Stories

"Imet Eddie in 1969 at Ted William's Camp, he was my coach in 1971. He never seemed to lose his patience as a coach. I can remember like it was yesterday, when I was 16, him sitting me down and telling me as a left handed pitcher/first baseman, that if I would grow another 5 inches and put on 50 pounds in the next several years I'd be able to right my own ticket. Unfortunately I only grew another inch and gained 10 pounds. But hearing that from a great player like him sure was a thrill for a young boy."

"He was the epitome of grace"

Diane Muller - Bucks Co., Pennsylvania 06/09/03

"I spent many a happy day at Shibe Park, loved the Whiz Kids, and Eddie was my favorite player. He was the epitome of grace at 1st base, just the greatest. It was such a tragic thing that happened to him."

"Not only was he a damned good ball player but he was a terrific guy"

Bud Sherlock - Fernandina Beach, Florida 05/05/03

"I was working as a bell captain in a Philadelphia hotel called Chancellor Hall when I first met Eddie, he was living there during the season. We became friendly and occasionally go out for a beer and talk about baseball and girls.. I remember he roomed with Bill Nicholson, I was only about 19 and they used to kid me about my girl friends. He became my all time favorite ball player, not only was he a damned good ball player but he was a terrific guy. He and Nick used to kid about having to wait until they were old timers to become WHIZ KIDS."

"I remember talking to Eddie at Braves Field in 1947"

Richard Moses - Roswell, Georgia 11/21/02

"Eddie Waitkus played semi pro ball in Lisbon Falls, Maine. When he was still in high school. he played for the Worumbo Indians. This team finished seventh one year and eleventh another at the Wichita, Ks. national tournament. The team was sponsored by the Worumbo Mills Makers of Fine Woolens. My father, Oliver Moses, was president. My brother and myself were batboys. We both remember Eddie well. I later played pro ball in the Boston Braves minor league system and I remember talking to Eddie at Braves Field in 1947 when he was with the Cubs and was about to sign with the braves. In 1953 I talked to Eddie in Waycross, Ga. while I was with the Jacksonville team of the Sally League and Philadelphia was playing an exhibition game on the way home to start the season. Eddie was well liked in Lisbon Falls and remembered. I have a picture of Eddie when he played for Worumbo. My brother remembers being with our father when he drove to Melrose Ma. to drive Eddie to Maine"

"He had such a beautiful swimmer's build"

Pete Costulas - Fairfield, Connecticut. 10/21/02

I served with Eddie during World War II with the 4th Engineer Special Brigade in the South Pacific. As a catcher, I played three games against his battalion team. Once I was directly in back of him in the chow line and I remember he had such a beautiful swimmer's build (we were usually shirtless). I regret I never spoke with him.

"He is as of now in my personal Baseball Hall of Fame"

Jesùs Sànchez - Mexico City, Mexico 06/29/02

I grew up in Chicago, Il. during the mid fifties and mid sixties before moving back to Mexico City with my parents.

Until this day I'm a loyal Cubs fan. When the movie The Natural was released, it became one of my baseball movie favorites. I have to admit that until today, I had always thought that it was just a movie. Finding out that it was inspired by a true baseball player has had great impact on me. I have the movie at home and I will surely see it again. I'm sure I will enjoy watching the movie again, but now with a different perspective. What thrills me the most is that my heart will watch it with true joy because it will capture again the love for the game that I'm sure Eddie Waitkus had.

He is as of now in my personal Baseball Hall of Fame.

"Waite Hoyt told many interesting stories during rain delays"

Jim Nolan - Gulfport, Mississippi 05/12/2002

"I was born in 1935, and grew up in the Cincinnati area. I listened to the Reds play on the radio, and their wonderful announcer Waite Hoyt told many interesting stories during rain delays, and one of them was about Eddie Waitkus. I did not know he inspired the movie The Natural, which is one of my all time favorite movies."

"My father took me to many games at Shibe Park"

Reg Jones - Bennington, Vermont 05/06/2002

"I moved to suburban Philadelphia in 1947 when I was beginning first grade. I had learned baseball from my grandfather in Bennington, Vermont, where the old Northern League had a minor league team. Players who came out of that league include Chuck Connors and Robin Roberts. My father took me to many games at Shibe Park, and I can still name the entire starting lineup of the 1950 Whiz Kids."

"I cried a lot of tears over Eddie Waitkus"

Larry Palletti - Atlanta, Georgia 03/17/2002

"I was a 12-year-old kid in 1949, an avid Phillies fan, and Eddie Waitkus was my favorite ballplayer. When news came of the shooting in Chicago, I pulled out Eddie's "Exhibit" card and propped it up on my dresser where it stayed for months, until he was back with the team. (I had mixed emotions over that picture, because it showed him in a Cubs uniform.) In the first days after the shooting, I cried a lot of tears over Eddie Waitkus -- he was at the center of what was probably the first real emotional crisis of my youth. I've always felt that Eddie deserved a much better deal than he got from life."

"I remember how surreal it seemed"

Bill Morrow - Williamsburg, Virginia 02/17/2002

"As a young boy growing up in Iowa, I remember Eddie Waitkus as a member of the Chicago Cubs, and how their play-by-play broadcaster--Bert Wilson--vividly described his talents and play. I remember how surreal it seemed when I read the June 15, 1949 Sports Section of the DES MOINES REGISTER to learn than he had been shot by, as it turned out, a deranged admirer."

"Who knows what people would say about him if he had played in New York"

Frank Landrum - Eugene, Oregon 01/19/02

"As a youngster of 11 years old, my older brother and I spent our summers about a mile from Shibe Park and would go to games at least once a week. The summer of 1950 found us as great fans of the Whiz Kids. What Eddie Waitkus brought to that team was a maturity and finesse around first base that even at that age was quite apparent to me. The Phils had a young, erratic and inexperienced infield of Mike Goliat, Granny Hamner, and Willie Jones. The left side of the infield while talented made many a bad throw in the direction of 1st base. Waitkus' ability to dig throws out of the dirt, his amazing ability to do splits on his stretch were just awe inspiring. We would go home and try to imitate what he did, but to no avail. And this was just one summer after having been shot.

Everyone talked about the great fielding of Gil Hodges in those days, but Waitkus was just in a class of his own. Who knows what people would say about him if he had played in New York.

The other side of his game that I recall, was that he just hardly ever would strike out. He usually made contact and just hit line drives between the infield and outfield.

Eddie Waitkus was just a steady, steady ball player with outstanding talent. I still think of him as the best First baseman that I have ever seen.....and I'm in my 60's."