Facts, Trivia, Memories and More about Steve Whitaker

Transactions

Signed: Steve was signed as an amateur free agent during the 1962 offseason.

Highlights

August 27, 1966: Steve goes 3-for-4 including an inside-the-park home run at Yankee Stadium in an 11-1 win over the Tigers.  The homer came in the bottom of the second off Tigers starter Johnny Podres and opened the scoring in the game.  Steve would also later double in Tom Tresh for his second RBI on the night.

August 28, 1966: In his sixth career game, Steve blasts a grand slam at Yankee Stadium off the Tigers' Mickey Lolich. The slam was the first and only "granny" of his career and expanded the Yankee lead to 6-0 in a game the Yankees would win by an 8-1 score.  Called up on August 23rd, Steve got off to a hot start and this was his third home run in as many games and boosted his average to .391.

Trivia

• On October 15, 1968, Steve was taken as the 23rd pick by the Seattle Pilots in the expansion draft. Before the season began on April 1, 1969, he was traded to the Kansas City Royals for future Yankee Lou Piniella.

Memories

Dixie Dave from Hammond, NY wrote: After a spring training night game in Fort Lauderdale, circa 1966, when Mickey Mantle (my sports idol) snubbed the gaggle of young fans waiting for autographs, Steve Whittaker stopped to sign for a then 10-year-old Yankees fan and instantly rose to "hero" status in my estimation. He didn't have a long, illustrious career but I followed the box scores religiously after that to see if Steve got called up and into a game. "Thank you, sir, for your autograph."

John H. from Pompton Lakes, NJ wrote: Does anyone else remember Steve Whitaker throwing out a runner at home on a sacrifice fly, from the warning track in right at Yankee Stadium? He threw a strike, on the fly, right over the plate. I saw it live on TV and will never forget it.