March 16: A Whiz Kid Heads for Baltimore

The Main Event

March 16, 1954 – The Philadelphia Phillies sold the contract of first baseman Eddie Waitkus to the Baltimore Orioles for $40,000. Waitkus had been a key contributor to the Phillies’ 1950 “Whiz Kids” National League pennant team and had earlier made a remarkable comeback after surviving a shooting in 1949. The sale came as Baltimore prepared for its first season after relocating from St. Louis.

Eddie Waitkus built a reputation as one of the most dependable first basemen in the National League during the late 1940s and early 1950s. He was born on September 4, 1919 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the son of Lithuanian immigrants. Waitkus attended Boston University and developed a strong reputation as a disciplined contact hitter with excellent defensive instincts at first base.

He reached the major leagues with the Chicago Cubs in 1941. Waitkus quickly showed the traits that would define his career. He was not known for home run power, but he sprayed line drives around the field and handled the glove work at first base with unusual smoothness. Like many players of his generation, his career was interrupted by World War II service. Waitkus served in the United States Army and lost several prime seasons before returning to baseball after the war.

Following the 1948 season, the Cubs traded Waitkus to the Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies were in the process of building a young roster that would soon become one of the most exciting teams in baseball. Waitkus fit perfectly with the club’s emerging identity. He brought experience, professionalism, and steady play to a lineup that was beginning to feature young stars like Richie Ashburn and Del Ennis.

The 1949 Shooting

In June 1949, Waitkus became the victim of one of the strangest and most disturbing incidents in baseball history. While the Phillies were in Chicago, he was lured to a hotel room by Ruth Ann Steinhagen, a woman who had developed an unhealthy obsession with him. After a brief conversation, she shot him in the chest with a rifle.

The wound was life threatening, but doctors were able to save him after emergency surgery. Waitkus spent months recovering and faced an uncertain future in baseball. His determination to return to the field became one of the most widely followed comeback stories in the sport.

The 1950 “Whiz Kids” Season

Waitkus returned to the Phillies in 1950 and quickly became an important part of the club that came to be known as the “Whiz Kids.” The nickname reflected the youth of the roster, which featured rising stars such as Ashburn, Robin Roberts, Willie Jones, and Curt Simmons. Manager Eddie Sawyer relied on Waitkus to provide stability among the younger players.

Although injuries limited him to 112 games, Waitkus hit .284 and helped anchor the infield defense. His glove work at first base was especially valuable for a team that depended on strong pitching and clean defense. Teammates often praised his ability to handle difficult throws and keep infield plays from turning into errors.

Just as important was his presence in the clubhouse. Waitkus had endured a traumatic experience the year before, yet he returned to the field with a calm and determined attitude. That resilience became part of the emotional identity of the 1950 Phillies.

Philadelphia spent the season locked in a tight pennant race with the Brooklyn Dodgers. On the final day of the season, the Phillies defeated Brooklyn in a dramatic game that secured the National League pennant. Waitkus played first base for the team during the World Series against the New York Yankees. Although the Phillies were swept in four games, the season remains one of the most memorable in franchise history.

Trade to Baltimore and Final Years

By the early 1950s, the Phillies roster began to change. The young core of the Whiz Kids was still intact, but Waitkus was dealing with injuries and was entering his mid-thirties. Philadelphia also began looking for younger options at first base as the team tried to reshape its roster.

On March 16, 1954, the Phillies sold Waitkus to the Baltimore Orioles for $40,000. Baltimore had just relocated from St. Louis and was assembling a roster for its first season in the city. The Orioles were eager to add experienced veterans who could help stabilize a young and developing team.

For Philadelphia, the move marked the end of an important chapter from the Whiz Kids era. Waitkus had been one of the steady veterans who helped guide the young roster during its breakthrough years. The transaction allowed the Phillies to move forward with younger players while giving Waitkus an opportunity to continue his career in the American League.

For Baltimore, the acquisition provided a respected veteran presence in the clubhouse. Waitkus brought professionalism and leadership to a franchise trying to establish itself in a new city. He played his final major league season with the Orioles in 1954 before retiring from professional baseball.

Legacy

Eddie Waitkus is remembered in Philadelphia not only for his performance on the field but also for the courage he displayed during one of the most unusual chapters in baseball history. His recovery from the 1949 shooting and his return to help the Phillies win the 1950 National League pennant made him a beloved figure among fans.

During his years with the Phillies, Waitkus represented the grit and determination that defined the Whiz Kids. His reliable defense, steady hitting, and quiet leadership helped a young team reach one of the greatest moments in franchise history. Even decades later, his story remains one of the most remarkable examples of perseverance in the game.

Philadelphia Baseball Events for March 16

• March 16, 2012 – The Philadelphia Phillies released left-handed pitcher Dontrelle Willis during spring training. The former National League Rookie of the Year had signed a minor league deal with Philadelphia while attempting to reinvent himself as a reliever, but he did not make the club’s Opening Day roster.

MLB Events for March 16

• 1978 – High-priced free agent pitcher Andy Messersmith separates his shoulder in an exhibition game for the New York Yankees. A 20-game winner both for the Angels and Dodgers, Messersmith will never win a game for the Yankees.
• 1992: Anaheim Angels pitcher Matt Keough is hit in the head by a batted ball during an exhibition game in Scottsdale, Arizona. He is taken to the hospital and undergoes emergency surgery to remove a blood clot. The injury will put an end to his comeback attempt.
• 1999 – National League Rookie of the Year Kerry Wood suffers a ligament tear in his right elbow. It will require surgery that will keep him out of action until 2000.

ICYMI

• Philly Baseball News – Jesus Luzardo to Stay in Phillies Camp
• Philly Baseball News – Scouting Report: Chuck King
• PBN Extra Innings – The Sunday Seven: 7 Candidates for the Wall of Fame (subscription req’d.)

Philadelphia Baseball Birthdays for March 16

• Blondie Purcell (born 1854) – A 19th-century outfielder, third baseman, and catcher who played for the Philadelphia Quakers (later the Phillies) in 1883 and 1884. He played 66 games with the Athletics in 1885 prior to being sold to Boston, but would return to the Athletics late in the 1888 season and play 1889 and 1890 in Philadelphia prior to retiring. Purcell was known for his strong throwing arm and versatility.
• Jerry Denny (born 1859) – Formerly known as Jeremiah Dennis Eldridge, Denny was a standout third baseman who played for the Philadelphia Quakers during the 1891 season near the end of his career. Earlier he had starred for the Providence Grays and was widely regarded as one of the finest defensive third basemen of the 19th century.
• Bill Bernhard (born 1871) – A right-handed pitcher who played for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1899-1900. He also played for the Athletics in 1901 and part of the 1902 seasons. Bernhard later became a successful minor league manager, guiding several clubs in the Southern Association.
• Bill Duggleby (born 1874) – A pitcher who spent seven of his eight seasons in Philadelphia playing for the Phillies and Athletics between 1898 and 1907. He split the 1902 season between the Phillies and A’s before returning to the Phillies. In 1907, his contract was purchased by Pittsburgh and he spent the last part of the season – his last in the majors – with the Pirates. He famously hit a grand slam in his first major league at-bat in 1898 becoming the first player to accomplish the feat, which remains one of the rarest in baseball history. He later developed into a reliable starter who won 20 games for Philadelphia in 1901.
• Bud Bates (born 1912) – An outfielder who appeared in 15 games for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1939, batting .259 in limited duty. Although his time in the majors was brief, Bates spent many years in professional baseball and had a long minor league career interrupted by service in the U.S. Navy during World War II.
• Charles Hudson (born 1959) – A right-handed pitcher who played for the Phillies from 1983 through 1986. Hudson was a key member of the 1983 National League championship team and started games in both the NLCS and the World Series during his rookie season.

MLB Hall of Famers Born on March 16

• Lloyd Waner (born 1906) – Hall of Fame outfielder nicknamed “Little Poison.”  Although Waner weighed only 150 pounds in his prime, he hit for average, stole bases, fielded and had a powerful arm as a center fielder. He made his major league debut in 1927, batting .355 while garnering 223 hits, the latter figure establishing a National League rookie record that stood until the 21st century. Waner hit over .300 in ten of his first twelve seasons, compiling a career mark of .316 with 2,459 hits, striking out just 173 times in an 18-season major league career with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Boston Braves, Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies (1942) and Brooklyn Dodgers. Waner was elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1967.

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