for the Athletics hurler Rube Vickers hurls a 5-inning 4–0 perfect game against Washington. He also wins the 15-inning first game of the twin bill, 4–2, with a spectacular 12-inning relief effort. The two wins are the only ones for Vickers this year. Starter Charlie Fritz falter after three innings and Rube Waddell tosses just one pitch, hit for a single. It is Waddell's last pitch for the A's as Mack will pedal Rube to the Browns over the winter. » February 7, 1908: Exasperated Connie Mack sells his talented but eccentric, unreliable hurler Rube Waddell to the St. Louis Browns for $5,000. » July 29, 1908: Rube Waddell continues to haunt Connie Mack, again fanning 16 A's in a 5–4 win for the Browns. » September 13, 1908: Browns pitcher Rube Waddell gives up a Detroit run in the first when Ty Cobb triples home Matty McIntyre, but ties the game when he singles a run home in the 2nd. Waddell allows nothing after that and the Browns win, 2-1, when Syd Smith singles in the winner in the bottom of the 11th. » September 20, 1908: in St. Louis, Rube Waddell strikes out 17 Washington Nationals in 10 innings to beat Walter Johnson 2-1. » November 17, 1913: Former star P Rube Waddell is picked up in St. Louis, wandering the streets and suffering from consumption. » April 1, 1914: Future Hall of Famer Rube Waddell, weakened by a heroic effort to help contain a winter flood in Kentucky, dies at 37 of tuberculosis in a San Antonio sanitarium. » July 9, 1914: Ossee Schreckengost, 39, peripatetic catcher (7 teams) best known as battery and roommate of Rube Waddell while with the Athletics, dies of uremia at Philadelphia. Skilled defensively on the field, Schreckengost was an eccentric off. He had it written into his contract that Waddell could not eat crackers in bed. » January 4, 1942: Rogers Hornsby becomes the 14th player selected to the Hall of Fame, getting 78 percent of the vote. But Frank Chance with 58 percent and Rube Waddell with 54 percent miss out. » January 10, 1945: Baseball writers again fail to elect a new Hall of Famer. Frank Chance, Rube Waddell, and Ed Walsh come closest, but none get the required three-fourths of the vote. » September 8, 1946: With the Red Sox running away with the AL race, attention closes in on Bob Feller's strikeout pace. He reaches 300 today, a number reached by Walter Johnson and Rube Waddell twice each. Can Feller beat Waddell's 347 of 1904? Boudreau finds plenty of innings for Feller to work as the season comes to an end and statisticians discover an error in the Aug 24th box score that shorted the fireballer one strikeout against the A's. Counting that one, Feller ends with 348. Alas! Waddell's old record of 347 was apparently based on the compilations of George Moreland, an early baseball historian, and listed in Little Red Book. TSN researchers later revise Waddell's total to 349.