Rube
Rube
Ruth Rouff
In olden times, pitcher George
“Rube” Waddell would have been
called a prince of fools. “Prince”
because of his wicked fastball and
deep-breaking curve, his knack for
striking out batters. “Fool” because
of his love of fire engines, his nil
span of attention, the fact that
he would disappear for days on end,
then be found wrestling alligators or
tending bar in some obscure location.
He wasn’t reliable, couldn’t abide
rules. In fact, one owner, after listening
to his wild palaver, fired him, knowing
he couldn’t control him. Connie
Mack, on the other hand, knew Rube
was a rough diamond who would
shine as long as his arm held out.
I should mention also that Rube was
alcoholic. A “sousepaw.”
Since these aren’t olden times.
we don’t call Rube a fool; merely
point out that he may have suffered
from ADHD or bipolar disorder or
both. Yet such terms sound rather
clinical when describing someone
mythical. After his too brief apogee,
Rube contracted pneumonia after
helping a Kentucky town battle a
flood by hefting sandbags in icy
waters. Pneumonia led to TB, and
he died age 37. He has a large
gravestone, though. It’s rough, in
the shapeless shape of a meteor:
a fallen star dropped to earth from
an off-kilter heaven.
Ruth Rouff is a freelance educational writer and former English teacher living in South Jersey. She enjoys researching baseball greats like Rube Waddell and Grover Cleveland Alexander. Her literary work has appeared in various journals, including New World Writing and Philadelphia Stories. Her book of poetry entitled Pagan Heaven and her novel, Lone Star, which is based on the life of famed athlete, Babe Didrikson Zaharias, were both published by Bedazzled Ink.
Caitlin McPhee is an illustrator and Blue Jays fan based in Calgary, Alberta. Bagels are her real passion. See more markers @onewarmline on Instagram.
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