Description
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Rube Waddell
Born: October 13, 1876 Bradford, Pennsylvania
Died: April 1, 1914 (aged 37) Elmendorf, Texas
Bats: Right
Throws: Left
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 196 lbs.
Positions: Pitcher
Played For:
Louisville Colonels (1897, 1899)
Pittsburgh Pirates (1900–1901)
Chicago Orphans (1901)
Philadelphia Athletics (1902–1907)
St. Louis Browns (1908–1910)
Biography:
Waddell was a remarkably dominant strikeout pitcher in an era when batters mostly slapped at the ball to get singles. He had an excellent fastball, a sharp-breaking curve, a screwball, and superb control (his strikeout-to-walk ratio was almost 3-to-1). He led the major leagues in strikeouts for six consecutive years.
“He had more stuff than any pitcher I ever saw,” legendary manager Connie Mack once said about Rube Waddell.
Mack knew that as well as anyone. As Waddell’s manager with the minor league Milwaukee Brewers in 1900 and later for six seasons with the Philadelphia A’s starting in 1902, Mack helped the young left-hander harness his electric fastball and devastating curveball. Waddell posted the first of four consecutive 20-win seasons that year, and led the American League in strikeouts for each of the next six seasons. On July 1, 1902, Waddell became the first pitcher in major league history to strike out the side on nine pitches.
In 1903, Waddell struck out 302 batters—115 more than the runner up. The following year, he fanned 349, to lead the league by 110. No other pitcher would post back-to-back 300-strikeout seasons until Sandy Koufax in 1965-66.
More info:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rube_Waddell
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/wadderu01.shtml
https://baseballhall.org/hof/waddell-rube
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