Eddie Waitkus
| Eddie Waitkus | |
|---|---|
 |
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| First baseman | |
| Born: September 4, 1919 Cambridge, Massachusetts |
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| Died: September 16, 1972 (aged 53) Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts |
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| Batted: Left | Threw: Left |
| MLB debut | |
| April 15, 1941 for the Chicago Cubs | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 20, 1955 for the Philadelphia Phillies | |
| Career statistics | |
| Batting average | .285 |
| Hits | 1,214 |
| Runs batted in | 373 |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Edward Stephen Waitkus (September 4, 1919 – September 16, 1972) was an American first baseman in Major League Baseball who had an 11-year career (1941, 1946-1955). He played for the Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies in the National League and for the Baltimore Orioles of the American League. He was elected to the National League All-Star team twice (1948 and 1949).
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[edit] Biography
Eddie Waitkus, the son of Lithuanian immigrants, grew up in Boston. Eddie began his pro career in 1938 playing for the Worumbo Indians, a semi-pro team sponsored by Worumbo Woolen Mill in Lisbon Falls, Maine. He saw some of the bloodier fighting of World War II with the U.S. Army in the Philippines, earning four Bronze Stars. Upon his return to baseball he quickly became a star for the Chicago Cubs. He also became a popular media figure, as he was well-educated and could speak several languages.[citation needed] Following the 1948 season, the Cubs traded Waitkus with Hank Borowy to the Philadelphia Phillies for Monk Dubiel and Dutch Leonard.
Just a few years into the start of what seemed a very promising career, Waitkus was shot in the chest by Ruth Ann Steinhagen, an obsessed fan, on June 14, 1949, at the Edgewater Beach Hotel in Chicago.[1] Steinhagen had become infatuated with him when he was a Cub, but seeing him every day in-season apparently kept her obsession in check. Once he was traded to the Phillies and would only be in Chicago 11 games in the season, her obsession grew to dangerous proportions. She checked into the hotel using the alias of a former high school classmate of his, and left a note at the desk asking him to come to her hotel room on an urgent matter. She then shot him with a rifle, the bullet barely missing his heart. He nearly died several times on the operating table before the bullet was successfully removed. Steinhagen never stood trial, but instead was confined to a mental institution. Steinhagen's obsession and stalking was covered at length in one of the Fireside Book of Baseball entries.
On the night of August 19, 1949, the Phillies held "Eddie Waitkus Night" at Shibe Park and showered Waitkus with gifts. Waitkus was in uniform for the first time since he was shot in Chicago. After the 1950 season, Waitkus was named the Associated Press Comeback Player of the Year.[2]
Prior to the 1954 season, the Baltimore Orioles purchased Waitkus from the Philadelphia Phillies for $40,000 ($346,171 in current dollar terms). Released by the Orioles in 1955, he returned to the Phillies for the remainder of the season, retiring at the end of the year.
[edit] The Natural
Author Bernard Malamud, who was not a baseball fan himself, took the basic elements of the Waitkus story and wove them along with various baseball legends (notably Joe Jackson) into a novel, a morality tale called The Natural.[citation needed] The book was published in 1952, and was eventually made into a film that was released in 1984.
The DVD extras for the film contain a biography of Waitkus, which points out that writers in his rookie year often called Waitkus "a natural", a fact that Malamud presumably picked up on. Malamud's version of the tale ended tragically, and unknowingly foreshadowed Waitkus' own downfall as a player.
The DVD biography makes the point that Waitkus essentially suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of his shooting, which ultimately affected both his career and his marriage. He went through some rough times and died at a relatively young age from esophageal cancer. But his final years were satisfying to him, as he became an instructor for Ted Williams' baseball camp, an activity he enjoyed and which he continued almost to the end of his life.
[edit] References
- ^ Time Magazine, June 27, 1949
- ^ "Waitkus, Who Beat Death Rap, 'Comeback King'". Ellensburg Daily Record: p. 3. 1950-11-10. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=pQcKAAAAIBAJ&sjid=fUoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6305,681022&dq=phillies+yankees&hl=en.
[edit] External links
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference
- Baseball Library
- The Life And Times Of Eddie Waitkus <- accessed 2/2/2012; the domain has expired and been captured
- Eddie Waitkus at Find a Grave
