The Child-Like Excesses of the Athletics’ Rube Waddell

Baseball, having evolved from the game of rounders, is at its heart a child’s game. Growing up in the city, it was easy to start a baseball game. All you needed was a stick in a rubber ball for equipment. Gather a few friends. Find an open space such as an empty lot, or even a quiet city street where a car’s bumper would serve as a base. Boom! You have a ball game.

It should be of no surprise, therefore, that this children’s game has attracted many children at heart to play professionally. The childish exploits of the great babe Ruth, and his soft spot for children fans, are well known in the baseball world. But child-like exploits as an adult often go hand-in-hand with child-like irresponsibility. And this could be a problem when a grown man cannot control his behavior, or curb child-like excesses. It often takes great patience to see the potential in such a player.

Such was the case of George Edward “Rube” Waddell.  Waddell’s child-like exploits are well-known. Waddell has a penchant for fire engines, as was known to stay for days at fire stations. If the manager could not find Waddell on a day when he was scheduled to start, often the best place to look would be under the stands, where Waddell often played marbles with local children. 

But with child-like behavior there came excesses. Waddell was a rampant alcoholic. His lack of responsibility combined with his alcoholism caused him to wear out his welcome with many a manager. 

That is, until he caught the eye of Connie Mack.  In 1900, Waddell was suspended from the Pirates. During his suspension, he played semiprofessional ball with a number of teams in western Pennsylvania. Mack, then manager of the Milwaukee Brewers of the Western League, convinced Pittsburgh to allow Waddell to play for the Brewers. 

But after pitching well for Milwaukee, the Pirates asked for Waddell back. The relationship didn’t last long, as Pittsburgh sold Waddell to the Chicago Orphans, where Waddell jumped ship in 1901. 

Waddell started the 1902 season with the Los Angeles Looloos of the California League. But soon, Connie Mack came knocking again, convincing Waddell to join the Philadelphia Athletics of the newly formed American League. Despite joining the team on June 26, Waddell ended the season with 24 wins. He led the American League in strikeouts with 210. 

Unlike his prior managers, Mack seemed to have the patience to deal with Waddell’s erratic behavior. During the Fall of 1902, for example, when the Phillies and the Athletics attempted to create a professional football league, Waddell was made part of the Athletics’ team so Mack could keep an eye on him during the off-season. 

Mack’s patience paid off. Waddell became the dominant left hander of the fledgling American League, leading the league in strike-out from 1902 through 1907. Waddell posted a record of 131-62 with the Athletics, and an ERA of 1.97. 

Mack sold Waddell to the St. Louis Browns after Waddell’s performance in the last month of the 1907 season contributed to the A’s losing the pennant to Detroit. 

The emotional bond between Waddell and Mack remained strong until Waddell’s death in 1914. Waddell contracted pneumonia in 1911 working to secure a farm in Kentucky from a flood. His weakened immune system made Waddell susceptible to tuberculosis. When Waddell’s health deteriorated to the point of needing the care of a sanitarium, Mack and A’s owner Ben Shibe paid for his medical bills until his death on April Fool’s Day, 1914. 

William J. Kovatch, Jr. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
References 

Dan O’Brien, “Rube Waddell,” Society for American Baseball Research Biography Project, http://sabr.org/bioproj/person/a5b2c2b4. 

“Rube Waddell,” National Baseball Hall of Fame, https://baseballhall.org/hof/waddell-rube. 

“Rube Waddell Stats,” Baseball-Reference.com, https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/wadderu01.shtml.

John Thorn, “Rube Waddell: Baseball’s Peter Pan” Our Game (June 29, 2011) https://ourgame.mlblogs.com/rube-waddell-baseballs-peter-pan-3dc1a0bacf9c. 

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