| Al Weis | |
|---|---|
| Second baseman /Shortstop | |
| Born: (1938-04-02)April 2, 1938 (age 87) Franklin Square, New York, U.S. | |
Batted: Switch Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 15, 1962, for the Chicago White Sox | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| June 23, 1971, for the New York Mets | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .219 |
| Home runs | 7 |
| Runs batted in | 115 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Albert John Weis (born April 2, 1938) is an American former professionalbaseball player. He played inMajor League Baseball as aninfielder from 1962 to 1971 for theChicago White Sox and theNew York Mets. A light-hitting batter with only seven career home runs, he is notable for hitting a dramatichome run in Game 5 of the1969World Series.[1] He was aswitch hitter until the end of the 1968 season, after which he batted exclusively right-handed.
Weis grew up inBethpage, New York, and graduated fromFarmingdale High School in 1955.[2] He was a high school teammate ofpitcherJack Lamabe, with whom he was teammates on theChicago White Sox in1966 and1967.
Weis joined theUnited States Navy after high school. It was playingbaseball atNaval Station Norfolk where Weis caught the eye of the White Sox, with whom he signed as an amateur free agent in1959. After four years in theirfarm system, in which hebatted .266 with fifteen home runs and 159runs batted in, Weis received a September call-up in1962, batting only .083 in seven games.
Weis played 99 games as autility infielder in his rookie season of1963, with 48 of those games at second base and 27 atshortstop. Following the trade ofNellie Fox during the off-season, Weis became more of asecond baseman in1964, although he still made nine appearances at shortstop, including 4 starts. He batted .247 and established career highs with 81hits and 22stolen bases, second in theAmerican League toHall of FamerLuis Aparicio. That year, the White Sox finished second in a tightAmerican League pennant race, one game behind theNew York Yankees and one game ahead of theBaltimore Orioles.
Don Buford was named the everyday White Sox second baseman for the1965 season, with Weis returning to utility infield duties. He remained in that role for the remainder of his tenure with the White Sox, which ended on June 27, 1967, when theBaltimore Orioles’Frank Robinson broke Weis' leg while sliding into second to break up adouble play.[3] After the season, he and formerRookie of the Yearcenter fielderTommie Agee were traded to theNew York Mets forTommy Davis,Jack Fisher,Buddy Booker andBilly Wynne.[4]
Though MetsmanagerGil Hodges acquired Weis primarily for his glove, he earned the dubious distinction of being the player whoseerror ended the longest game by time in Major League Baseball history on April 15,1968 in his Mets debut.[5] In the bottom of the 24th inning against theHouston Astros in theAstrodome, Weis allowedBob Aspromonte's bases-loaded ground ball to go through his legs, scoringNorm Miller with the lonerun of the game.[6] For the season, Weis batted .172 with one home run and twelve RBIs, backing upBud Harrelson andKen Boswell at the middle infield positions.
On July 15, 1969, facing the first placeChicago Cubs atWrigley Field, he hit a three-run home run off former MetDick Selma to lead the second place Mets to a 5–4 victory.[7] Weis hit his second of two home runs for the season the following day, and the Mets won again to close the gap to just four games in theNational League East.[8]
The Cubs widened that gap back up to ten games before the Mets began the improbable surge that saw them take first place on September 10, and win the division by eight games to face theAtlanta Braves in the first everNational League Championship Series.[9] Ken Boswell was the star of the1969 National League Championship Series, hitting two home runs, and leading his team with five RBIs. Weis, meanwhile, only logged oneat bat, reaching first on aClete Boyer error in the ninth inning of game two.[10] However, he received far more playing time in the World Series.
TheNational League and American League'sCy Young Award winners faced off in game one of the World Series. The Orioles scored four runs in five innings offTom Seaver. Meanwhile,Mike Cuellar pitched acomplete game, with Weis'sacrifice fly in the seventh inning accounting for the only Mets run.[11] In Game 2, Weis came to the plate with twoouts in the ninth inning. With runners on first and third, Weissingled toleft field to drive in the game winning run.[12]
Koosman and McNally faced each other again in game five, with the Mets holding a commanding three-to-one game lead. McNally got his team on the board first with a two-run home run in the third. Three batters later, Frank Robinson hit a solo home run to bring the Orioles' lead to 3–0.Donn Clendenon's two run shot in the sixth brought the score to 3–2. Leading off the seventh, Weis took McNally deep to left field to tie the game. The Mets scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth to seal their improbable World Series win.[1]
For the series, the career .219 hitter batted .455 with three RBIs.[13] Clendenon was namedWorld Series MVP, while Weis received the Series'Babe Ruth Award.
Weis' playing time in the second half of the1970 season diminished substantially when former first overall draft pickTim Foli was brought up to the majors. He was released by the Mets midway through the1971 season, having appeared in just eleven games that year.
| Games | PA | AB | Runs | Hits | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | HBP | SO | Avg. | OBP | Slg. | Fld% |
| 800 | 1761 | 1578 | 195 | 346 | 45 | 11 | 7 | 115 | 55 | 117 | 14 | 299 | .219 | .278 | .275 | .965 |
As the weather got hot, so did Weis. He batted .260 with two home runs and 25 RBIs in the month of July for his career, far better than any other month. Weis fared far better against lefties than righties, having hit five of his seven career home runs with a .235 average against southpaws. All seven of his regular season home runs were hit as a visiting player. The only home run he ever hit in a home stadium was the World Series home run off McNally atShea Stadium.[14] McNally is also the only pitcher Weis has hit two home runs against, serving up his second career home run on June 18, 1964.[15]