Jack Wadsworth

John L. Wadsworth
(Waddy)

• Bats Left, Throws Right
• Weight 180 lb.

• Debut May 1, 1890
• Final Game April 29, 1895
• Born December 17, 1867 in Wellington, OH USA
• Died July 8, 1941 in Elyria, OH USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Jack Wadsworth pitched four seasons in the majors, all for teams which finished under .500. His record was 6-38, and his ERA was 6.85.

As a rookie with the Cleveland Spiders in 1890, he was one year older than Cy Young. Young went 9-7 with a 3.47 ERA (not the best among the starters) while Wadsworth was 2-16 with a 5.20 ERA.

Wadsworth also pitched many years in the minors.

An article in the July 1952 issue of Baseball Digest claims that Wadsworth was an amateur ventriloquist who used his talent to get opposing players in trouble with umpires, who thought it was those players who were saying disrespectful things. The article mentions both Dan Brouthers and Roger Connor as victims of this ventriloquism.

Records Held

• Most at bats against, game (9 innings), 64, August 17, 1894
• Most batters faced, game (9 innings), 67, August 17, 1894

Further Reading

• Matt Monagan: "The pitcher who got players ejected through ventriloquism: The legend of Jack "Waddy" Wadsworth", mlb.com, January 5, 2023. [1]