Tag Archives: Baseball
Frank Cashen
Frank Cashen (Baseball. Born, Baltimore, Md., Sept. 13, 1925.) There is little doubt that J. Frank Cashen was the principal architect of the Mets championship team of 1986. Having previously served the Orioles in his native Baltimore, Cashen was working in the office of Commissioner Bowie Kuhn when the Mets were sold by the Payson […]
Whit Wyatt
Whit Wyatt (Baseball. Born, Kensington, GA, Sept. 27, 1907; died, Buchanan, GA, July 16, 1999.) In a nine-year A.L. career during which he was 26-43 (1929-37), John Whitlow Wyatt was at best a journeyman righthander. But after a 23-7 season at Triple-A (Milwaukee of the American Association) in 1938, Wyatt was sold to Brooklyn and […]
Dave Winfield
Dave Winfield (Baseball. Born, St. Paul, MN, Oct. 3, 1951.) After an elaborate mating dance that he began by chasing off other suitors, David Mark Winfield signed what was then the richest contract in baseball history to join the Yankees. On Dec. 15, 1980, Winfield signed for 10 years with a deal estimated to be worth […]
Mookie Wilson
Mookie Wilson (Baseball. Born, Bamberg, SC, Feb. 9, 1956.) Coming to the Mets late in the 1980 season, William Hayward Wilson almost immediately became a fan favorite. In his first full season (the strike-shortened 1981 campaign), Wilson established himself as a more-or-less regular centerfielder, hitting .271 with 24 stolen bases in 92 games. He set […]
Bernie Williams
Bernie Williams (Baseball. Born San Juan, Puerto Rico, Sept. 13, 1968.) Signing with the Yankees organization at age 17, Bernabe Williams (Figueroa) over time proved to be a worthy successor to the centerfield job once held by Earle Combs, Joe DiMaggio, and Mickey Mantle. After the 1992 season, the Yankees traded incumbent centerfielder Roberto Kelly to Cincinnati […]
Hoyt Wilhelm
Hoyt Wilhelm (Baseball. Born, Huntersville, NC, July 26, 1923; died, Sarasota, FL, Aug. 23, 2002.) Starting a career that was to last 21 years with nine teams, James Hoyt Wilhelm joined the New York Giants in 1952 and was 15-3 in a league-high 71 appearances. Wilhelm was unique as a knuckleballer who specialized in relief […]
Zack Wheat
Zack Wheat (Baseball. Born, Hamilton, MO, May 23, 1886; died, Sedalia, MO, Mar. 11, 1972.) For 18 seasons, Zachary Davis (Buck) Wheat was the pride of Brooklyn. Wheat was a lifetime .317 hitter, a steady leftfielder, and the cleanup hitter for Dodgers teams that contended often and twice won N.L. pennants (1916 and 1920). He […]
Lee Weyer
Lee Weyer (Baseball. Born, Imlay City, MI, Sept. 3, 1936; died, San Francisco, CA, July 4, 1988.) An above-average umpire despite his unusual stature (6’6”), Lee Howard Weyer worked in the N.L. from April 1963 to July 4, 1988. On that day, Weyer suffered a fatal heart attack while playing a pickup basketball game at […]
Harry Wendelstedt, Sr.
Harry Wendelstedt, Sr. (Baseball. Born, Baltimore, MD, July 27, 1938.) At the time of his retirement, Harry Hunter Wendelstedt, Jr., had served the second-longest tenure as an umpire in major league history. Wendelstedt came to the N.L. in April 1966 and umpired 33 seasons, through 1998. Although identified as “Wendelstedt, Sr.” for umpiring purposes, it […]
