Whitey Wietelmann

Whitey Wietelmann
Whitey Wietelmann
	Wietelmann in 1978
	Infielder
	Born: March 15, 1919; Zanesville, Ohio
	Died: March 26, 2002 (aged 83); San Diego, California
	Batted: Switch Threw: Right
MLB debut
	September 6, 1939, for the Boston Bees
Last MLB appearance
	September 18, 1947, for the Pittsburgh Pirates
MLB statistics
Batting average	.232
Home runs	7
Runs batted in	122
Teams
	Boston Bees/Braves (1939–1946); Pittsburgh Pirates (1947);

William Frederick "Whitey" Wietelmann (March 15, 1919 – March 26, 2002) was an American professional baseball player, coach and manager. He was an infielder in the Major Leagues from 1939–47 for the Boston Braves and Pittsburgh Pirates. The native of Zanesville, Ohio, stood 6 feet (1.8 m) tall and weighed 170 pounds (77 kg) during his active career. He was a switch-hitter who threw right-handed.

Wietelmann's playing career lasted for two decades, from 1937 to 1956. He broke in with the Braves in September 1939 when they were still nicknamed the "Bees", a temporary name change for the franchise begun in 1936 and abandoned after the 1940 season. He was the Braves' regular shortstop during the wartime 1943–44 seasons, and their regular second baseman during the final wartime season, 1945, when he hit a career-high .271. In September 1946, he was sent to the Pirates in one of the most important trades in Boston Braves history. In the multi-player transaction, Boston acquired third baseman Bob Elliott, who would win the 1947 National League Most Valuable Player Award and lead Boston to the 1948 NL championship.

After one season with Pittsburgh, Wietelmann was sent to the minor leagues. During his nine-season big league career, he collected 409 hits in 580 games played, with 55 doubles, six triples and seven home runs.

He was also an MLB coach for the Cincinnati Reds (1966–67) and San Diego Padres (1969–79) for 13 seasons, after ten seasons as a minor league coach in the Pacific Coast League, including nine years of service with the PCL Padres.

Whitey Wietelmann died in San Diego at the age of 83.

External links

Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet, or The Deadball Era
Whitey Wietelmann at Find a Grave

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