"'Charlie,' I said, 'if you sell me to Somers, I'm going right back to the ice cream company. He had first chance to get me, and he wouldn't give me what I deserved. So long as Somers is involved, I won't play for Cleveland, no matter what.' "'Okay,' he said. 'Don't worry. I won't sell you. Later on I'll be able to sell you for a lot more, anyway.' "On opening day, Kansas City was at Indianapolis, and I pitched the opening game. I won two to one, and that evening the story in the Indianapolis _Star_ read like this: 'The American Association season opened up today, and it was a beautiful game between two fine teams. Each had great pitching, with an eighteen year old right-hander pitching for Kansas City and an eighteen year old left-hander for the home team. The right-hander with Kansas City looks like he's going to develop into a great pitcher. They call him Smoky Joe Wood. But we have a left-hander with Indianapolis who is going places, too. He resembles one of the great left-handed pitchers of all time: Rube Waddell.' "And from that day on, they nicknamed me 'Rube.' "I had a wonderful season that year with Indianapolis. I pitched forty-seven complete games, won twenty-eight of them, led the league in most strikeouts, least hits, most innings pitched, and everything. Occasionally what I'd do would be reported in the Cleveland papers, and friends of mine would tell me that they'd pass by the house and see Dad sitting on the porch. "'Well, Fred,' they'd say--that was Dad's name, by the way, Fred--'Did you see what your son Rube did yesterday?' "'Who are you talking about?' he'd say. 'Rube who?' "'Your son--Richard,' they would answer. "'I told him that baseball was no good,' my dad would reply. 'Now they've even gone and changed his name!' "Anyway, I had a terrific year with Indianapolis, like I said. Late in the season we went into Columbus, Ohio, and Charlie Carr came up to me before the game. "'Rube,' he said, 'there are going to be an awful lot of celebrities here at the game today. The American and National Leagues both have an off-day, and they're all coming to see you pitch. If you pitch a good game I may be able to sell you before the night is out.' "'For how much?' I wanted to know. "'I don't know,' he said. 'But a lot. It depends on what kind of game you pitch.' "'Will you cut me in?' I asked. "'No, I won't,' he said with certainty. 'You're getting a good salary and you know it.' "'Okay,' I said. I was only kidding anyway. "'I don't want you to get nervous today,' he said. "'Nervous?' I repeated. 'Have I ever been nervous all season?' "'No,' he admitted, 'I've been in baseball a long time and I never saw anything like it. I never saw a kid like you, who can beat anybody and is so successful.' "'Well,' I said, 'the reason I'm so successful is because I can beat anybody.'"