Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-28

During the time he pitched ma jor
league bah Waddell weighed 2l5
pounds. Sometimes he weighed a few
pounds more; he rarely weighed less.
lie never made an attempt 10 keep
himself IL condition.
He won his reputation 6 q pitcher
for the Philadelphia team in the Amer
lean League. The club could never
depend on him. Sometimes he APP
re&rcd al the bail park and sometimes
he failed TO show mp. II Waddell was
on his way to the park and passed a
vacant lot where some boys We're play
ing ball. he would frequently join
them and forget all about the big
league contest.
Gets Beneath Bus.
on one occasion Waddell was miss
ing for q few weeks. All efforts to
find him We're fruitleSS Waddell had
apparently been wiped off the face of
the earth. Washington was playing
in Philadelphia and after one game
the Washington team. seated in its
omnibus and ready TO start back to
the hotel suddenly found the bus rock
ing Investigation showed the giant
Naddell underneath the vehicle. He
vas trying to lift the omnibus on his
broad shoulders. All Waddell wore
was "a Shirt and pair Of trousers. He
had been off on a tear and got back
just as the game ended. 50 he was
trying to amuse himself in a new
manner.
lie was always at the height Of his
glory when pitching exhibition games.
lie was g great drawing card and the
cub had no objection to him pitching
since he always asked for the assign
ment. His hour OF triumph arrived
With the last inning. AS Phila del phia
took the field Waddcll would wave the
inffelderS and outfielderS off the field.
only he and the catcher remained.
As soon as the field was cleared. Wad-
Cell would proceed to strike out three
Latsmen in succession.
He was crossing the street in New
York one day and a touring car
struck him. knocked him down and
ran over him. The driver. believing
he had killed Waddell. started off,
but he was too slow for Waddell
The RUDE jumped up and ran after
him. Hopping on the running board.
Waddell compelled the man to stop
his car. You jes' run over me. :
said the RUDE. The frightened
driver was too stunned for speech
Waddell waited a moment and got
down to business. You hand me over
SD or III hand you a stiff punch in
The jaw, You amt goin' to ruin my
clothes and get away with it. Now.
lively, fork over the SIS for 4 new suit
or get ready to meet a doctor" Need
less to add that the driver gladly paid
Naddell the amount he demanded
Helps His Victim.
one time. while pitching against
s.. Louis, Naddcll hit Danny Hoffman
III the eye with a pitched ball Hoff-
man dropped to the ground. uncon-
Srious. Waddell walked up to the
plate. threw away his glove. picked
up Hoffman, tossed him over his
shoulder and marched out of the park
and to a doctors office, where he re-
NAMED until the doctor revived Hoff-
man and attended to his injured eye.
lie disliked criticism. Strange as
it may sound, Waddell was really
representative. In one game the
player coaching from first yelled to
Waddel, Get out of there You big
bum. You don't know how to Pitch
Naddell looked ut the player and the
remark was repeated. The Rube
dropped the ball in the pitchers box.
tossed aside his glove, walked off the
field. climbed the fence and Joined the
sun gods in the bleacherS. There he
remained until the game ended.
Opposing teams took advantage Of
this weakness in Waddel's makeup.
They used to concentrate on it, think
ing up insulting things to say to Wad-
dell whenever he walked to the box.
He finally became hardened to this
verbal attack and did not mind it any
more. After Waddell went from Phil
3delphia to st. Louis his former team
mates tried it in the first game he
pitched against them for St. Louis
It worked with reverse English. All
Waddell did was to strike out 10 of his
former co-workerS.
tCopyught. 1926