On his way to a 24-7 record for the Philadelphia Athletics in 1902, Rube Waddell pulled a no show in Chicago on August 5.
The Chicago Tribune said:
“Waddell had not caught all the fish he wanted, and so Manager Mack was forced to use his other southpaw (Eddie) Plank.”
Rube
The Chicago Inter Ocean said:
“(This) advertisement was submitted to his manager as a handy one to have filed with all the principal newspapers in the country:”
Waddell had pitched the first game of the series, losing to the White Sox and Roy Patterson 3-1—both pitchers threw four hitters, but the Sox scored two runs in the fifth on errors by Lave Cross and Topsy Hartsell.
The Inter Ocean said:
“Mr. Waddell rode in from the American League grounds (after the game) ate his dinner and—disappeared.”
Waddell was not with the team when they left Chicago for Cleveland two days later, then:
“(W)alked into the grounds at Cleveland and announced that he would pitch the game. Feeling that a pitcher in hand was worth two in the country, the manager permitted him to do so.”
Waddell lost his second straight game, giving up 12 hits to Cleveland in a 5 to 4 loss to Charlie Smith, who was making his major league debut.
The Inter Ocean said of Waddell, his disappearance, and reappearance:
“His career as a baseball player is so chock full of such incidents that they have ceased to attract attention. He is the champion contract jumper in the business. His word is as good as his bond, but his bond isn’t worth a cent, according to numerous baseball managers with whom he has broken agreements.”
Waddell
The paper said Waddell, “is considered a freak, and apparently he glories,” in the description:
“(President James) Hart of the Chicago National League club, who at the present holds a signed contract for this season and a receipt for money advanced, when urged to prosecute Rube for obtaining money under false pretenses, declared that he never wanted to meet the young man again, even in police court.”
The Inter Ocean told the story of what it said was one of Waddell’s earlier “mysterious disappearances” while he was playing in the minor leagues:
“(H)e suddenly reappeared during a game and took a seat in the grandstand. He watched the play until the fifth inning, and seeing his club was being beaten, jumped out of his seat, over the railing and onto the field. and declared that he was there to ‘save the game.’ Without more ado he began taking off his clothes, was hustled to the dressing room, and into his uniform—pitched the rest of the game and won it. When it was over, he dressed, went to the hotel with the club, was assigned to his room in the evening, and the next day could not be found.”
The Philadelphia Inquirer said of Waddell’s next start after his back to back loses in Chicago and Cleveland:
“The eccentric left hander drifted into (Detroit) nearly in the forenoon and assured Manager Mack that no team on earth could beat him feeling as he did.”
He allowed the Tigers just four hits over 13 innings, and won 1 to 0; Waddell scored the winning run after hitting a triple in the top of the 13th.
Baseball History Daily 