Strangest Players in MLB History
1. Rube Waddell
George Edward “Rube” Waddell is the best player that you’ve never heard about. Waddell had an electric fastball, a sharp curveball, and a pinpoint control. In his 13-year career from 1897 to 1910, he compiled 193 wins, a 2.16 ERA, and 2,316 strikeouts. In his prime, he was arguably better than Cy Young.
So, why is it called the Cy Young Award and not the Rube Waddell Award? Well, that is because he was the most unpredictably strange man in the history of sports.
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The stories about Rube have become urban legends. They are ridiculous, obscene, and downright hilarious. We will never know if the stories are completely accurate, or the victims of exaggeration. However, we do know that Waddell was a blistering headache for baseball management, but attracted fans all across the country.
The Rube was noticeably different from the moment he was born. According to Alan Levy in his biography, Rube Waddell: The Zany, Brilliant Life of a Strikeout Artist, Waddell began wandering off to fire stations at the age of three. This curiosity developed into a life-long fascination for fire trucks. His obsession grew so strong that he would leave the field to chase after them in the middle of games. He was also easily distracted by puppies and shiny objects. Opposing fans learned of this, and would bring them to games to throw him off. To taunt opposing batters, he would often call the rest of his teammates off the field so he can embarrassingly strike them out.
While these are most likely myths created by his larger-than-life personality, there is truth to his weirdness. Waddell did frequently volunteer as a firefighter in his spare time, and he would often miss scheduled starts to go fishing. In the offseason, he would disappear for months on end, until it was discovered that he was wrestling alligators in a circus.
The Rube’s personal life was characterized by failed marriages and alcoholism. His career began to fall apart in 1905 when he got into a fight with teammate Andy Coakley after making fun of his straw hat. He injured his shoulder in the fight, and his alcohol abuse picked up. After his second marriage failed, Waddell was arrested for bigamy after forgetting to divorce his previous wife before marrying another.
Despite his problems with alcohol and women, the Rube died a hero. In 1911, a severe flood struck the town of Hickman, Kentucky. The Rube was living there with his manager Joe Cantillon of the Minneapolis Millers, and stood in the ice-cold water for hours in order to help build a levee. As a result, he caught a bad case of pneumonia, which caused his health to rapidly deteriorate. In 1914, the Rube passed away.
Rube Waddell is truly the strangest sports figure in history. His legacy as a player earned him a spot in the Hall of Fame, but his legacy as a human earned him a spot in pop culture. There was nobody like the Rube, and there never will be.