Missouri History Museum

George Edward “Rube” Waddell played for the St. Louis Browns from 1908 to 1910. As a left handed pitcher, he won six strikeout crowns, had a lifetime ERA of 2.16, and had four straight 20-win seasons. He earned a spot in the Baseball Hall of Fame; but it was eccentric, childlike personality made him a fan favorite. He played marbles under the stands before games, chased fire-trucks down the street, and occasionally pitched both games of a doubleheader so he could get a day off to go fishing. Waddell retired from baseball in 1913. He died of pulmonary tuberculosis on April 1, 1914, believed to have caused by working in the flooded Mississippi River near Hickman, Kentucky, in April 1912.