When the National League contracted from 12 teams to 8 on March 8, one of the victims was Louisville. But the club's owner, Barney Dreyfus, wanted to remain in the game so he purchased the Pittsburgh entry and transferred most of his players with him. Within two seasons, the move transformed Pittsburgh from a perennial also-ran into the League's dominant club.
Although it was not apparent at the time, Dreyfus had developed a keen eye for young talent at Louisville. One of the transferees was a gangly youngster who could play almost any position. His name was Honus Wagner. Another, an outfielder named Fred Clarke who had doubled as Louisville manager, was already an accomplished batter. He joined Wagner in the heart of a Pirate order that won three consecutive pennants starting in 1901. But possibly the best pure talent to move from Louisville to Pittsburgh was an eccentric left-handed pitcher, still only 23 years old, who had not yet displayed the maturity to win at the big league level. As it turned out, George "Rube" Waddell never would mature, at least not in the emotional sense. But he was a veritable fox on the mound, pitching a shutout in his first Pittsburgh appearance.
Waddell's retinue, unfortunately, included more than a fastball and curve: it also featured liquor, practical jokes, and showing off, all more than the proper Clarke could tolerate. On July 7, Rube was suspended and shipped to the minors. It says something about Clarke's exasperation that even in exile, Waddell still won the ERA title, departing with a 2.37 mark. He finished 1900 at Milwaukee, where his manager was Connie Mack. When Connie moved to Philadelphia, he signed the great Rube, won starting in
1902 won 25, 21, 25 and 26 games in successive seasons. He also claimed another ERA title. Over 13 seasons, Waddell's 2.16 career ERA remains today the sixth best of all time. Funny, ain't it?
ELSEWHERE IN BASEBALL
Philadelphia's Napoleon Lajoie breaks his hand punching teammate -- and fellow future Hall of Famer -- Elmer Flick. The newly christened American League opens play April 19 at Detroit's Bennett Park, and Buffalo's Doc Amole no-hits the home team.
Six thousand are killed in a hurricane in Galveston, Tex.