Lou Whitaker was born on Sunday, May 12, 1957, in Brooklyn, New York. Whitaker was 20 years old when he broke into the big leagues on September 9, 1977, with the Detroit Tigers. His biographical data, year-by-year hitting stats, fielding stats, pitching stats (where applicable), career totals, uniform numbers, salary data and miscellaneous items-of-interest are presented by Baseball Almanac on this comprehensive Lou Whitaker baseball stats page.
"His career numbers look attractive by second-base standards. But it's hard to remember any period when (Lou) Whitaker was looked upon as the greatest second baseman of his era. 'Just' a very good player. There's no shame in that." - Stark, Jayson. ESPN Analyst. My Hall of Fame Ballot. 19 November 2003. [Lou Whitaker Quotes]
Lou WhitakerLou Whitaker Autograph on a 1989 Fleer Baseball Card (#151) |
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Biographical Data | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Lou WhitakerLou Whitaker Pitching Stats |
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Year | Age | Team | G | GS | GF | W | L | PCT | ERA | CG | SHO | SV | IP | BFP | H | ER | R | HR | BB | IBB | SO | WP | HB | BK | HLD |
- | - | Did Not Pitch | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Career | G | GS | GF | W | L | PCT | ERA | CG | SHO | SV | IP | BFP | H | ER | R | HR | BB | IBB | SO | WP | HB | BK | HLD |
Lou WhitakerLou Whitaker Hitting Stats |
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Year | Age | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | GRSL | RBI | BB | IBB | SO | SH | SF | HBP | GIDP | AVG | OBP | SLG |
1977 | 20 | Tigers | 11 | 32 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .250 | .333 | .281 |
1978 | 21 | Tigers | 139 | 484 | 71 | 138 | 12 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 58 | 61 | 0 | 65 | 13 | 8 | 1 | 9 | .285 | .361 | .357 |
1979 | 22 | Tigers | 127 | 423 | 75 | 121 | 14 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 42 | 78 | 2 | 66 | 14 | 4 | 1 | 10 | .286 | .395 | .378 |
1980 | 23 | Tigers | 145 | 477 | 68 | 111 | 19 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 45 | 73 | 0 | 79 | 12 | 6 | 0 | 9 | .233 | .331 | .283 |
1981 | 24 | Tigers | 109 | 335 | 48 | 88 | 14 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 36 | 40 | 3 | 42 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 5 | .263 | .340 | .373 |
1982 | 25 | Tigers | 152 | 560 | 76 | 160 | 22 | 8 | 15 | 0 | 65 | 48 | 4 | 58 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 8 | .286 | .341 | .434 |
1983 | 26 | Tigers | 161 | 643 | 94 | 206 | 40 | 6 | 12 | 0 | 72 | 67 | 8 | 70 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 9 | .320 | .380 | .457 |
1984 | 27 | Tigers | 143 | 558 | 90 | 161 | 25 | 1 | 13 | 1 | 56 | 62 | 5 | 63 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 9 | .289 | .357 | .407 |
1985 | 28 | Tigers | 152 | 609 | 102 | 170 | 29 | 8 | 21 | 0 | 73 | 80 | 9 | 56 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 3 | .279 | .362 | .456 |
1986 | 29 | Tigers | 144 | 584 | 95 | 157 | 26 | 6 | 20 | 0 | 73 | 63 | 5 | 70 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 20 | .269 | .338 | .437 |
1987 | 30 | Tigers | 149 | 604 | 110 | 160 | 38 | 6 | 16 | 0 | 59 | 71 | 2 | 108 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 5 | .265 | .341 | .427 |
1988 | 31 | Tigers | 115 | 403 | 54 | 111 | 18 | 2 | 12 | 0 | 55 | 66 | 5 | 61 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 8 | .275 | .376 | .419 |
1989 | 32 | Tigers | 148 | 509 | 77 | 128 | 21 | 1 | 28 | 0 | 85 | 89 | 6 | 59 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 7 | .251 | .361 | .462 |
1990 | 33 | Tigers | 132 | 472 | 75 | 112 | 22 | 2 | 18 | 0 | 60 | 74 | 7 | 71 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 10 | .237 | .338 | .407 |
1991 | 34 | Tigers | 138 | 470 | 94 | 131 | 26 | 2 | 23 | 0 | 78 | 90 | 6 | 45 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 3 | .279 | .391 | .489 |
1992 | 35 | Tigers | 130 | 453 | 77 | 126 | 26 | 0 | 19 | 1 | 71 | 81 | 5 | 46 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 9 | .278 | .386 | .461 |
1993 | 36 | Tigers | 119 | 383 | 72 | 111 | 32 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 67 | 78 | 4 | 46 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 5 | .290 | .412 | .449 |
1994 | 37 | Tigers | 92 | 322 | 67 | 97 | 21 | 2 | 12 | 2 | 43 | 41 | 4 | 47 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 8 | .301 | .377 | .491 |
1995 | 38 | Tigers | 84 | 249 | 36 | 73 | 14 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 44 | 31 | 4 | 41 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 6 | .293 | .372 | .518 |
Career | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | GRSL | RBI | BB | IBB | SO | SH | SF | HBP | GIDP | AVG | OBP | SLG | ||
19 Years | 2,390 | 8,570 | 1,386 | 2,369 | 420 | 65 | 244 | 4 | 1,084 | 1,197 | 79 | 1,099 | 89 | 91 | 20 | 143 | .276 | .363 | .426 |
Lou WhitakerLou Whitaker Fielding Stats |
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Team | POS | G | GS | OUTS | TC | TC/G | CH | PO | A | E | DP | PB | CASB | CACS | FLD% | RF |
1977 Tigers | 2B | 9 | 9 | 222 | 35 | 3.9 | 35 | 17 | 18 | 0 | 2 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 4.26 |
1978 Tigers | 2B | 136 | 123 | 3,367 | 776 | 5.7 | 759 | 301 | 458 | 17 | 95 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .978 | 6.09 |
1979 Tigers | 2B | 126 | 114 | 3,052 | 658 | 5.2 | 649 | 280 | 369 | 9 | 103 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .986 | 5.74 |
1980 Tigers | 2B | 143 | 130 | 3,600 | 780 | 5.5 | 768 | 340 | 428 | 12 | 93 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .985 | 5.76 |
1981 Tigers | 2B | 108 | 104 | 2,755 | 590 | 5.5 | 581 | 227 | 354 | 9 | 77 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .985 | 5.69 |
1982 Tigers | 2B | 149 | 143 | 3,849 | 811 | 5.4 | 801 | 331 | 470 | 10 | 120 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .988 | 5.62 |
1983 Tigers | 2B | 160 | 151 | 4,074 | 759 | 4.7 | 746 | 299 | 447 | 13 | 92 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .983 | 4.94 |
1984 Tigers | 2B | 142 | 131 | 3,585 | 710 | 5.0 | 695 | 290 | 405 | 15 | 83 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .979 | 5.23 |
1985 Tigers | 2B | 150 | 146 | 3,923 | 739 | 4.9 | 728 | 314 | 414 | 11 | 101 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .985 | 5.01 |
1986 Tigers | 2B | 141 | 136 | 3,622 | 708 | 5.0 | 697 | 276 | 421 | 11 | 98 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .984 | 5.20 |
1987 Tigers | 2B | 148 | 145 | 3,800 | 708 | 4.8 | 691 | 275 | 416 | 17 | 99 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .976 | 4.91 |
1988 Tigers | 2B | 110 | 103 | 2,711 | 510 | 4.6 | 502 | 218 | 284 | 8 | 53 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .984 | 5.00 |
1989 Tigers | 2B | 146 | 137 | 3,534 | 731 | 5.0 | 720 | 327 | 393 | 11 | 99 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .985 | 5.50 |
1990 Tigers | 2B | 130 | 116 | 3,112 | 664 | 5.1 | 658 | 286 | 372 | 6 | 98 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .991 | 5.71 |
1991 Tigers | 2B | 135 | 119 | 3,191 | 620 | 4.6 | 616 | 255 | 361 | 4 | 91 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .994 | 5.21 |
1992 Tigers | 2B | 119 | 112 | 2,935 | 577 | 4.8 | 568 | 256 | 312 | 9 | 72 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .984 | 5.23 |
1993 Tigers | 2B | 110 | 97 | 2,592 | 569 | 5.2 | 558 | 236 | 322 | 11 | 75 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .981 | 5.81 |
1994 Tigers | 2B | 83 | 73 | 1,925 | 394 | 4.7 | 382 | 136 | 246 | 12 | 44 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .970 | 5.36 |
1995 Tigers | 2B | 63 | 53 | 1,358 | 274 | 4.3 | 270 | 107 | 163 | 4 | 32 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .985 | 5.37 |
Career | POS | G | GS | OUTS | TC | TC/G | CH | PO | A | E | DP | PB | CASB | CACS | FLD% | RF |
2B Totals | 2,308 | 2,142 | 57,207 | 11,613 | 5.0 | 11,424 | 4,771 | 6,653 | 189 | 1,527 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .984 | 5.39 | |
19 Years | 2,308 | 2,142 | 57,207 | 11,613 | 5.0 | 11,424 | 4,771 | 6,653 | 189 | 1,527 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .984 | 5.39 |
Lou WhitakerLou Whitaker Miscellaneous Stats |
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Baserunning Statistics | Other Positions | Common Hitting Ratios | Common Pitching Ratios | |||||||||
Team | SB | CS | SB% | PH | PR | DH | AB/HR | AB/K | AB/RBI | K/BB | K/9 | BB/9 |
1977 Tigers | 2 | 2 | .500 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 5.3 | 16.0 | - | - | - |
1978 Tigers | 7 | 7 | .500 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 161.3 | 7.4 | 8.3 | - | - | - |
1979 Tigers | 20 | 10 | .667 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 141.0 | 6.4 | 10.1 | - | - | - |
1980 Tigers | 8 | 4 | .667 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 477.0 | 6.0 | 10.6 | - | - | - |
1981 Tigers | 5 | 3 | .625 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 67.0 | 8.0 | 9.3 | - | - | - |
1982 Tigers | 11 | 3 | .786 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 37.3 | 9.7 | 8.6 | - | - | - |
1983 Tigers | 17 | 10 | .630 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 53.6 | 9.2 | 8.9 | - | - | - |
1984 Tigers | 6 | 5 | .545 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 42.9 | 8.9 | 10.0 | - | - | - |
1985 Tigers | 6 | 4 | .600 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 29.0 | 10.9 | 8.3 | - | - | - |
1986 Tigers | 13 | 8 | .619 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 29.2 | 8.3 | 8.0 | - | - | - |
1987 Tigers | 13 | 5 | .722 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 37.8 | 5.6 | 10.2 | - | - | - |
1988 Tigers | 2 | 0 | 1.000 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 33.6 | 6.6 | 7.3 | - | - | - |
1989 Tigers | 6 | 3 | .667 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 18.2 | 8.6 | 6.0 | - | - | - |
1990 Tigers | 8 | 2 | .800 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 26.2 | 6.6 | 7.9 | - | - | - |
1991 Tigers | 4 | 2 | .667 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 20.4 | 10.4 | 6.0 | - | - | - |
1992 Tigers | 6 | 4 | .600 | 12 | 0 | 10 | 23.8 | 9.8 | 6.4 | - | - | - |
1993 Tigers | 3 | 3 | .500 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 42.6 | 8.3 | 5.7 | - | - | - |
1994 Tigers | 2 | 0 | 1.000 | 13 | 0 | 5 | 26.8 | 6.9 | 7.5 | - | - | - |
1995 Tigers | 4 | 0 | 1.000 | 23 | 0 | 8 | 17.8 | 6.1 | 5.7 | - | - | - |
Career | SB | CS | SB% | PH | PR | DH | AB/HR | AB/K | AB/RBI | K/BB | K/9 | BB/9 |
19 Years | 143 | 75 | .656 | 171 | 10 | 32 | 35.1 | 7.8 | 7.9 | - | - | - |
Lou WhitakerLou Whitaker Miscellaneous Items of Interest |
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Team | Roster | Uniform Numbers | Salary | All-Star | World Series |
1977 Detroit Tigers | 1 | $19,000.00 | - | - |
1978 Detroit Tigers | 1 | $22,100.00 | - | - |
1979 Detroit Tigers | 1 | $34,000.00 | - | - |
1980 Detroit Tigers | 1 | $130,000.00 | - | - |
1981 Detroit Tigers | 1 | $310,000.00 | - | - |
1982 Detroit Tigers | 1 | $310,000.00 | - | - |
1983 Detroit Tigers | 1 | $525,000.00 | Stats | - |
1984 Detroit Tigers | 1 | $525,000.00 | Stats | Stats |
1985 Detroit Tigers | 1 | $670,000.00 | Stats | - |
1986 Detroit Tigers | 1 | $670,000.00 | Stats | - |
1987 Detroit Tigers | 1 | $420,000.00 | Stats | - |
1988 Detroit Tigers | 1 | $975,000.00 | - | - |
1989 Detroit Tigers | 1 | $1,025,000.00 | - | - |
1990 Detroit Tigers | 1 | $1,800,000.00 | - | - |
1991 Detroit Tigers | 1 | $2,000,000.00 | - | - |
1992 Detroit Tigers | 1 | $2,200,000.00 | - | - |
1993 Detroit Tigers | 1 | $3,433,333.00 | - | - |
1994 Detroit Tigers | 1 | $2,783,333.00 | - | n/a |
1995 Detroit Tigers | 1 | $3,783,334.00 | - | - |
Lou Whitaker Stats by Baseball Almanac |
Louis Rodman Whitaker was a Major League Baseball player who spent his entire nineteen year career with the Detroit Tigers (1977-1995). Did you know that Lou Whitaker and Alan Trammell were not only the longest-running double-play combination (second base / shortstop combo, respectively, from 1977 through 1995) in Major League history, but the duo are also the American League record holders for most games played together (1,918) by two teammates?
Lou Whitaker Rookie Card | 1978 Topps Baseball Card (#704 | Checklist)
Baseball Almanac Collection
A perfect pair
Trammell-Whitaker combo makes history
DETROIT — They were thrown together from two different worlds. Yet the pairing of Alan Trammell and Lou Whitaker has proven to be right for the team, right for the town and right for them.
“I didn’t think we’d be married so long,” Whitaker said. “We’ve been together longer than lots of husbands and wives.”
The duo long ago became the longest-running double-play combination in baseball history.
Yesterday, they set an American League record when they played their 1,915 game together. Their start against the Milwaukee Brewers erased the old AL mark set by George Brett and Frank White of the Kansas City Royals.
“We were kind of force fed,” Trammell recalled. “We were both just kids when they brought us up. We needed to mature, physically and mentally. But, we endured and flourished. The bottom line is we both did the job. So, we stayed.”
Trammell and Whitaker were paired in the minor league. Jim Campbell, who was then the Tigers’ general manager, wanted them together so much that he converted Whitaker into a second baseman, despite the fact that Whitaker was voted Most Valuable Player of the Florida State League as a third baseman in 1976.
“The days after the season ended, they sent us to the Instructional League and switched him to second,” Trammell said. “They paired us up there, in the fall of 1976.”
They have been together ever since.
Their 19-season tenure with Detroit began on Sept. 9, 1977, when manager Ralph Houk started them both in the second game of a doubleheader at Fenway Park. Both hit safely in their first major league at-bats. Whitaker went 3 for 5 with a double, an RBI and a stolen base. Trammell went 2 for 3 in an 8-6 loss.
Source: Associated Press Wire. The Blade. Toledo, Ohio. 14 September 1995. Page 35.
Lou Whitaker is one of only six players with 2,200+ games played at second base, the other five (Roberto Alomar, Eddie Collins, Nellie Fox, Charlie Gehringer and Joe Morgan) are each members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Let’s take a look at some additional numbers of interest as they relate to one of the most defensively solid second baseman in baseball history:
1 – Lou Whitaker had his iconic #1 retired on August 6, 2022, just the eighth player in the storied history of the Detroit Tigers to have honor bestowed upon him. Christopher Ilitch, Tigers CEO, said, "Sweet Lou will join a distinguished club of legends, and his name will forever be etched in Tigers history as one of the best to ever wear the Olde English D."
3 – Lou Whitaker won three Gold Glove Awards at Second Base, the most ever by a Tigers second baseman. [Frank Bolling (1x) and Placido Polanco (2x)]
4 – Lou Whitaker won four Silver Slugger Awards at second base, the most ever by a Tigers second baseman and the most in American League history until Robinson Cano won his fifth in 2013 (Julio Franco and Roberto Alomar also won four each at second, but only Cano has won more to date).
13 – Lou Whitaker was rated by baseball historian Bill James (The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract. Free Press Publishers. 13 June 2003. Page 494.) as the thirteenth best second baseman in baseball history! Hall of Fame second basemen who finished behind Sweet Lou include Billy Herman (#14), Nellie Fox (#15), Bobby Doerr (#18), Tony Lazzeri (#19), Johnny Evers (#25), Red Schoendienst (#28), and Bill Mazeroski (#29).
28 – Lou Whitaker hit 28 home runs in 1989, the single season record for home runs in a season by a Detroit Tigers second baseman. The previous record setting Detroit Tigers second baseman was Dick McAuliffe, who had 24 in 1964, and before him it was hall of famer Charlie Gehringer, who had 20 in 1938.
1527 – Lou Whitaker took part in 1,527 double plays at second base, the fourth most in baseball history behind only Bill Mazeroski (1,706), Nellie Fox (1,619), and Willie Randolph (1,547).
2390 – Lou Whitaker wore a Detroit Tigers uniform in 2,390 regular season games, third most in team history, behind Al Kaline (2,834 games) and Ty Cobb (2,806 games).
In 1978, Lou Whitaker won the Rookie of the Year Award, the second recipient from the Detroit Tigers, and the youngest American League player to ever receive the honor. Sweet Lou held that record for thirty-four years, until a centerfielder who was two months and twenty-six days younger named Mike Trout, won unanimously in 2012.