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 Jimmy
Rattlesnake, the ‘Smilin’ Rattler’ is a legend. He was one
of Canada’s greatest aboriginal athletes and baseball was
his game. Born on the Hobbema Reserve in 1909, he was an
outstanding pitcher who was scouted by a New York team in
the 1930’s and invited to Spring Training. The team was
high on him and Jimmy did play a few games, but he didn’t
like the big city of New York and slipped away one day and
returned to his reserve. For the next 20 years he was one
of the premier pitchers in Western Canada, playing in all
the big tournaments that existed at that time. Although he
did participate in other sports too; soccer, curling, and
horseshoes; his first love was always baseball.
In his day,
to be scouted or to go any place for
a tryout was just about beyond comprehension
In his day it was difficult for a Canadian to go to the
National League in the USA. To be scouted or to go any
place for a tryout was just about beyond comprehension.
Every few years there might be the odd scout through our
area, so for Jimmy Rattlesnake to go to New York for a
tryout and make the team was quite an accomplishment. It is
said that Jimmy was one of the first Canadian baseball
players to turn professional in the USA and certainly he was
the first
Aboriginal
baseball player from Canada to do so.
Batters all felt ‘the Rattler’ was
dangerous,
he made mortals out of heroes
 Jimmy Rattlesnake had tremendous natural ability and the
perfect physique for a pitcher. He was over six feet tall
and lanky, his shoulders were kind of stooped like he’d
spent a lot of time on the mound and he was a good runner. A
crafty and cunning pitcher, many people used to compare him
to Satchel Paige. Jimmy fascinated baseball people, they
wondered where he learned to throw like he did. Batters all
felt ‘the Rattler’ was dangerous, he made mortals out of
heroes. Jimmy threw what was call a ‘sawdust ball’, it made
hitters uneasy as the ball looked like it was never going to
get to the plate and then just as a hitter was swinging, the
ball would do something crazy, tail or drop and the batter
would miss it by a country mile. He’d show hitters his
fastball, but all his strikes would be curves. Jimmy was an
idol to many aspiring pitchers and many tried to emulate his
throwing techniques.
A “southpaw”, he was great at picking off players trying to
steal bases, it was like he had eyes all over and he was
fast. Most fans and spectators recall his “pick-off move” to
first base which was like no other pitcher during his era.
He also had a reputation for being cool under pressure; with
two out, bases loaded, he’s most often come through looking
good. However, the biggest trouble was trying to catch for
him, catchers used to feel like they were sticking their
hand in a “sack full of rattlers”. Many of his friends and
team mates in Hobbema who played or practiced with Jimmy and
didn’t use catchers mitts had bent or broken fingers because
of his pitches. Even some of them who did use catchers
mitts suffered the same fate.
He was great at picking off players
trying to steal
bases, it was like he had eyes all over and he was fast
Jimmy Rattlesnake roamed all over Alberta and Saskatchewan
playing baseball , he’d show up anywhere and everybody
seemed to get a thrill out of it, just knowing he could
appear unexpectedly. He played in all the small Alberta
towns, especially in the money tournaments....Wetaskiwin,
Lacombe, Neilburg, Alix, Clive, Tees, Mirror; you name it,
he was probably there. Everybody knew his name and people
got so they’d know instinctively when he came to a
particular area and they’d be on the lookout for him.
Sometimes, a team would try to keep him a secret until the
line-ups were called, sort of like a secret weapon in
reserve.
From written records we know for sure that Jimmy Rattlesnake
played for the following teams:
-
The Stockyard Bulls in Edmonton (early 1930’s)- he was
picked up in Hobbema and driven to the games by a man
from Ponoka named Dobson.
-
The Edmonton Royals (early 1930’s)
-
The Wetaskiwin Braves (1935) - Alberta Senior Amateur
Baseball Champions
-
Wetaskiwin Old Stars (1943)
-
Victoria Machinery Depot Shipbuilders (1943) - During
the war Jimmy played for this team that had real success
against the army, navy and air force teams that had some
of the best athletes in Canada playing for them. Laurel
Harney a renowned baseball player, coach and manager
took him out to Victoria. Jimmy was successful playing
for the team but didn’t like working in the shipyard and
living so far away from home so he left. The team
brought him back for playoffs that year and he won two
big games for them in relief.
There are no written records but it is believed that he also
played in Seattle.
Jimmy’s many years of tournament baseball were acknowledged
by Baseball Alberta’s “Life Member Award”. Also, Baseball
Canada has an
award called the “Jimmy Rattlesnake Award” presented
annually in his honor to the Canadian Baseball Player that
represents both talent and sportsmanship. An
athletic award in Jimmy’s name is presented annually at
Erminskin School in Hobbema.
Humble and unassuming, Jimmy was not only a superb baseball
player but a fine person and outstanding citizen. Jimmy
contributed to his community through his quiet role modeling
and his venturing out of the community so that he could
compete at the highest available levels of competition. It
is with great pleasure and admiration for his ability and
accomplishments that we induct Jimmy Rattlesnake into the
Wetaskiwin and County Sports Hall of Fame.
Information
about an inductee is collected from published sources,
sports archives, scrapbooks, anecdotal information from
family, friends and fans, and the athlete.
However, sometimes
the best stories and personal insights are gleaned at the induction dinner from
the introductory comments or acceptance speech of the
inductee or their representative.
Where possible we have included this type of information for
your enjoyment.
Read the
opening comments made by Sandra Wright when speaking about
Jimmy Rattlesnake.
Read
the
acceptance speech made by the daughter of Jimmy Rattlesnake.
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