Show T THE BOY WHO NEVER GREW U UP i f RUBE W c Ib HAD M MORE ORE N A L SL VY J HAJ-J ANY o He t 4 P PITCHER ER IJ INANE He GAP GA- GA G P y I ti I r r 1 INS e 7 O t F a r i d r.- r. y f Y PEA I k iii 1 W A S t u 6 rv j A af 1 1 r tt e c. c V.- V. i f I j 0 i Rube Waddell Waddell I Js Is O One e of the Most Appealing Figures in In History of Baseball By NAT FLEISCHER I There are few great southpaw pitchers toda today it if one s sets ts a standard standard stand stand- ard based based on on the abilities of Eddie Plank and Rube Waddell Waddell not not a aman aman aman man among the C Coopers and the and the and the measures up to these Titans Plank was a reticent Intelligent man a twirler who pitched with his brain as well as his arm a strate strategist and a thinker Waddell the Where Plank was reverse was I frail h he was huge uge and bursting with life Ufe Where Plank pitched with his mind the Rube hurled only the enormous power of ot his muscles behind behind behind be be- hind the ball And because of ot his abnormal breadth of ot shoulder his straining biceps ps hl his enormous hands Waddell had more sheer power than any man that ever lived Had Waddell possessed the intelligence intel intel- of a Mathewson or a n Plank no twirler that ever lived Jived could have equaled the record he would ha have hae e compiled complied But Dut mentally he was as irresponsible sible as all a butterfly e elie He lie was the kindest most irresponsible Irresponsible Irre Irre- figure that ever graced baseballs baseball's stage a a. harlequin who toyed with life as though It were a n bauble and tossed It away at last as a useless thing This tragic jester of was wasa a figure that will l survive the pass pass- Ing of or thousands who won their place In heart He Is 18 history history his his- tory with the sacred few the few the Gabbs Ruths and Youngs Youngs-a Youngs a figure with m more re of ot romange romance ro 10 mance mange and tragedy and sheer comedy comedy comedy com com- edy about him than an any or OJ all nil of them combined for tor that matter Volumes have been written about this toy who never grew up volumes volumes volumes vol vol- umes of ot praise volumes of censure but never a word t to Impugn the gentleness that was woven In the I fabric of ot his youthful heart There never has been such a comedian from the Polo Grounds to Ewing field Once In the days when football was played under rules that made the most powerful man the best player Waddell was hired to play fullback for tor forA A tt team In Butler Pa I He lie Ie walked ed on the field balancing ng a keg t bf f t nails on each hand and so scared the opposition that the they quit In a body 1 Poor Waddell addell thought that hat Incomparable Incomparable incomparable parable strength Incapable of ex ex- ex The pit pity of It He was wasa a man who ho should easily have ha seen the passing of or fourscore years He loved laughter and music and bright lights but when the last day came cams and he lay In his cot a gaunt ghost of ot a a. once mighty might man his sick I eyes roving about the narrow narro room he had none of ot them He had trad traded d them for the husks I of life The Rube Bube never ne cared about money for its Us own sake and he played baseball because he loved itHe it He would have pitched every ery day day day- or every day when he was not fishing fish fish- ing ng he hg h been permitted v vOne One day in Chicago he beat the Giants in an Inning extra-Inning game The next afternoon he turned up atthe at atthe atthe the park palk very ear early Well well said Manager l Hart Heres the little fellow tellow himself What do you want Waddell shifted bashfully from one foot to the other Ill tell you Jim he said Last night I met some board of trade men Fine fellows too They c couldn't get out opt here yesterday to watch me work so I promised that Id I'd go In there today What say Sure said Hart And Waddell went in and trimmed the New Nev Yorkers with ease The load road talked to Rube o 0 nights He couldn't be satisfied very very long in one pla plate place e. e He lIe jumped from Chicago to an an outlaw organIzation organization organization organ organ- on the coast and then clean across the continent to Philadel Philadel- phia There under tinder shrewd Connie Mack with a fellow jester In Ossle to bear him company I Waddell tarried for a long stay tay His mind wasn't always on the game If It someone talked to him of I fishing or bird dogs his attention would wander from this the contest He was being cuffed pretty hard one d da day y b by Boston when Mack fell feU back backon on on ori strategy stratIS 1 You know Rube Rupe said the chief I Just heard Jimmy Collins say that you were the the- easiest pitcher he ever saw Said y you u were getting by byon byon byon on your our reputation I 1 am am eh roared Waddell Ill show I He went back to the mound and pitched with such blinding blindIng blinding blind blind- ing speed that not a hit was made off oft him during the rest of the game He was so Insulted that he insisted on working In the second game of the doubleheader and blanked his enemies in that contest without letting one of ot them get past second base Waddell is gone gone now this giant of the past S So let Jet us forget the butterfly butterfly but but- mind and the weakness of ot spirit and remember only the splendid courage and the high ability abUIt ability abil abU It ity and kindly heart |