Evening journal., 1903-08-11
Interesting Notes
Cleaned from
Many Fields
WADDELL'S BASEBALL RECORD
Pitched Ball For 81 a Game in the
BEGINNING Of His Career.

Rube Waddel. the renowned twirler OF
the Philadelphia Athletics. began his
baseball career IN Mercer county, Penn
sylvania. when he pitched ball for 81 "A
game. The FIRST time he pitched outside OF
his home club IN Butler county was for
the Voian, College nine Having heard
Of an uncouth farmer OF Butler who could
split "a two-inch plank with a ball, Man
ager r.. c. George, now a resident Of
Cleveland. proceeded 10 hunt him up for
the college nine lie proved to be no other
than the redoubtable Rube. He engaged
Rube at his own figures. 81 game.
George telcgraphed Rube 10 meet the
team at Wampum near New Castle, and
bep repaired to pitch. Butler is 80 miles
from Wampum Rube did not get the
telegram until noon OF the day he was
10 pitch. There was no way to reach But
Ter ] ntimc for the game by train 80 he
hltchcd up a pair OF his fathers horses
and started overland for Wampum. When
he drove up to the BAH field the game was
nearing a finish, so he went into the game
wlthout dornlng BAH suit. do moved
the opposing batters down, but the oppos-
ing team had scored enough runs during
thief oropart of the game. That night
Waddel sienod with George. whereby he
was 10 pitch for Volant az 81 per game.
As Volant only played two games a
wok Rubo only made 81. There were many
extras, however, and Il Is believed he re-
cclved as high as $40 for pitching some
games on account OF bets won by specta.
tors. one man. who counted much on
Rubes wonderful pitching, bet 5000 on
one game and told Rube If he won hii
game he would give him S25. lie pitche,
the best ball Of his life and made a strike
out record of 2l. lie met the man after th'
} game and he promptly turned over the s25
} Among the strong teams Rube defeate,
} during his sway with Volant were Noun
Union. Hiram, Grove City and Greenville
} in not a game pitched was he hit fo
more than five singles and his average
sirli1e-out record was 15. Rube's grea
fault IN those days was his erratc throw
ing to bases He would throw at the bal
without, looking. The runner invariabl.
circled the bases before the ball was re
2 turned to the diamond. Consequent.
Manager George instructed the basemei
to play for the batter and not pay an
attcntion to a base runner.
1t seems that Waddel was born con
tract Jumper for he deserted the Volan
team on commencement day, when
strong team WAS 70 play. The reason ~
Rubes leavlne WbS that the fremen .
GreenvHle a neishbonng town. were hay
ing a tournament and Rube delighted d
showing or before a large audience. III
I was Induced 20 desert Volant and pitci
! for the Groenville team. For this act h
/ received q new suit OF clothes and $40
! Volant got the Rube to return later &
+ tho season, and when Mercer was reache
q the driver whipped up the horse, drivin
through the town on a dead run, fQ
p Mercer was after Rubo to pitch 4 tb,
y It was feared that % any OF tho playci
got hold of Rube Volant would see notl
!. ing of him during the rest of the seasoi
= That fan he was summoned TO Plttsbur
= by Patsy Donovan for trial. Donova
= was watching Waddell pitch to one Of d
- catchers when Rube made one Of his "a
nous throws and hit Donovan on N
arm, nearly putting him out Of the bus
q ness. Donovan concluded Ruhe would nl
make good and did not sign him. The
1 Rube went 20 Louisville and his succe.
0 dates fro mthat time.
o lie recently left the Philadelphia Al
0 lctlc club and Is now pitching for Can
o den. For a few days last week he tent
O ed bar IN a saloon I'm Camden ana Il
q place did "a rushing business. What
q will do next is a puzzle, but whatever n
eccentrlcities are. there is no doubt bi
. what he is the greatest pitcher Of Il
present time.