April 1

⚾ Rube Waddell a pitcher for the ages

April 01, 2025

TODAY ON THE DAILY HIGHLIGHT

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On April 1, 1914, George Edward Waddell, better known as “Rube” dies from tuberculosis in San Antonio, TX, at the age of 37.

A hulk of a man-child, left-handed Rube Waddell won six consecutive strikeout titles, two ERA titles, and anchored Connie Mack's pitching staffs that won the 1902 and 1905 AL flags. He possessed an excellent fastball, a sharp curve, and superb control. His eccentric behavior led to constant battles with his managers and teammates.

Best Season, 1904Used 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.

FactoidRube 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.

Post-Season NotesThe 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.

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.

TransactionsMay, 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.

The Odd CoupleWaddell 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.

Rube was heroic nature - diving into freezing water to help with rescue missions, or fighting fires, or working to save towns from floods. There were stories about Rube's odd escapades dating back to his second game with Louisville and during offseasons papers would frequently carry some small slice of life story about Rube. It's extremely likely that Rube was the most famous player in the major leagues in the days prior to Babe Ruth.

Because of that, more stories about Rube have been passed down than most any other player; many being retold in the 1940s, especially in 1946 when Bob Feller made a run at Rube's single-season strikeout record. By then, however, the memories of those telling the stories failed and people starting mixing fact and fiction. Jimmy Austin tells a story about hitting a grand slam off a drunk Rube while playing with the Yankees in Lawrence Ritter's The Glory of Their Times.

There really should be a movies about Rube.

Listen: to Jimmy Austin on Rube

Game of the Day

April 1,1973 California Angels at Los Angeles Dodgers

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Did you know?

April 1, 1938 — Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis, not a fan of Branch Rickey’s farm system, grants free agency to a group of nine St. Louis Cardinal minor leaguers that includes Pete Reiser. A reported gentlemen’s agreement that has Brooklyn signing and hiding the 19 year-old outfielder in the low minors to be traded back to St. Louis at a later date, doesn’t work when Brooklyn manager Leo Durocher disobeys orders, allowing the phenom to display his incredible ability in spring training exhibition games.

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Trivia:

Post 1901, Rube Waddell’s 349 strikeouts in a single season has been passed by just three pitchers, who are they?

Hint: The answer is below

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TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY

April 1, 1939, future Hall of Famer Phil Niekro is born in Blaine, Ohio. “Knucksie” will make his major league debut in 1964 with the Milwaukee Braves. He will win 318 games over a 24-year career and will gain election to the Hall of Fame in 1997

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April 1, 1962, the Detroit Tigers sign University of Detroit basketball star Dave DeBusschere. He will pitch effectively in 1962 and ‘63 with the White Sox, the 21 year-old right-hander will compile a 3-4 record in 36 appearances, He will gain much more fame as a key member of the New York Knicks’ NBA championship teams of 1970 and ‘73 and become one of the 50 named greatest players in the history of the league

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April 1, 1964 — Cleveland’s manager Birdie Tebbetts suffers a heart attack. George Strickland will fill in for three months until the 51 year-old skipper returns to the Indians dugout with limited duties. He will manage the Indians though the 1966 season winning 278 games and losing 259.

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April 1, 1970 — Federal Bankruptcy Referee Sidney Volinn, after ruling the team is insolvent, orders the Seattle Pilots be sold to a group headed by mid-western businessman Bud Selig for $10.8 Million. The Pilots had lost $1 million during their lone season in Seattle. The American League expansion team’s tenure is over hastily in the Northwest is over after just one season when the club is hastily moved to Milwaukee to start the new season as the Brewers.

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April 1, 1977 The syndicated tv show, This Week in Baseball, premieres. TWIB becomes a mainstay for millions of baseball fans for the next 32 years (1977-1998, 2000-2011).

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Quote of the day:

"He (Rube Waddell) was the atom bomb of baseball long before the atom bomb was discovered. . ." -Connie Mack