| Ed Whitson | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: (1955-05-19)May 19, 1955 (age 70) Johnson City, Tennessee, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 4, 1977, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 29, 1991, for the San Diego Padres | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 126–123 |
| Earned run average | 3.79 |
| Strikeouts | 1,266 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Eddie Lee Whitson (born May 19, 1955) is an American former professionalbaseballpitcher. He played inMajor League Baseball (MLB) for thePittsburgh Pirates,San Francisco Giants,Cleveland Indians,San Diego Padres andNew York Yankees from 1977 to 1991. He was selected to the NL All-Star team representing the Giants in 1980.
ThePittsburgh Pirates selected Whitson in the sixth round of the1974 Major League Baseball draft out ofUnicoi County High School inErwin, Tennessee.[1] He had a 32–41win–loss record with a 3.56earned run average (ERA) in four seasons as astarting pitcher in the Pirates' farm system before making his début with the Pirates as a September call-up in 1977. He went 1–0 with a 3.45 ERA. His one win came on September 17, when he made an emergency start against theMontreal Expos in place ofJerry Reuss, who was a late scratch.[2]
Whitson split the 1978 season between the Pirates and their triple A affiliate, theColumbus Clippers. He made seven starts with Columbus, however, was used strictly out of thebullpen by Pirates managerChuck Tanner, going 5–6 with a 3.27 ERA as arelief pitcher, and earning foursaves.
The Pirates were in fourth place,6+1⁄2 games back of the Montreal Expos on June 28, 1979, when Whitson was traded along withAl Holland andFred Breining to theSan Francisco Giants forBill Madlock,Lenny Randle andDave Roberts.[3] Madlock batted .328, and was a key member of the "We Are Family"Pirates that surged from fourth place to win the division by two games over the Expos, and go on to win the1979 World Series over theBaltimore Orioles. For his part, Whitson was 2–3 with a 4.37 ERA splitting time between the bullpen and starts for the Pirates. Upon his arrival inSan Francisco, Whitson was added to his new team's starting rotation. He went 5–8 with a 3.95 ERA.
Whitson began the 1980 season with an 0–5 record and 5.06 ERA. However, he bounced back, going 7–3 with a 2.32 ERA over his next thirteen starts to earn his onlyNational LeagueAll-Star nomination (he did not appear in thegame). He finished the season 11–13 with a 3.10 ERA, and making a career high 34 starts and pitching211+2⁄3 innings.
Injuries and the1981 Major League Baseball strike limited Whitson to just 22 starts in 1981, resulting in a 6–9 record and 4.02 ERA.[4]
Whitson was traded from the Giants to theCleveland Indians forDuane Kuiper on November 15, 1981.[4] He was converted back into a reliever with Cleveland, going 1–1 with a 4.41 ERA in that role. He made his first start for the Indians in the first game of adouble header with theMilwaukee Brewers on August 1, 1982, pitching six innings and giving up just onerun to earn the win.[5] He remained in the starting rotation for the remainder of the season, compiling a 3–1 record and 2.22 ERA. Following the season, he was traded to theSan Diego Padres forJuan Eichelberger andBroderick Perkins.
In 1983, Whitson was 2–6 with a 4.73 ERA when Padres managerDick Williams demoted him to the bullpen. He found his way back into the starting rotation by the end of the season, and was 3–0 with a 2.20 ERA upon his return. For the season, he finished at 5–7, compiling a 4.30 ERA with one save.
Whitson had a career year in 1984, going 14–8 with a 3.24 ERA. He was one of eight Padres ejected in a 5–3 loss to the Atlanta Braves atAtlanta–Fulton County Stadium on August 12 of that year.[6] After throwing a second-inning retaliatory pitch behindPascual Pérez who had hitAlan Wiggins with the very first pitch of the game, he threw three straight inside pitches at Pérez two innings later and was ejected along with Padres managerDick Williams. Despite his ejection, he reappeared on the field shirtless and wielding abat while defending his teammates from unruly Braves fans in the ninth during the second of two late-inningbench-clearing brawls.[7] He wasfined but not suspended for his actions four days later on August 16.[8]
ThePadres ran away with theNational League West by twelve games over theBraves to face theChicago Cubs in the1984 National League Championship Series. The Cubs won the first two games inChicago. Facing elimination, Whitson pitched a gem, holding the Cubs to fivehits and one run in eight innings.[9] The Padres went on to win games four and five of the NLCS[10] to face theDetroit Tigers in theWorld Series. Whitson started game two, lasting only two-thirds of an inning, giving up three runs on five hits. The Padres actually came back and won the game, asAndy Hawkins andCraig Lefferts both pitched brilliantly out of the bullpen, holding the Tigers to two hits and no runs from that point forward.[11] Whitson later told family that he was so nervous before the game that he could barely walk to the mound.[12] It was, however, San Diego's only win as the Tigers went on to win the1984 World Series four games to one.[13]
Whitson became afree agent following the 1984 season, and signed a five-year contract with the New York Yankees worth $4.4 million with a sixth-year option.[14] Whitson got off to a terrible start in New York, going 1–6 with a 6.23 ERA in his first eleven starts, and soon became a target for heckling Yankee fans. He began receiving verbal abuse and hate mail, and refused to let his wife, Kathleen, attend home games atYankee Stadium.[15]
On June 11, 1985, after giving up five hits and one run against theToronto Blue Jays in Yankee Stadium, Whitson retired the next 19 batters he faced. Fans began to cheer Whitson during the game, and although the game was lost by the bullpen inextra innings, Whitson left the game to a standing ovation in the tenth.[16][17] From there, Whitson turned his season around, going 9–1 with a 4.55 ERA over his next sixteen starts.
The Yankees were2+1⁄2 games behind the first-place Blue Jays in theAmerican League East when Toronto came to town for a four game series on September 12. With the Blue Jays taking two of the first three games, Yankees managerBilly Martin handed Whitson the ball for the fourth game. Whitson gave up fourearned runs in just two innings with Toronto winning the game, 8–5, to take a4+1⁄2 game lead in the division.[18]
Martin lifted Whitson from his next scheduled start on September 20. On September 22, while at a hotel bar inBaltimore, Whitson and Martin got into a heated argument that spread to other parts of the hotel and resulted in a broken ulna in Martin's right arm and a bruised right side, while Whitson suffered a cracked rib and a split lip.[19] Whitson finished with a 10–8 record and 4.88 ERA. After the season, Martin was fired, which many Yankee fans suspected was because of his altercation with Whitson.[20]
Whitson was used both as a starter and out of the bullpen by new managerLou Piniella in 1986. Pulled rib muscles caused him to miss time in May.[21] He was 4–0 despite a high 7.36 ERA out of the bullpen, and 1–2 with an 8.71 ERA as a starter. Knowing that Whitson wanted out of New York, the Yankees traded Whitson back to the Padres for relieverTim Stoddard on July 9, 1986.[22]Tommy John thought that Whitson had trouble handling the intense pressure and media coverage of New York.[23]
Used primarily as a starter, Whitson went 11–20 with a 4.89 ERA his first season and a half back in San Diego, largely due to the fact that he led the league in home runs allowed in1987 with 36. Still traumatized by his experience in New York, Whitson received a death threat prior to a scheduled start against theNew York Mets atShea Stadium in 1987. He made the start, after being escorted to the stadium byNational League PresidentA. Bartlett Giamatti and his security team. He was pulled from the game in the fourth inning after giving up six runs.[24] He beat the Mets 1–0 in San Diego two weeks later.[25]
In 1988, Whitson improved to 13–11 and lowered his ERA to 3.77 while allowing only seventeen home runs. In1989, he won a career-high 16 games with a 2.66 ERA, and in1990, he went 14–9 with a career-best 2.60 ERA, hitting his only careerhome run in a complete game victory over theChicago Cubs.[26]
Whitson retired toDublin, Ohio. He coached for his son's baseball team atDublin Jerome High School.[27][28]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)