Eddie Waitkus Stats

Eddie Waitkus was born on Thursday, September 4, 1919, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Waitkus was 21 years old when he broke into the big leagues on April 15, 1941, with the Chicago Cubs. 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 Eddie Waitkus baseball stats page.

Baseball Almanac Top Quote

"She had a blank expression of psychopathic intensity - 'the coldest-looking face I ever saw' - but even when she reached into a closet and brought out a .22 caliber rifle Waitkus was more bewildered than alarmed; after all it was probably just a gag. Then, said Waitkus, 'before I could say anything else, whammy!' A bullet ripped through his right lung, lodging near the spine. As he lay on the floor Waitkus moaned, 'Baby, what did you do that for?' The girl knelt and held his hand, then called the hotel authorities." - Life Magazine (June 27, 1949, 'Silly Honey With a Gun', Page 36)

Eddie Waitkus



CareerCollegeAll-StarWild CardDivisionLCSWorld SeriesManagerTradesAwardsVideosCardsmlb   espn
Birth Name:   Edward Stephen Waitkus
Nickname:   Eddie
Born On:   09-04-1919  (Virgo)
Place of Birth Data Born In:   Cambridge, Massachusetts
Year of Death Data Died On:   09-16-1972 (1,000 Oldest Living)
Place of Death Data Died In:   Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts
Cemetery:   Cambridge Cemetery, Cambridge, Massachusetts
High School:   Latin High School (Cambridge, MA)
College:   Boston College
Batting Stances Chart Bats:   Left   Throwing Arms Chart Throws:   Left
Player Height Chart Height:   6-01   Player Weight Chart Weight:   175
First Game:   04-15-1941 (Age 21)
Last Game:   09-20-1955
Draft:   Not Applicable

Eddie Waitkus

Eddie Waitkus Pitching Stats

- - Did Not Pitch - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Eddie Waitkus

Eddie Waitkus Hitting Stats

1941 22 Cubs 12 28 1 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 1 1 .179 .207 .179
1946 27 Cubs 113 441 50 134 24 5 4 0 55 23 1 14 7 0 1 8 .304 .340 .408
1947 28 Cubs 130 514 60 150 28 6 2 1 35 32 4 17 6 0 2 8 .292 .336 .381
1948 29 Cubs 139 562 87 166 27 10 7 0 44 43 1 19 7 0 2 12 .295 .348 .416
1949 30 Phillies 54 209 41 64 16 3 1 0 28 33 0 12 3 0 1 3 .306 .403 .426
1950 31 Phillies 154 641 102 182 32 5 2 0 44 55 2 29 5 0 1 13 .284 .341 .359
1951 32 Phillies 145 610 65 157 27 4 1 0 46 53 2 22 1 0 0 8 .257 .317 .320
1952 33 Phillies 146 499 51 144 29 4 2 0 49 64 8 23 4 0 1 6 .289 .371 .375
1953 34 Phillies 81 247 24 72 9 2 1 0 16 13 0 23 1 0 1 3 .291 .330 .356
1954 35 Orioles 95 311 35 88 17 4 2 0 33 28 1 25 6 3 1 8 .283 .341 .383
1955 36 Orioles 38 85 2 22 1 1 0 0 9 11 3 10 0 0 0 1 .259 .344 .294
1955 36 Phillies 33 107 10 30 5 0 2 0 14 17 1 7 0 0 0 4 .280 .379 .383
11 Years 1,140 4,254 528 1,214 215 44 24 1 373 372 23 204 40 3 11 75 .285 .344 .374

Eddie Waitkus

Eddie Waitkus Fielding Stats

1941 Cubs 1B 9 7 102 78 8.7 74 71 3 4 8 n/a n/a n/a .949 19.59
1946 Cubs 1B 106 105 2,844 1,077 10.2 1,073 992 81 4 76 n/a n/a n/a .996 10.19
1947 Cubs 1B 126 125 3,315 1,270 10.1 1,262 1,161 101 8 109 n/a n/a n/a .994 10.28
1948 Cubs 1B 116 115 3,000 1,165 10.0 1,156 1,064 92 9 77 n/a n/a n/a .992 10.40
1948 Cubs LF 20 20 510 44 2.2 43 43 0 1 0 n/a n/a n/a .977 2.28
1949 Phillies 1B 54 54 1,503 491 9.1 488 452 36 3 51 n/a n/a n/a .994 8.77
1950 Phillies 1B 154 153 4,080 1,496 9.7 1,486 1,387 99 10 142 n/a n/a n/a .993 9.83
1951 Phillies 1B 144 142 3,822 1,318 9.2 1,308 1,214 94 10 121 n/a n/a n/a .992 9.24
1952 Phillies 1B 146 139 3,753 1,388 9.5 1,376 1,281 95 12 119 n/a n/a n/a .991 9.90
1953 Phillies 1B 59 53 1,428 523 8.9 517 480 37 6 65 n/a n/a n/a .989 9.78
1954 Orioles 1B 78 76 1,965 666 8.5 666 618 48 0 72 n/a n/a n/a 1.000 9.15
1955 Orioles 1B 26 18 528 194 7.5 189 180 9 5 15 n/a n/a n/a .974 9.66
1955 Phillies 1B 31 29 768 272 8.8 271 250 21 1 31 n/a n/a n/a .996 9.53
1B Totals 1,049 1,016 27,108 9,938 9.5 9,866 9,150 716 72 886 n/a n/a n/a .993 9.83
LF Totals 20 20 510 44 2.2 43 43 0 1 0 n/a n/a n/a .977 2.28
11 Years 1,069 1,036 27,618 9,982 9.3 9,909 9,193 716 73 886 n/a n/a n/a .993 9.69

Eddie Waitkus

Eddie Waitkus Miscellaneous Stats

1941 Cubs 0 1 .000 3 0 n/a 0.0 9.3 0.0 - - -
1946 Cubs 3 4 .429 6 1 n/a 110.3 31.5 8.0 - - -
1947 Cubs 3 2 .600 4 0 n/a 257.0 30.2 14.7 - - -
1948 Cubs 11 3 .786 3 1 n/a 80.3 29.6 12.8 - - -
1949 Phillies 3 1 .750 0 0 n/a 209.0 17.4 7.5 - - -
1950 Phillies 3 2 .600 1 0 n/a 320.5 22.1 14.6 - - -
1951 Phillies 0 3 .000 2 0 n/a 610.0 27.7 13.3 - - -
1952 Phillies 2 2 .500 4 0 n/a 249.5 21.7 10.2 - - -
1953 Phillies 1 1 .500 22 0 n/a 247.0 10.7 15.4 - - -
1954 Orioles 0 1 .000 17 0 n/a 155.5 12.4 9.4 - - -
1955 Orioles 2 0 1.000 14 0 n/a 0.0 8.5 9.4 - - -
1955 Phillies 0 1 .000 3 0 n/a 53.5 15.3 7.6 - - -
11 Years 28 21 .571 79 2 n/a 177.3 20.9 11.4 - - -

Eddie Waitkus

Eddie Waitkus Miscellaneous Items of Interest

1941 Chicago Cubs 27 Undetermined - -
1946 Chicago Cubs 36 Undetermined - -
1947 Chicago Cubs 36 Undetermined - -
1948 Chicago Cubs 36 Undetermined Stats -
1949 Philadelphia Phillies 4 Undetermined Stats -
1950 Philadelphia Phillies 4 Undetermined - Stats
1951 Philadelphia Phillies 4 Undetermined - -
1952 Philadelphia Phillies 4 Undetermined - -
1953 Philadelphia Phillies 4 Undetermined - -
1954 Baltimore Orioles 3 Undetermined - -
1955 Baltimore Orioles 9 Undetermined - -
1955 Philadelphia Phillies 44 Undetermined - -

search this site site glossary Print Friendly and PDF

baseball almanac flat baseball

baseball almanac fast facts

Did you know that the shooting of Robert Redford's Roy Hobbs character in "The Natural" was based on the real-life shooting of Eddie Waitkus by a deranged Chicago woman in 1949?

"We're not acquainted, but I have something of importance to speak to you about," she (Ruth Ann Steinhagen) wrote in a note to him after a game at Wrigley on June 14, 1949.

It worked. Waitkus arrived at her room. After he sat down, Steinhagen walked to a closet, said, "I have a surprise for you," then turned with the rifle she had hidden there and shot him in the chest. (John) Theodore wrote (in Baseball's Natural: The story of Eddie Waitkus) that she then knelt by his side and held his hand on her lap. She told a psychiatrist afterward about how she had dreamed of killing him and found it strange that she was now "holding him in my arms."

Newspapers devoured and trumpeted the lurid story of a 19-year-old baseball groupie, known in the parlance of the day as a "Baseball Annie." Among the sensational and probably staged photos was one showing Steinhagen writing in her journal at a table in her jail cell with a framed photograph of Waitkus propped nearby.

A judge determined she was insane and committed her to a mental hospital. She was released three years later, after doctors determined she had regained her sanity.

Source: Don Babwin, AP Wire, Woman portrayed in baseball movie 'The Natural' dies in obscurity at 83.

You can follow the team links in the chart above to locate common statistics (singles), advanced statistics (WHIP Ratio & Isolated Power), and unique statistics (plate appearances & times on bases) not found on any other website.

If you find this type of "free" data useful please consider making a donation to Baseball Almanac : a privately run / non-commercial site in need of financial assistance.