Dick Whitman

Dick Corwin Whitman

• Bats Left, Throws Right
• Height 5' 11", Weight 170 lb.
• School University of Oregon
• High School Woodburn High School
• Debut April 16, 1946
• Final Game June 4, 1951
• Born November 9, 1920 in Woodburn, OR USA
• Died February 12, 2003 in Peoria, AZ USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Left-handed hitting outfielder Dick Whitman signed as an amateur free agent with the Brooklyn Dodgers by scout Tom Downey shortly after graduating from the University of Oregon in 1942. The speedy outfielder played with two teams his first year out, hitting .313 in 85 games. Like so many others of the era, his baseball career was put on hold by World War II. Dick was in the infantry for three years (1943-1945), seeing action in the Battle of the Bulge and being awarded a Bronze Star and Purple Heart.

Dick came out of the Army and hit .260 in 104 games for the Dodgers in 1946, and then divided the next three years (1947-1949) between Brooklyn and the Montreal Royals. Although he was hitting .291 in 60 games for the Dodgers in 1948, he was sent down to Montreal by General Manager Branch Rickey, who wanted to bring up Duke Snider. Whitman then hit .327 the rest of the year in helping Montreal to the International League pennant and Little World Series championship. Whitman appeared for the entire 1949 season with the Brooklyn pennant winners, getting into 23 games in the regular season. He also did get into one World Series game with no hits in one plate appearance.

On November 14, 1949 Dick was purchased by the Philadelphia Phillies and helped his new club, the "Whiz Kids," to the 1950 National League Pennant, with his timely hitting, leading the league in pinch-hits with 12 off the bench. Whitman did not see much playing time in the World Series either, getting three pinch-hitting appearances with no hits.

Dick was traded back to the Dodgers early in the 1951 season but was sent out to the St. Paul Saints of the American Association and did not return to the majors. A .259 hitter in the majors, he had spent six years in the big leagues. Whitman played out his career in the minors, finishing out his 10-year up-and-down affair with a .321 minor league batting average. His last two years in baseball (1956-1957) were spent as player-manager of the San Jose JoSox of the California League. In a last hurrah Whitman led the 1956 California League in hitting with a .391 average and was the winner of the league MVP Award at the age of 35.

After baseball Dick became the maintenance manager of the San Jose, CA Water company for 29 years before retiring to Peoria, AZ, were he died February 12, 2003 at the age of 83.

Notable Achievements

• 1956 MVP California League San Jose JoSox

Sources

Baseball Players of the 1950s

Related Sites

• Dick Whitman at the SABR Bio Project
• BR Minors page