Career Stats:

Bio:

Born in Detroit, Michigan, Ernie Whitt’s lifelong dream was to play for the hometown Detroit Tigers. While that didn’t happen, the next best thing did. He played for an exciting club followed by excited fans, in a new city with a new stadium. To this day, Whitt holds a place in many Toronto fans as perhaps the greatest catcher to suit up for the Blue Jays. While his numbers are by no stretch of the imagination Hall of Fame caliber, Whitt was a model of consistency in Toronto. He was after all a member of the original Blue Jays club that hit the field in 1977. He was a rookie at the time.

Ernie attened Macomb Community College. Selected by the Boston Red Sox in the 12th round of the 1972 draft, Whitt broke into the Majors with the arch-rival Red Sox in 1976. With a fellow named Fisk as the Sox starting catcher, Whitt didn't see much of the field. He played in eight games that season. Then in 1977, the Jays took Whitt in the Expansion Draft. Whitt was thrown right into the mix, playing in 23 games with the original Jays of '77. He hit a lackluster .171 that season, and only played two games the following year. Finally, in 1980, Whitt put together a full major league season. He fared well for a catcher in those days. In 106 games, Whitt hit .237 and drove in 34 runs with 6 round-trippers. It was a sign of things to come.

It seemed as if the burly catcher played with the Jays forever. In his 10 seasons with Toronto, Whitt racked up 3,514 At Bats, good for seventh in club history. Whitt is all over the Jays record books. His name appears in the top 10 in the following categories: Games Played, Hits, Home Runs, RBI's, Walks, Total Bases, and even Sacrifice Flies. While he wasn't a flashy player in any sense of the word, fans adored his winning attitude. He came to the park every day, and he came to play.

Many will remember his contribution to the Blue Jays onslaught of Baltimore on September 14, 1987. In an 18–3 rout of the Orioles, the Blue Jays erupted for a ML-record 10 home runs. Ernie Whitt lead the parade with three round trippers, Rance Mulliniks and George Bell hit 2, and Lloyd Moseby, Rob Ducey, and Fred McGriff each added one. Mike Hart hit one for Baltimore to tie the 2-team major-league record of 11. Others will remember him as the catcher who played his heart out 100+ games every year. In a city where baseball was a novelty, Ernie put on a clinic on how the game should be played. Whitt had the attitude that his uniform was washed clean for him to dirty it the next game.

Whitt was part of a very unique record. On June 7, 1989 in the SkyDome's first year of operation, Whitt was a part of the first baseball game to be played indoors and outdoors.  With dark clouds threatening the roof began closing in the 5th inning. The closing operation began at 8:48 p.m. and ended at 9:22 p.m., too late to prevent a brief stoppage of play due to rain. Whitt had three hits and drove in three runs against the Brewers en route to a 4-2 victory that day.

Of all the players who have ever been selected in a baseball Expansion Draft (Whitt was selected by the Jays in 1976), only Jim Fregosi has played more games with the team that selected him. Whitt was a dead-pull hitter with power, and was a frightening sight to American League pitchers. A surprising element in Ernie's game was his deceiving speed. Catchers are rarely expected to be demons on the basepath, and Whitt was by no means that. He did however, steal as many as five bases in a single season and swiped 22 on his career. He picked his spots, and was caught just twice.

Whitt played with the Blue Birds until the 1989 season, and then Whitt played one year in both Atlanta and Baltimore. He produced in neither cities, and hung up his cleats in the winter of 1991. Unfortunately for Ernie, in his 15 year career he never won a World Series. He was never on a team that won a playoff series, let alone the Series. In his little playoff experience (1985 and 1989 with the Jays), he hit .162 in 37 At Bats, which is only six hits. Playoffs aside, Whitt was still adored by all who follow the Blue Jays. He was a "heart and soul" type of player, one that any Major League club would kill for in today's day and age of egotistical ball players. That was Ernie Whitt, the greatest catcher in Blue Jays history.

Stefan@JaysTalk.com