| Wally Westlake | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Outfielder | |
| Born:(1920-11-08)November 8, 1920 Gridley, California, U.S. | |
| Died: September 5, 2019(2019-09-05) (aged 98) Sacramento, California, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 15, 1947, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| May 12, 1956, for the Philadelphia Phillies | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .272 |
| Home runs | 127 |
| Runs batted in | 539 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Waldon Thomas Westlake (November 8, 1920 – September 5, 2019) was a utility player inMajor League Baseball who had a ten-year career from 1947 to 1956.
Born inGridley, California, Westlake played for thePittsburgh Pirates,St. Louis Cardinals,Cincinnati Reds andPhiladelphia Phillies of theNational League, and theCleveland Indians andBaltimore Orioles of theAmerican League. He primarily played as anoutfielder, with some appearances as athird baseman.
Westlakehit for the cycle twice in his career (both while playing for the Pirates), coming almost a year apart; July 30, 1948, against theBrooklyn Dodgers,[1] and June 14, 1949, against theBoston Braves.[2]
He was a member of the National League All-Star team in 1951, entering the game as a defensive replacement in the bottom of the 9th inning.[3] He was traded along withEddie Kazak from theCardinals to theReds forDick Sisler andVirgil Stallcup on May 13, 1952.[4]
Westlake was a member of the1954 Cleveland Indians team, who were swept by theNew York Giants in the1954 World Series. He played in two games of the Series, batting 1-for-7 (.143) with onewalk. Following the death of teammateHal Naragon, Westlake was the last surviving player to play with the Indians in the 1954 World Series.
Westlake was acquired along withDave Pope and cash by theBaltimore Orioles from theIndians forGene Woodling andBilly Cox before the trade deadline on June 15, 1955.[5]
In 958 regular season games played, Westlake hit .272 with 127 home runs and 539 RBIs. He played 738 games in the National League, and 220 games in theAmerican League. He played 834 games in the outfield, and 34 games at third base (all of his games at third were with the1951 Pittsburgh Pirates).
On August 26, 1947, Westlake became the first white batter hit by a pitch from a black pitcher -Dan Bankhead of theBrooklyn Dodgers atEbbets Field.[6]
Westlake graduated fromChristian Brothers High School inSacramento. His brotherJim Westlake was also a major league player.
Westlake served in the United States military duringWorld War II. He died on September 5, 2019.[7][6] He was the second-to-last last living player from the 1954 American League champion Indians (afterDick Tomanek, and the last living member who played in the 1954 World Series.
| Achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Hitting for the cycle July 30, 1948 June 14, 1949 | Succeeded by |