Leo Ernest "Ernie" Whitt (born June 13, 1952 in
Detroit, MichiganDetroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
) is a former
Major League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
catcher and coach who is the current manager for the minor league Clearwater Threshers. He is noted for the twelve years he spent as a player with the
Toronto Blue JaysThe Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
. When he left the team following the season he was the last original Blue Jay left from when Toronto joined the major leagues in .
Playing career
Whitt was selected in the 15th round of the
1972 amateur draft-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1972 Major League Baseball draft.* Did not sign- Background :The Montreal Expos had perhaps their best draft in franchise history. The Expos grabbed outfielder Ellis Valentine in round two of the June regular phase and then...
by the
Boston Red SoxThe Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
, and he made his major league debut on September 12, 1976. With his path to the majors blocked by future Hall-of-Famer
Carlton FiskCarlton Ernest Fisk , nicknamed "Pudge" or "The Commander", is a former Major League Baseball catcher. During a 24-year baseball career, he played for both the Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox .Fisk was known by the nickname "Pudge" due to his 6'2", 220 lb frame...
, he was left unprotected during the expansion draft held after the 1976 season, and selected by the Blue Jays.
Whitt spent most of his time in the minor leagues in the first few seasons; Whitt speculates in his autobiography that Blue Jays manager
Roy HartsfieldRoy Thomas Hartsfield was a second baseman and manager in Major League Baseball; his MLB playing and managing careers each lasted three years. Hartsfield played his entire major-league career with the Boston Braves from 1950 to 1952. He was then traded to the Brooklyn Dodgers for outfielder Andy...
had a low opinion of his potential, as most of the catching duties went to
Alan AshbyAlan Dean Ashby is a former catcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Cleveland Indians, Toronto Blue Jays, and Houston Astros...
and
Rick CeroneRichard Aldo Cerone from Seton Hall University is a former Major League Baseball player from 1975 to 1992 for the Cleveland Indians, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves, Milwaukee Brewers, Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, and Montreal Expos...
. With Hartsfield's departure prior to the
1980 season-Major League Baseball:World Series: Philadelphia Phillies over Kansas City Royals ; Mike Schmidt, MVP*American League Championship Series: Frank White, MVP*National League Championship Series Manny Trillo, MVP...
, new manager
Bobby MattickRobert James Mattick was a shortstop, manager and scout in Major League Baseball, most notably in the Toronto Blue Jays organization....
expanded Whitt's role as a player, and Whitt remained with the club for the next ten years.
During the 1980s Whitt had his best years, putting together some very productive seasons despite spending most of this time platooning with
Buck Martinez. In
1985-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Kansas City Royals over St. Louis Cardinals ; Bret Saberhagen, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP: George Brett*National League Championship Series MVP: Ozzie Smith...
, he hit .245 with 19
HRsIn baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
and 64 RBIs. In
19871987 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup** Men's overall season champion: Pirmin Zurbriggen, Switzerland** Women's overall season champion: Maria Walliser, Switzerland-American football:...
, he bettered his average to .269 (a career high), 19 HRs and 75 RBIs (also a career high). Due to his longevity as well as his production, he is widely regarded as the Blue Jays' greatest catcher of all-time.
The Blue Jays' fan support was at a peak during Whitt's tenure, and he became one of the more popular players; fans at
Exhibition StadiumCanadian National Exhibition Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium, that formerly stood on the Exhibition Place grounds, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada....
frequently chanted his first name when he stepped into the batter's box, an event which was captured in a commemorative Ernie Whitt bobblehead issued by the team in the first decade of the Twenty-First Century.
Whitt parlayed his popularity into the publication of an autobiography, "Catch: A Major League Life," providing an insider's glimpse into both the
1988 seasonSee also: 1988 Major League Baseball season-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Los Angeles Dodgers over Oakland Athletics ; Orel Hershiser, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP: Dennis Eckersley...
and Whitt's early days coming up through the minors. The book includes adventures such as entering bowling tournaments to win money for food. The book also caused a stir upon publishing due to Whitt's controversial labeling of umpire
Joe BrinkmanJoseph Norbert Brinkman is a former umpire in Major League Baseball who worked in the American League from 1973 to 1999 and throughout both major leagues from 2000 until his retirement during the 2006 season....
as "incompetent."
Following the
1989 season-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Oakland Athletics over San Francisco Giants ; Dave Stewart, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP: Rickey Henderson*National League Championship Series MVP: Will Clark...
, Whitt was traded to the
Atlanta BravesThe Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
to make room for young catchers
Pat BordersPatrick Lance Borders is a former catcher in Major League Baseball who is best remembered for being the Most Valuable Player in the 1992 World Series. Borders also won an Olympic Games gold medal with the United States' baseball team at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney...
and Greg Myers. After a year in Atlanta and a further half-season with the
Baltimore OriolesThe Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
, Whitt retired at age 39.
Coaching career
Given his years of promoting baseball in
CanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
while a member of the Blue Jays, Whitt remained active as an ambassador of Canadian baseball Indeed, Whitt's
coachingIn baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, or head coach, who determines the lineup and decides how to substitute players during the game...
career first came to prominence in his capacity as
managerIn baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
of the
CanadianCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
national baseball team. In the
2004 Summer OlympicsThe 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
in
AthensAthens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, he guided the team to a 4th-place finish in the
baseball tournament-Preliminary round:The top four teams advanced to the semifinals. To determine the seed ranking of teams tied in the standings, the result of the two teams' game against each other was used. Japan therefore received first place due to the win over Cuba. In the semi-finals, Japan played...
. Whitt also managed the
Canadian national baseball teamCanada has qualified for two Olympic games, in 2004 and 2008. Canadian teams also competed twice when baseball was a demonstration sport, in 1984 and 1988.-1984 Summer Olympics:...
to a 3rd place finish in Pool B at the 2006
World Baseball ClassicThe World Baseball Classic is an international baseball tournament sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation and created by Major League Baseball , the Major League Baseball Players Association , and other professional baseball leagues and their players associations around the world...
.
Whitt also served as both the Blue Jays' bench coach and first base coach starting in
2005-Headline events of the year:*Chicago White Sox swept the Houston Astros to win the 2005 World Series.*2005 also marked the inaugural season of the Washington Nationals, who relocated from Montreal and were formerly known as the Expos....
, and was rumoured to be a potential replacement for then-incumbent manager
John GibbonsJohn Michael Gibbons was the manager of the Toronto Blue Jays in Major League Baseball from 2004 to 2008...
until Gibbons and several coaches were fired midway through the
2008 season-Major League Baseball:* Regular Season Champions* World Series Champions – Philadelphia Phillies** American League Champions – Tampa Bay Rays** National League Champions – Philadelphia Phillies* Postseason – October 1 to October 29...
. He was the manager of the
Clearwater ThreshersThe Clearwater Threshers are a minor league baseball team that currently plays in the Florida State League. Since 2004, the team competes in the West Division....
in the Philadelphia Phillies' minor league system.
Whitt continues to be a roaming instructor in the Phillies' organization.
Whitt has also been managing Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic, World Baseball Cup, and the Pan Am Games. In 2011 Team Canada in the World Baseball Cup won the Bronze medal.
External links