Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-04-02

in the game
John Waddell "Rube's" father, and
his mother arrived from Boerne two
hours after their son died. A sister,
who lives here, is the only other sur
viving relative. Burial will be made
| here tomorrow.
| George Edward Waddell, one, of the
greatest of pitchers, was noted nearly
as much for his eccentricities as for
| his ability as a ball player. In the
! seventeen years he spent in profess
sional baseball he held positions with
twelve teams, and, including return
engagements had fourteen jobs. His
| longest term of service was with the
| Philadelphia Athletics. where, under
the watchful eye of Connie Mack, he
! pitched winning ball for a half-dozen
seasons
Waddell shared with Robert Glade
the strike-out record of the American
| League. On July 90, 1908, while
pitching for the st. Louis Americans.
to whom he had just been released
by Manager Mack. he famed sixteen
of the Athletics, his former team
mates.
Waddell was born in Butler, Pa,
October 13, 1876. When 20 years of
age, or in 1896, he pitched his first
professional ball with the Oil City
(Pa.) team, and the next year, after
brief career with the Volant College
(Pa.) nine. he entered big league"
baseball as a member of the Louisville
National League team. The pace in
such fast company was bit too fast
for him, however, and after a few
weeks engagement with Detroit he re-
turned to his native State and joined
the Homestead team.
In 1899 a scout for the Columbus
k4nt l1I L. L.
drafted by that organization. The next
year he was attached to the Louisville |
club, but when the Louisville players
were transferred to Pittsburgh he |
went along. The American League |
war, signal for a general period of |
players Jumping" gave Waddell the
opportunity for another change, and |
he became member of the Milwau- |
kee club in 1900.
Waddell joined the Chicago Ma |
tionals in 1901 and pitched a few
great games for the team under Jack |
Doyle. In 1902 he jumped the Chi |
cago club to the Los Angeles Out
laws" but returned again to organized |
ball, joining the Athletics. From 1902 !
TO 1908 he was star of Mack's team |
and then, showing indications of a re-
turn to his old habits, Waddel was
sold to the st. Louis Americans A
fash of his famous skill helped the |
Browns in the great battle they made |
for the American League pennant in |
1908, but at the end of the next sea-
son he was released to Newark.
The Minneapolis club bought Wad-
dell in 1910, and he was two years |
with that club. Illness began to get
the better of him, and last Spring he
was added to the roster of the Mhl-
neapolis Northern League club.
"Rube" Waddell pitched for the
Athletics against Harrisburg in 1904.
Later he pitched in an exhibition game
at Steelton. One OF WaddelFs hob
bies was to stray away from the Ath-
letics or any other team with whom
he' had signed and play with some
professional club or go hunting
and fishing
One time Waddell come to High
spire, and later turned up in Harris
burg. He practiced with the Harris
burg players. One of the best tricks
Waddell ever pulled off when playing
against lower class teams was Lis
ninth inning stunt,
Waddell would wait until two men
were out, when he would call every
man off the field except the catcher.
He would then give the men at the
bat three balls and follow it UP with
three strikes. 1t was big hit with thc1
spectators !