Whitey Wietelmann Explained

Whitey Wietelmann
Position:Infielder
Bats:Switch
Throws:Right
Birth Date:15 March 1919
Birth Place:Zanesville, Ohio, U.S.
Death Place:San Diego, California, U.S.
Debutleague:MLB
Debutdate:September 6
Debutyear:1939
Debutteam:Boston Bees
Finalleague:MLB
Finaldate:September 18
Finalyear:1947
Finalteam:Pittsburgh Pirates
Statleague:MLB
Stat1label:Batting average
Stat1value:.232
Stat2label:Home runs
Stat2value:7
Stat3label:Runs batted in
Stat3value:122
Teams:

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 –47 for the Boston Braves and Pittsburgh Pirates. The native of Zanesville, Ohio, stood tall and weighed 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 wartime44 seasons, and their regular second baseman during the final wartime season,, 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 National League Most Valuable Player Award and lead Boston to the 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

, or Retrosheet, or The Deadball Era