Charlie Waitt

Charles C. Waitt

• Bats Unknown, Throws Right
• Height 5' 11", Weight 165 lb.

• Debut May 25, 1875
• Final Game September 18, 1883
• Born October 14, 1849 in Hallowell, ME USA
• Died October 21, 1912 in San Francisco, CA USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Charlie Waitt was one of the first major leaguers (perhaps the very first) to wear a glove. Waitt was afraid that he would get criticized for doing so, so he wore a flesh-colored glove. In spite of that he was ridiculed for it.

A recent article about the glove, Charlie Waitt, is entitled Charlie Waitt: The Sissy that Changed Baseball.

He played for four different teams in four years in the majors.

He was one of several managers for Wilmington in 1883.

It was a much smaller world in Charlie's day. When he was looking for work, he apparently just contacted the trade paper - on June 17, 1885, Sporting Life stated "Charlie Waitt, the well-known player and manager, late of the Lancaster club, is open for an engagement as a manager or outfielder. He can be addressed at 131 Marshall St., Norristown, Pa." On January 27, 1886, the paper said: "Charlie Waitt is at present an employee of the Pennsylvania R.R. He thinks of re-entering the diamond this season."