Nick Willhite

Jon Nicholas Willhite

• Bats Left, Throws Left
• Height 6' 2", Weight 195 lb.
• School University of Northern Colorado
• High School South High School (Denver)
• Debut June 16, 1963
• Final Game June 23, 1967
• Born January 27, 1941 in Tulsa, OK USA
• Died December 14, 2008 in Alpine, UT USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Nick Willhite played five seasons in the majors, getting the majority of his appearances with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was on teams that won the World Series in 1963 and 1965 as well as the team that went to the 1966 World Series, but he did not appear in post-season play.

Willhite was sometimes a good hitter. As a rookie in 1963 he was 3-for-10. After hitting .000 in 1964, he bounced back in 1965 to hit .400 (4-for-10). Then in 1966-67 he again hit .000.

Nick started exactly half of his major league appearances.

Willhite's main teammates were Sandy Koufax, Maury Wills, Don Drysdale, Ron Fairly, Willie Davis, Jim Gilliam, Johnny Roseboro, Tommy Davis, Ron Perranoski and Frank Howard.

Signed in 1959, he moved up the minor league ranks with Al Ferrara and Joe Moeller as teammates at most stops.

Willhite's obituary in the L.A. Times states that he was born in Tulsa, OK but grew up in Denver, CO where he played baseball and football in high school. He threw a shutout in his first major league game. After his playing days he was pitching coach for Brigham Young University and also worked in the Milwaukee Brewers and New York Yankees organizations. Later, he became an addict and was homeless in Salt Lake City, UT; he got in touch with Stan Williams who put him in touch with an organization that helps former players in need. Willhite got treatment and eventually became a counselor.

He died of cancer in 2008 at a son's home in Utah.

Notable Achievement

• Won a World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1965 (he did not play in the World Series)

Related Sites

• Nick Willhite at the SABR Bio Project