Baseball HOFer Rube Waddell Fired As Pro Boxing Trainer Because He Insisted On Oysters
The MLB star didn’t find the same success in the ring as he did on a mound due to some unusual ideas
There are few figures in the history of baseball who were as unpredictable and colorful as pitcher Rube Waddell. Extremely talented, he was also volatile and immature, leading to him being involved in a litany of improbable stories both on and off the field. This included one instance at the height of his fame where he made headlines by becoming the trainer for well-known boxer Mike Schreck before being let go because of his insistence that his charge adhere to a diet exclusive to oysters.
Waddell, a big Texan left-hander, had a 13-year big-league career (1897; 1899–1910), spending his best six years (1902–1907) with the Philadelphia Athletics. He could be frustrating, skipping games to have fun elsewhere, chasing fire engines and constantly getting into trouble of one sort or another. However, his talent gave him chance after chance. Despite his troubles, he wound up with a career record of 193–143 and a 2.16 ERA.
He led the league in ERA twice, strikeouts six times and wins once. Sadly, he passed away in 1914 at the young age of 37 due to tuberculosis, the end of his life was as…
