Eddie Waitkus

Born: 9/4/1919 in Cambridge, MA, USA

Died: 9/16/1972 in Jamaica Plain, MA, USA

MLB Debut: 1941-04-15 | Final Game: 1955-09-20

Bats: L | Throws: L | Height: 6'0" | Weight: 170 lbs

Full name: Edward Stephen Waitkus

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Biography

Eddie Waitkus was a prominent American baseball player who made his mark as a first baseman and outfielder during his career from 1941 to 1955. Born in 1919, Waitkus became known for his solid batting skills and versatility on the field. Over the course of 1,140 games in Major League Baseball, he accumulated 1,214 hits, 24 home runs, and 373 runs batted in, concluding his career with an impressive batting average of .285. In addition to his offensive contributions, Waitkus also demonstrated speed on the bases, stealing 28 bases throughout his time in the league. Waitkus was selected as an All-Star once during his career, showcasing his talent among the elite players of his time. He played during a transformative era in baseball that included the challenges of World War II, which impacted many players' careers and the composition of teams. Despite these challenges, Waitkus established himself as a reliable player on the field and a beloved figure in the game, leaving a lasting legacy that resonates with baseball historians and fans alike.

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
1140	4254	528	1214	215	44	24	373	28	372	204	0.285	0.344	0.374	0.718	-204.4

Career AVG .285 vs. league average .261 across their career seasons — +9.3% above league average.

Career OBP .344 vs. league average .336 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .374 vs. league average .382 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OPS 0.718 vs. league average 0.718 across their career seasons — near league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year	Team	Lg	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	Lg AVG	Lg OBP	Lg SLG	Lg OPS	PIV
1941	CHC	NL	12	28	1	5	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	0.179	—	—	—	—	0.0
1946	CHC	NL	113	441	50	134	24	5	4	55	3	23	14	0.304	.256 (+18%)	.328 (+3%)	.358 (+14%)	.687 (+9%)	572.0
1947	CHC	NL	130	514	60	150	28	6	2	35	3	32	17	0.292	.262 (+11%)	.336 (avg)	.376 (+1%)	.712 (+1%)	-54.1
1948	CHC	NL	139	562	87	166	27	10	7	44	11	43	19	0.295	.263 (+12%)	.340 (+2%)	.379 (+10%)	.719 (+6%)	560.9
1949	PHI	NL	54	209	41	64	16	3	1	28	3	33	12	0.306	.262 (+17%)	.343 (+17%)	.384 (+11%)	.727 (+14%)	578.7
1950	PHI	NL	154	641	102	182	32	5	2	44	3	55	29	0.284	.265 (+7%)	.346 (-1%)	.401 (-11%)	.747 (-6%)	-890.5
1951	PHI	NL	145	610	65	157	27	4	1	46	0	53	22	0.257	.260 (-1%)	.336 (-6%)	.385 (-17%)	.721 (-12%)	-1489.2
1952	PHI	NL	146	499	51	144	29	4	2	49	2	64	23	0.289	.252 (+14%)	.326 (+13%)	.369 (+1%)	.696 (+7%)	840.4
1953	PHI	NL	81	247	24	72	9	2	1	16	1	13	23	0.291	.264 (+10%)	.335 (-2%)	.397 (-10%)	.733 (-6%)	-312.6
1954	BAL	AL	95	311	35	88	17	4	2	33	0	28	25	0.283	.261 (+8%)	.333 (+2%)	.390 (-2%)	.723 (avg)	-15.9
1955	BAL	AL	38	85	2	22	1	1	0	9	2	11	10	0.259	.258 (avg)	.332 (+4%)	.393 (-25%)	.726 (-12%)	-141.6
1955	PHI	NL	33	107	10	30	5	0	2	14	0	17	7	0.280	.258 (+8%)	.332 (+14%)	.393 (-3%)	.726 (+5%)	-141.6

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
4	15	0	4	1	0	0	0	2	0	0.267

Playoff Batting by Year

Year	Round	Team	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
1950	WS	PHI	4	15	0	4	1	0	0	0	2	0	0.267

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1B	1049	123	9150	716	72	886
OF	20	0	43	0	1	0

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1941	CHN	1B	9	0	71	3	4	8
1946	CHN	1B	106	0	992	81	4	76
1947	CHN	1B	126	0	1161	101	8	109
1948	CHN	1B	116	0	1064	92	9	77
1948	CHN	OF	20	0	43	0	1	0
1949	PHI	1B	54	0	452	36	3	51
1950	PHI	1B	154	0	1387	99	10	142
1951	PHI	1B	144	0	1214	94	10	121
1952	PHI	1B	146	0	1281	95	12	119
1953	PHI	1B	59	0	480	37	6	65
1954	BAL	1B	78	76	618	48	0	72
1955	BAL	1B	26	18	180	9	5	15
1955	PHI	1B	31	29	250	21	1	31