Steve Whitaker

Steve Whitaker wore the pinstripes and batted in a lineup with Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris, living the dream of all young boys of a certain era. Born May 7, 1943, in Tacoma, he played baseball, football, and basketball at Lincoln High School before graduating in 1962.

Whitaker signed with the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent in 1962 and hit nearly 100 home runs over the next several years in the minor leagues en route to his Major League Baseball debut on August 23, 1966 at the age of 23. He picked up his first major league hit in that game and proceeded to start his career on fire with six home runs – including an inside-the-park home run and a grand slam – in his first 19 games. He was a regular in the Yankees outfield in 1967, playing all three positions and compiling 12 outfield assists and six double plays.

Following the 1969 seasons, the Yankees traded Whitaker to Kansas City, who then traded him to the expansion Seattle Pilots at the end of Spring Training. In his – and the Pilots’ – lone year in Seattle, Whitaker slugged .440 in 116 at bats. He was traded to San Francisco the following season and appeared in 16 games for the Giants in 1970, his final year in the big leagues. He played two more years in the minors, finishing his career with the San Diego Padres’ AAA affiliate in Hawaii.

For his MLB career, Whitaker appeared in 266 games over five seasons with 174 hits, 24 home runs, and 85 runs batted in. He added 750 hits, 127 home runs, and 557 runs batted in across 10 minor league seasons. He went on to coach for the Chicago White Sox for four seasons and owned and coached the Florida Yankee Baseball School from 1980-87.