Texas Fan Talks Browns Baseball

St. Louis Browns Fan Club member, Dick Ensweiler, chats with Club President, Bill Rogers, at a break in the action during a recent conference in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Ensweiler is CEO/President of the Texas Credit Union League and an avid collector of baseball memorabilia.

Dick Ensweiler (l) visiting with Browns Fan Club President Bill Rogers (r)

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WADDELL PAYS FOR SELF IN ONE CONTEST

20,000 Philadelphia Fans Cheer Rube As He Beats His Old Team Mates

BY JAMES CRUSINBERRY

PHILADELPHIA – All hats off to Rube Waddell today. He turned a trick on dear old Philadelphia that no other ball player in the world could do. He beat the home team and was cheered by 20,000 of the most loyal fans in the world.

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It was the first time in history that Philadelphia has rooted for the visiting team - the St. Louis Browns

The remarkable part of the performance was that every man, woman and child in that immense throng was for Rube Waddell. They were willing to sacrifice victory for their team in a championship game just to see their pitcher of former years win the contract. It was Rube’s day from start to finish.

All loyalty to the Athletics was tossed to the wind when Rube Waddell, now with the Browns, was doing the pitching. The great crowd yelled with delight as Rube cut the ball over the played and fanned out the idolized hitters of the home team and the crowd cheered further when the Browns opened up a batting rally in the seventh inning.

20,000 Paid to See Rube

Rube paid for himself in one game. All by himself he drew a crowd of 20,000 persons when it is doubtful 4,000 would have attended under ordinary conditions. At least two factories closed their doors at 3:30 o’clock in the afternoon to allow the workmen to attend the game. Business down town was almost suspended. It was not to see the Browns and Athletics play ball that the people thronged the grounds. It was to see Rube pitch once more.

 

The game drew more than 20,000 fans, a remarkable total for the time. Without Rube, the Athletics experienced a 27 percent decrease in home attendance from 1907 to 1908 while the Browns enjoyed 48 percent increase in home attendance.