WHY I THINK LOU WHITAKER SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN
By- Damien
Lou Whitaker was more than your ideal second baseman. In a second baseman, you look for speed, agility, quick thinking, good defense, bunting skills, and base hit consistency at the plate. Whitaker had all those tools, but he also added plenty of home run power as well. Because he had a lot of power, pitchers were careful when pitching to Whitaker, which also gave him the opportunity to draw plenty of walks. Lou Whitaker started his career with the Tigers in 1977, batting .250 in eleven games. Whitaker was the AL Rookie of the Year in 1978 with a .285 mark and 58 RBI’s in 139 games as a 21 year old. Whitaker’s 1979 season was very similar to his first, but he slumped in 1980. In 1981, Whitaker bounced back, raising his batting average 30 points and leading the league in games played. He then hit his peak and stayed near the top of the league until his retirement after the 1995 season. In 1982, Whitaker hit .286, and raised it to .320 in 1983. In 1984, Whitaker, with the help of Hall of Fame shortstop Alan Trammell, led the Tigers to the World Series, when they beat the Padres in five games. In the Series, Whitaker batted .278 with two doubles, four walks, one sacrifice hit, and six runs scored. From 1985 through 1987, Whitaker averaged 19 homers and 102 runs scored per season. In 1988, his age 31 season, he batted .275, and in 1989, he hit 28 home runs. Whitaker remained a very strong power hitter through 1992, but from 1993 on, he went back to being consistent. His batting average over his last three seasons was .295, and his on base percentage during that span was .390. Lou Whitaker was one of the best hitters of his era and a three time Gold Glove award winner. There probably hasn’t been a second baseman as feared at the plate since Charlie Gehringer in the 1940’s. For being so good on both offense and defense, Lou Whitaker is a pretty good candidate for Cooperstown.
LIFETIME STATISTICS
Games career: 2,390 season high: 161 in 1983 led AL: 109 in 1981
At Bats career: 8,570 season high: 643 in 1983
Hits career: 2,369 season high: 206 in 1983
Doubles career: 420 season high: 40 in 1983
Triples career: 65 season high: 8 in 1979, 1982, and 1985
Home Runs career: 244 season high: 28 in 1989
Runs career: 1,386 season high: 110 in 1987
Runs Batted In career: 1,084 season high: 85 in 1989
Stolen Bases career: 143 season high: 20 in 1979
Walks career: 1,197 season high: 90 in 1991
Strikeouts career: 1,099 season high: 108 in 1987
Batting Average career: .276 season high: .320 in 1983
On Base Percentage career: .363 season high: .412 in 1993
Slugging Percentage career: .426 season high: .489 in 1991
Total Bases career: 3,651 season high: 294 in 1983
Sacrifice Hits career: 89 season high: 14 in 1979
Fielding Percentage career: .984 season high: .994 in 1991 led AL 2B: .988 in 1982, .994 in 1991
Double Plays career: 1,527 season high: 120 in 1982 led AL 2B: 120 in 1982
Putouts career: 4,771 season high: 340 in 1980 led AL 2B: 327 in 1989
Assists career: 6,653 season high: 470 in 1982 led AL 2B: 354 in 1981, 470 in 1982
DID YOU KNOW?
-nicknamed “Sweet Lou”
-was a five time all-star and hit a two run home run in the 1986 contest, a 3-2 win for the American League (AL), yet wasn’t named the game's MVP
-won four Silver Slugger awards
-won both the AL Player of the Month award and a Player of the Week award in June of 1983
-is one of 19 players who ever hit a homer over the roof at Tiger Stadium
-went 3-for-5 with an RBI and a stolen base on his MLB debut
-finished eighth in the AL MVP Award voting in 1983
-led AL second basemen in games in 1981 (108) and 1983 (161)
-set the Detroit Tigers’ franchise record for home runs by a second baseman in both 1985 and 1989
-averaged 13 sacrifice hits per year across his first three seasons
-homered, stole, drew seven walks, and scored four runs in the 1987 ALCS
-is the all time Tigers’ franchise leader in career double plays
-ranks 21st in career assists at any position
-among MLB second basemen, ranks fourth in career games and double plays, 11th in putouts, and sixth in assists
-his .994 fielding percentage at second base in 1991 is the 45th highest of all time
-also played 32 games as a DH, 171 as a pinch hitter, and ten as a pinch runner
I think Whitaker would be a good Hall of Famer. The reason he isn't in already is that no single skill of his sticks out much, but there is no question in my mind that he is deserving. He probably will be elected soon.
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