DanG
04-10-2007, 08:59 AM
Forgive me and delete this if it violates un-credited sources. I’ve had this in word forever and there are “Rube Waddell” stories from blogs all over the net. This was pieced together from a bunch of various baseball fanatics and was never publishes as far as I know…
Rube Waddell
http://www.dking-gallery.com/sportpix/ColgansWaddellStL.jpg
"Our favorite baseball player of all time was pitcher Rube Waddell. Ace hurler for the Philadelphia A's at the turn of the century who really should have been born a century later and a few million dollars wealthier. Given the technology we have now, Waddell would have become a one man WMD program capable of leveling whole cities solo and becoming the sole topic of discussion on Baseball Tonight.
His resume:
1.) Drinking. His legendary drinking must come first. Rube drank in the stands, the dugout, and in bars until minutes prior to games. He often donned the bartender's apron himself and slung drinks for fans, and traded game balls for booze. Allegedly soused for most of his adult life.
2.) Domestic violence. Trained his dogs to attack his wife. The marriage, predictably, fell apart shortly thereafter. Also arrested for attacking his father-in-law, whom he seriously injured in a fight.
3.) Erratic behavior #1: Fascinated with fire trucks, Rube would often take off at the sight of one no matter what he was doing at the time. Waddell often disappeared for weeks at a time, including one three week stretch where Rube eluded the prying eyes of Pinkerton Detective Agency PIs hired by Connie Mack to track him down. Teammates found him underneath the team bus at the end of the spell, attempting to bench press the vehicle.
4.) Penchant for life-saving: saved numerous lives, including an incident where Waddell prevented a huge fire in a department store by carrying a burning oil stove out the door with his bare hands. Allegedly saved thirteen people over the course of his short life--and one log he mistook for a person floating in an icy river that he jumped off a boat at night to "rescue."
5.) Erratic behavior #2: Wrestled alligators in a Florida circus in the offseason.
6.) Talent: led the league in strikeouts multiple times.
7.) Erratic behavior #3: Once nailed a steak to the wall of a restaurant to show his displeasure with the quality of the meat. Odder still is the question of why he had a hammer and nails on his person.
8.) Bad actor: acted in a stage show, and was chosen because he could throw villains really, really far.
9.) Bigamist. Once charged with this for accidentally overlapping marriages. No, we don't know if attack dogs were involved.
10.) Erratic behavior #4: Passed out on the mound after giving up a home run.
11.) In his early career changed clothes walking across the diamond to the mound, something made doubly interesting by Rube going commando most of the time.
12.) Possibly retarded. Seriously; a lot of baseball historians think he was retarded.
PS: On the Mets broadcasts growing up Ralph Kiner told a story about Rube many times. As opposing teams learned of his fascination with fires, they would have the local fire department drive past the stadium with the siren blaring. Rube would race after it until he figured out it was happening in every city. Classic…
Rube Waddell
http://www.dking-gallery.com/sportpix/ColgansWaddellStL.jpg
"Our favorite baseball player of all time was pitcher Rube Waddell. Ace hurler for the Philadelphia A's at the turn of the century who really should have been born a century later and a few million dollars wealthier. Given the technology we have now, Waddell would have become a one man WMD program capable of leveling whole cities solo and becoming the sole topic of discussion on Baseball Tonight.
His resume:
1.) Drinking. His legendary drinking must come first. Rube drank in the stands, the dugout, and in bars until minutes prior to games. He often donned the bartender's apron himself and slung drinks for fans, and traded game balls for booze. Allegedly soused for most of his adult life.
2.) Domestic violence. Trained his dogs to attack his wife. The marriage, predictably, fell apart shortly thereafter. Also arrested for attacking his father-in-law, whom he seriously injured in a fight.
3.) Erratic behavior #1: Fascinated with fire trucks, Rube would often take off at the sight of one no matter what he was doing at the time. Waddell often disappeared for weeks at a time, including one three week stretch where Rube eluded the prying eyes of Pinkerton Detective Agency PIs hired by Connie Mack to track him down. Teammates found him underneath the team bus at the end of the spell, attempting to bench press the vehicle.
4.) Penchant for life-saving: saved numerous lives, including an incident where Waddell prevented a huge fire in a department store by carrying a burning oil stove out the door with his bare hands. Allegedly saved thirteen people over the course of his short life--and one log he mistook for a person floating in an icy river that he jumped off a boat at night to "rescue."
5.) Erratic behavior #2: Wrestled alligators in a Florida circus in the offseason.
6.) Talent: led the league in strikeouts multiple times.
7.) Erratic behavior #3: Once nailed a steak to the wall of a restaurant to show his displeasure with the quality of the meat. Odder still is the question of why he had a hammer and nails on his person.
8.) Bad actor: acted in a stage show, and was chosen because he could throw villains really, really far.
9.) Bigamist. Once charged with this for accidentally overlapping marriages. No, we don't know if attack dogs were involved.
10.) Erratic behavior #4: Passed out on the mound after giving up a home run.
11.) In his early career changed clothes walking across the diamond to the mound, something made doubly interesting by Rube going commando most of the time.
12.) Possibly retarded. Seriously; a lot of baseball historians think he was retarded.
PS: On the Mets broadcasts growing up Ralph Kiner told a story about Rube many times. As opposing teams learned of his fascination with fires, they would have the local fire department drive past the stadium with the siren blaring. Rube would race after it until he figured out it was happening in every city. Classic…