Ernie Whitt
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Leo Ernest Whitt (born June 13, 1952 in Detroit, Michigan) is a former Major League Baseball player noted for being an original player for the Toronto Blue Jays when they broke into the major leagues in 1977.
Whitt is now the Blue Jays first base coach, which was vacated after Mickey Brantley was announced as the hitting coach replacement for the fired Mike Barnett. Before that, he had been the BLue Jays bench coach.
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Career
Whitt, a catcher, was selected in the 15th round of the 1972 amateur draft by the Boston Red Sox, and he made his major league debut on September 12, 1976. He was traded shortly afterward to the expansion Toronto Blue Jays, a team he stayed with until 1989.
It was during this time with Toronto that he would have his most success. Although he spent most of this time platooning behind the plate with Buck Martinez, Ernie had several very productive seasons. In 1985, he hit .245 with 19 HRs and 64 RBIs. In 1987, he bettered himself to .269 (a career high), 19 HRs and 75 RBIs (also a career high). He is widely regarded as the Blue Jays' greatest catcher, and remains involved with the organization.
After his playing days, Ernie has been involved in the coaching and administrative side of baseball. He is often a guest coach at spring training with the Blue Jays. For the past few years, he has been the manager of the Canadian national baseball team. In the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, he guided the team to a 4th-place finish in the baseball tournament.
Accomplishments
- All-Star (1985)
Teams
- Boston Red Sox (1976)
- Toronto Blue Jays (1977-1989)
- Atlanta Braves (1990)
- Baltimore Orioles (1991)
External link
- Baseball Reference (http://www.baseball-reference.com/w/whitter01.shtml)