Rube Waddell

⭐ Hall of Fame 1946

Born: 10/13/1876 in Bradford, PA, USA

Died: 4/1/1914 in San Antonio, TX, USA

MLB Debut: 1897-09-08 | Final Game: 1910-08-01

Bats: R | Throws: L | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 196 lbs

Full name: George Edward Waddell

📊 Compare This Player 📈 View Career Timeline

Biography

Rube Waddell, born in 1876, was a dominant pitcher in the early 20th century, known for his exceptional strikeout ability and charismatic personality. His career spanned from 1897 until 1910, during which he compiled a remarkable record of 193 wins and 143 losses. Waddell finished his career with an impressive earned run average (ERA) of 2.16 and recorded 2,316 strikeouts, showcasing his status as one of the premier pitchers of his era. He also registered five saves, indicating his versatility on the mound during a time when the save statistic was not as widely recognized as it is today. Waddell's playing style was characterized by his unique windup and fierce competitive spirit, making him a fan favorite and a formidable opponent. He pitched during a transitional period in baseball history, as the sport was moving away from the deadball era into a time of evolving strategies and player specialization. His induction into the Hall of Fame in 1946 solidified his legacy as one of the greats in baseball history. Waddell's impact on the game extended beyond his statistics; he became a cultural icon, known for his off-field antics and larger-than-life personality, which endeared him to fans and left an indelible mark on the sport.

Career Pitching Statistics

W	L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	SO	ERA	Pitcher PIV
193	143	407	340	261	50	5	2961.3	2460	711	37	803	2316	2.16	0

Career ERA 2.16 vs. league average 2.98 across their career seasons — 27.4% better than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year	Team	Lg	W	L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	ER	BB	SO	ERA	Lg ERA	Pitcher PIV
1897	LS3	NL	0	1	2	1	1	0	0	14.0	17	5	6	5	3.21	4.30 (+25%)	70.8
1899	LS3	NL	7	2	10	9	9	1	1	79.0	69	27	14	44	3.08	3.85 (+20%)	1068.4
1900	PIT	NL	8	13	29	22	16	2	0	208.7	176	55	55	130	2.37	3.68 (+36%)	5179.0
1901	PIT	NL	0	2	2	2	0	0	0	7.7	10	8	9	4	9.39	—	0.0
1901	CHC	NL	14	14	29	28	26	0	0	243.7	239	76	66	168	2.81	3.49 (+19%)	-
1902	PHA	AL	24	7	33	27	26	3	0	276.3	224	63	64	210	2.05	3.17 (+35%)	6558.3
1903	PHA	AL	21	16	39	38	34	4	0	324.0	274	88	85	302	2.44	3.10 (+21%)	10789.4
1904	PHA	AL	25	19	46	46	39	8	0	383.0	307	69	91	349	1.62	2.66 (+39%)	11191.3
1905	PHA	AL	27	10	46	34	27	7	0	328.7	231	54	90	287	1.48	2.82 (+48%)	8242.2
1906	PHA	AL	15	17	43	34	22	8	0	272.7	221	67	92	196	2.21	2.68 (+17%)	4119.9
1907	PHA	AL	19	13	44	33	20	7	0	284.7	234	68	73	232	2.15	2.50 (+14%)	7077.1
1908	SLA	AL	19	14	43	36	25	5	3	285.7	223	60	90	232	1.89	2.40 (+21%)	6593.4
1909	SLA	AL	11	14	31	28	16	5	0	220.3	204	58	57	141	2.37	2.55 (+7%)	3795.1
1910	SLA	AL	3	1	10	2	0	0	1	33.0	31	13	11	16	3.55	2.79 (-27%)	-65.4

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
410	1066	61	172	29	10	4	83	6	42	300	0.161	0.197	0.219	0.416	-5721.3

Career AVG .161 vs. league average .257 across their career seasons — 37.3% below league average.

Career OBP .197 vs. league average .316 across their career seasons — 37.6% below league average.

Career SLG .219 vs. league average .334 across their career seasons — 34.5% below league average.

Career OPS 0.416 vs. league average 0.650 across their career seasons — 36.0% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year	Team	Lg	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	Lg AVG	Lg OBP	Lg SLG	Lg OPS	PIV
1897	LS3	NL	2	6	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
1899	LS3	NL	10	34	2	8	2	0	0	3	0	0	7	0.235	—	—	—	—	0.0
1900	PIT	NL	30	81	6	14	2	3	0	9	1	0	15	0.173	.279 (-38%)	.338 (-46%)	.366 (-26%)	.705 (-36%)	-519.3
1901	PIT	NL	2	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
1901	CHC	NL	30	98	16	25	3	3	2	14	2	2	22	0.255	.271 (-6%)	.326 (-17%)	.359 (+13%)	.686 (-1%)	0.0
1902	PHA	AL	34	112	8	32	6	2	1	18	1	4	17	0.286	.266 (+7%)	.321 (-4%)	.343 (+17%)	.665 (+7%)	77.8
1903	PHA	AL	39	115	4	14	2	0	0	6	0	3	36	0.122	.261 (-53%)	.316 (-52%)	.345 (-60%)	.662 (-56%)	-1030.1
1904	PHA	AL	46	139	6	17	3	0	0	6	0	6	37	0.122	.246 (-50%)	.300 (-45%)	.321 (-55%)	.622 (-50%)	-1067.2
1905	PHA	AL	46	116	4	20	3	1	0	10	0	4	34	0.172	.248 (-31%)	.307 (-35%)	.322 (-33%)	.629 (-34%)	-633.0
1906	PHA	AL	43	86	5	14	1	1	0	3	2	8	32	0.163	.247 (-34%)	.307 (-21%)	.315 (-37%)	.622 (-29%)	-371.6
1907	PHA	AL	44	101	4	12	2	0	0	3	0	4	38	0.119	.245 (-52%)	.304 (-50%)	.308 (-55%)	.613 (-53%)	-807.4
1908	SLA	AL	43	91	4	10	4	0	1	8	0	8	35	0.110	.240 (-54%)	.298 (-36%)	.306 (-39%)	.605 (-38%)	-510.3
1909	SLA	AL	31	75	2	5	1	0	0	2	0	3	23	0.067	.244 (-73%)	.306 (-67%)	.312 (-74%)	.618 (-71%)	-786.8
1910	SLA	AL	10	9	0	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	2	0.111	—	—	—	—	0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1B	1	0	6	0	0	1
P	407	213	170	740	91	16

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1897	LS3	P	2	0	0	4	0	0
1899	LS3	P	10	0	4	14	2	1
1900	PIT	P	29	0	12	49	5	1
1901	PIT	P	2	0	0	4	1	0
1901	CHN	1B	1	0	6	0	0	1
1901	CHN	P	29	0	32	62	4	0
1902	PHA	P	33	0	15	64	7	1
1903	PHA	P	39	0	17	77	7	3
1904	PHA	P	46	46	27	105	9	2
1905	PHA	P	46	34	13	89	15	3
1906	PHA	P	43	34	15	64	6	0
1907	PHA	P	44	33	17	67	12	3
1908	SLA	P	43	36	5	79	10	1
1909	SLA	P	31	28	13	56	11	1
1910	SLA	P	10	2	0	6	2	0