Rube Waddell

the long version

"As an artist of the pitcher's mound, Rube Waddell had it all. As a screwball of the first order, he had more: more zaniness, more mischief, more wild escapades than any ball player before or since." "Who else but George Edward Waddell would begin a game with an on-the-field wrestling match with the opposing team's first baseman? Who else might be found selling hot dogs or wrestling alligators when he was supposed to be on the mound?" "Who else but Rube could leave Cobb or Lajoie swinging belt-high while the catcher was digging the ball out of the dirt?" "Rich with detail, warm with anecdote, this book traces Waddell's life from his early childhood through his success in the majors, to his fade into obscurity and early death."--Jacket.