Rube Waddell

Pitcher · Career Stats, Hall of Fame Bio & Records (1897-1910)

Rube Waddell was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1897 to 1910 for 5 teams, including the Louisville Colonels, a span of 14 seasons. Across 407 career appearances, he went 193-143 with a 2.16 ERA and 2,316 strikeouts. He also batted .161 with 4 home runs. Rube Waddell was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1946 and was a Pitching Triple Crown. His career Pitcher PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of pitching impact — is 69449.9.

W (Wins):
Games credited to a pitcher whose team took a lead it never surrendered while he was the pitcher of record.
ERA (Earned Run Average):
Earned runs allowed per nine innings pitched: (ER × 9) ÷ IP. The primary measure of pitching effectiveness.
SO (Strikeouts):
For a batter, times retired on a third strike; for a pitcher, batters retired on a third strike.
WHIP (Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched):
Baserunners allowed per inning: (BB + H) ÷ IP. Under 1.00 is elite.

Data updated

⭐ Hall of Fame 1946
W–L 193–143
ERA 2.16
WHIP 1.10
SO 2,316
Pitcher PIV 69449.9
Position
Pitcher
Bats / Throws
R / L
Height / Weight
6'1" / 196 lb
Born
10/13/1876 in Bradford, PA, USA
Died
4/1/1914 in San Antonio, TX, USA
MLB Debut
1897-09-08
Last Game
1910-08-01
Hall of Fame
Inducted 1946 (BBWAA)
Awards
Pitching Triple Crown

Full name: George Edward Waddell

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Career Pitching Statistics

Rube Waddell — Career Pitching Statistics
W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
193 143 407 340 261 50 5 2961.1 2,460 711 37 803 2,316 2.16 69449.9

Career ERA 2.16 vs. league average 2.98 across their career seasons — 27.4% better than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Pitching Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Rube Waddell Stats, Bio & Career Records
Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1897 LS3 NL 0 1 2 1 1 0 0 14.0 17 5 6 5 3.21 4.30 (+25%) 70.8
1899 LS3 NL 7 2 10 9 9 1 1 79.0 69 27 14 44 3.08 3.85 (+20%) 1068.4
1900 PIT NL 8 13 29 22 16 2 0 208.2 176 55 55 130 2.37 3.68 (+36%) 5179.0
1901 PIT NL 0 2 2 2 0 0 0 7.2 10 8 9 4 9.39 — 0.0
1901 CHN NL 14 14 29 28 26 0 0 243.2 239 76 66 168 2.81 3.49 (+19%) 4829.9
1902 PHA AL 24 7 33 27 26 3 0 276.1 224 63 64 210 2.05 3.17 (+35%) 6558.3
1903 PHA AL 21 16 39 38 34 4 0 324.0 274 88 85 302 2.44 3.10 (+21%) 10789.4
1904 PHA AL 25 19 46 46 39 8 0 383.0 307 69 91 349 1.62 2.66 (+39%) 11191.3
1905 PHA AL 27 10 46 34 27 7 0 328.2 231 54 90 287 1.48 2.82 (+48%) 8242.2
1906 PHA AL 15 17 43 34 22 8 0 272.2 221 67 92 196 2.21 2.68 (+17%) 4119.9
1907 PHA AL 19 13 44 33 20 7 0 284.2 234 68 73 232 2.15 2.50 (+14%) 7077.1
1908 SLA AL 19 14 43 36 25 5 3 285.2 223 60 90 232 1.89 2.40 (+21%) 6593.4
1909 SLA AL 11 14 31 28 16 5 0 220.1 204 58 57 141 2.37 2.55 (+7%) 3795.1
1910 SLA AL 3 1 10 2 0 0 1 33.0 31 13 11 16 3.55 2.79 (-27%) -64.8
Career · 14 seasons 193 143 407 340 261 50 5 2,961.1 2,460 711 803 2,316 2.16 — 69,450

Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.

Career Batting Statistics

Rube Waddell — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
410 1,066 61 172 29 10 4 83 6 42 300 .161 .197 .219 .416 -5,261

Career AVG .161 vs. league average .257 across their career seasons — 37.3% below league average.

Career OBP .197 vs. league average .316 across their career seasons — 37.6% below league average.

Career SLG .219 vs. league average .334 across their career seasons — 34.5% below league average.

Career OPS .416 vs. league average .650 across their career seasons — 36.0% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Rube Waddell Stats, Bio & Career Records
Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1897 LS3 NL 2 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000 — — — — 0.0
1899 LS3 NL 10 34 2 8 2 0 0 3 0 0 7 .235 — — — — 0.0
1900 PIT NL 30 81 6 14 2 3 0 9 1 0 15 .173 .279 (-38%) .338 (-46%) .366 (-26%) .705 (-36%) -487.9
1901 PIT NL 2 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000 — — — — 0.0
1901 CHN NL 30 98 16 25 3 3 2 14 2 2 22 .255 .271 (-6%) .326 (-17%) .359 (+13%) .686 (-1%) 0.0
1902 PHA AL 34 112 8 32 6 2 1 18 1 4 17 .286 .266 (+7%) .321 (-4%) .343 (+17%) .665 (+7%) 77.8
1903 PHA AL 39 115 4 14 2 0 0 6 0 3 36 .122 .261 (-53%) .316 (-52%) .345 (-60%) .662 (-56%) -950.6
1904 PHA AL 46 139 6 17 3 0 0 6 0 6 37 .122 .246 (-50%) .300 (-45%) .321 (-55%) .622 (-50%) -971.4
1905 PHA AL 46 116 4 20 3 1 0 10 0 4 34 .172 .248 (-31%) .307 (-35%) .322 (-33%) .629 (-34%) -576.2
1906 PHA AL 43 86 5 14 1 1 0 3 2 8 32 .163 .247 (-34%) .307 (-21%) .315 (-37%) .622 (-29%) -340.2
1907 PHA AL 44 101 4 12 2 0 0 3 0 4 38 .119 .245 (-52%) .304 (-50%) .308 (-55%) .613 (-53%) -737.8
1908 SLA AL 43 91 4 10 4 0 1 8 0 8 35 .110 .240 (-54%) .298 (-36%) .306 (-39%) .605 (-38%) -467.2
1909 SLA AL 31 75 2 5 1 0 0 2 0 3 23 .067 .244 (-73%) .306 (-67%) .312 (-74%) .618 (-71%) -737.8
1910 SLA AL 10 9 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 .111 — — — — 0.0
Career · 14 seasons 410 1,066 61 172 29 10 4 83 6 42 300 .161 — — — — -5,191

Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.

Game Log & Splits

View full game log (813 games) →

Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).

Batting — Home / Away

Rube Waddell — Batting — Home / Away
SplitGABRHHRRBIAVG
Home2054993280340.160
Away2035572992137.165

Pitching — Home / Away

Rube Waddell — Pitching — Home / Away
SplitGIPHERBBSOERA
Home2041497.1122619640912291.18
Away2011443.1122322339710931.39

Last 10 Games — Batting

Rube Waddell — Last 10 Games — Batting
DateTmOppResABRH2B3BHRRBIBBSO
1910-08-01 SLAMINW 300000000
1910-06-13 SLAPHAL 000000000
1910-06-11 SLAPHAL 100000001
1910-06-02 SLABOSL 000000000
1910-05-30 SLADETL 300000001
1910-05-10 SLABOSL 000000110
1910-05-01 SLACLEL 000000000
1910-04-25 SLADETW 101000000
1910-04-21 SLACHWW 000000000
1910-04-15 SLACHWW 100000000

Last 10 Games — Pitching

Rube Waddell — Last 10 Games — Pitching
DateTmOppDecIPHRERBBSOHR
1910-08-01 SLAMIN W 8.0944210
1910-06-13 SLAPHA — 1.0333100
1910-06-11 SLAPHA — 2.0110100
1910-06-02 SLABOS — 2.0110220
1910-05-30 SLADET — 7.01074331
1910-05-10 SLABOS — 3.0420040
1910-05-01 SLACLE L 2.0311010
1910-04-25 SLADET W 3.0200210
1910-04-21 SLACHW SV 1.0000010
1910-04-15 SLACHW W 4.0200030

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Rube Waddell — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 1 0 6 0 0 1
P 407 213 170 740 91 16

Season-by-Season Fielding

Rube Waddell — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1897 LS3 P 2 0 0 4 0 0
1899 LS3 P 10 0 4 14 2 1
1900 PIT P 29 0 12 49 5 1
1901 PIT P 2 0 0 4 1 0
1901 CHN 1B 1 0 6 0 0 1
1901 CHN P 29 0 32 62 4 0
1902 PHA P 33 0 15 64 7 1
1903 PHA P 39 0 17 77 7 3
1904 PHA P 46 46 27 105 9 2
1905 PHA P 46 34 13 89 15 3
1906 PHA P 43 34 15 64 6 0
1907 PHA P 44 33 17 67 12 3
1908 SLA P 43 36 5 79 10 1
1909 SLA P 31 28 13 56 11 1
1910 SLA P 10 2 0 6 2 0

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Rube Waddell Stats, Bio & Career Records
Position Games
Pitcher 407
First Base 1

Awards & Honors

Rube Waddell — Awards & Honors
Year Award Notes
1908 Baseball Magazine All-Star P3
1905 Pitching Triple Crown

College History

Rube Waddell — College History
School Name City State Years Attended
Volant College Volant PA 1897

Most Similar Players

Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.

Career Spans

Rube Waddell (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.

  1. 98
    Don Drysdale HOF
    209-166, 2.95 ERA
  2. 95
    Juan Marichal HOF
    243-142, 2.89 ERA
  3. 95
    Hippo Vaughn
    178-137, 2.49 ERA
  4. 94
    Doc White
    189-156, 2.39 ERA
  5. 93
    Sandy Koufax HOF
    165-87, 2.76 ERA
  6. 90
    Clayton Kershaw
    223-96, 2.53 ERA

Compare Rube Waddell

Side-by-side career stat comparisons against Waddell's closest peers by position and era.

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See Rube Waddell in Another Era

What would Waddell's 1905 season look like in a different era's run environment? Try the cross-era translation with a live slider.

Translate Rube Waddell's peak season across eras →

Rube Waddell: the record in brief

Rube Waddell's major league career runs from a debut on September 8, 1897 to a final game on August 1, 1910. The season rows list, in order, the Louisville Colonels (1897 through 1899), the Pittsburgh Pirates (1900 through 1901), the Chicago Orphans (1901), the Philadelphia Athletics (1902 through 1907), and the St. Louis Browns (1908 to 1910). Born on October 13, 1876, in Bradford, PA, USA, Waddell is listed as a pitcher and batted right-handed and threw left-handed. The bio gives 6 feet, 1 inch and 196 pounds. The bio records the death on April 1, 1914, in San Antonio, TX, USA. The given name on file is George Edward Waddell.

Across 407 games (340 starts), Waddell recorded 193 wins against 143 losses with a 2.16 ERA. Waddell had 2,316 strikeouts, 261 complete games, and 50 shutouts. That 2.16 ERA compares with a 2.98 league average across the same seasons, 27.4% better. Waddell won 27 games in 1905, the most of any season listed. 1904 produced Waddell's most strikeouts, 349.

Frequently Asked Questions about Rube Waddell

What years did Rube Waddell play?
Rube Waddell played in Major League Baseball from 1897 to 1910.
Was Rube Waddell a pitcher?
Yes. Rube Waddell pitched in the major leagues, recording 193 wins and 2316 strikeouts.
How many home runs did Rube Waddell hit?
Rube Waddell hit 4 career home runs with 172 hits.
Is Rube Waddell in the Hall of Fame?
Yes. Rube Waddell was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1946.
What teams did Rube Waddell play for?
Rube Waddell played for 5 teams: the Louisville Colonels (1897, 1899), the Pittsburgh Pirates (1900–1901), the Chicago Orphans (1901), the Philadelphia Athletics (1902–1907), and the St. Louis Browns (1908–1910).
What awards did Rube Waddell win?
Rube Waddell won the pitching Triple Crown (1905).
What were Rube Waddell's career stats?
In 407 games, Rube Waddell went 193-143 with a 2.16 ERA, 2,316 strikeouts, 2,961.1 innings pitched, and 5 saves. At the plate he had 172 hits and 4 home runs.
What position did Rube Waddell play?
Rube Waddell played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
How tall was Rube Waddell and how much did he weigh?
Rube Waddell was listed at 6 feet 1 inch and 196 pounds.
What was Rube Waddell's career ERA?
Rube Waddell finished with a 2.16 career ERA, going 193-143 with 2,316 strikeouts.
How many strikeouts did Rube Waddell have?
Rube Waddell recorded 2,316 career strikeouts.