WHY I THINK BILL WHITE SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN

WHY I THINK BILL WHITE SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN 

By- Damien 

Bill White was a very good player during his career, but I am advocating his Hall of Fame case based mostly on his post-playing career. As a player, he was active from 1956 through 1969, a total of thirteen seasons, and provided good power and wonderful defense for three NL teams. White also called Yankee games with Phil Rizzuto from 1971 through 1988, and the pair became baseball’s most famous broadcasting team. Then, in 1989, White took over as the NL president, a post that he would hold for five years. Bill White started his career with the New York Giants in 1956, clubbing 22 home runs in 138 games, including one in his first at bat. White missed all of 1957 and part of 1958 to military service, and when he returned, future Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda was breaking in at first base. He was traded to the Cardinals in 1959 and established himself as one of the NL’s elite first sackers. White batted over .300 four times with the Cardinals and averaged about 20 home runs per season. When White was traded to the Phillies after the 1965 season, he responded with a Gold Glove (his seventh in a row) in 1966 and his fourth season with over 100 RBI’s. White had a comparatively poor season in 1967 (.250, eight homers in 308 at bats) and was through as a player following the 1969 season. In 1971, White joined Phil Rizzuto in the Yankees’ broadcasting booth, and they stayed together for 18 years. White left the Yankees in 1989 after he was unanimously voted to replace Bart Giamatti, who had become commissioner of baseball, as the NL president. He stayed in office for five years, presided over expansion in 1993, and retired after giving baseball nearly 40 years of service. 

Bill White was a solid player, a fine broadcaster, and the 15th president of the National League. For all of his contributions to baseball, both on and off the field, Bill White gets my vote for the Hall of Fame. 

LIFETIME STATISTICS 

Games career: 1,673 season high: 162 in 1963 led NL: 162 in 1963 

At Bats career: 5,972 season high: 658 in 1963 

Hits career: 1,706 season high: 200 in 1963 

Doubles career: 278 season high: 37 in 1964 

Triples career: 65 season high: 11 in 1961 

Home Runs career: 202 season high: 27 in 1963 

Runs career: 843 season high: 106 in 1963 

Runs Batted In career: 870 season high: 109 in 1963 

Stolen Bases career: 103 season high: 16 in 1966 

Walks career: 596 season high: 68 in 1966 

Strikeouts career: 927 season high: 109 in 1966 

Batting Average career: .286 season high: .324 in 1962 

On Base Percentage career: .351 season high: .386 in 1962 

Slugging Percentage career: .455 season high: .491 in 1963 

Total Bases career: 2,720 season high: 323 in 1963 

Sacrifice Hits career: 39 season high: 7 in 1963 

Fielding Percentage career: .992 season high: .996 in 1964 led NL 1B: .996 in 1964, .994 in 1966 

Double Plays career: 1,160 season high: 126 in 1963 led NL 1B: 109 in 1960, 125 in 1964 

Putouts career: 13,015 season high: 1,513 in 1964 led NL 1B: 1,256 in 1956 

Assists career: 966 season high: 111 in 1956 led NL 1B: 111 in 1956, 109 in 1966 

DID YOU KNOW? 

-finished third in the NL MVP Award voting in 1964, seventh in 1963, 13th in 1962, and 23rd in 1966 

-batted .286 in eight all-star games 

-led the NL in plate appearances (726) in 1963 

-went 3-for-4 with a home run on his MLB debut 

-had the first base hit ever in Candlestick Park 

-had a record 14 hits in a four game series against the Cubs on July 12-15, 1961 (since broken) 

-led the NL in putouts (1,256) at any position in 1956 

-led NL first basemen in games five times 

-turned over 125 double plays in a season three times 

-also played 100 games in leftfield, 35 in centerfield, 21 in rightfield, 123 as a pinch hitter, and three as a pinch runner 

-was inducted into the Trumbull County Sports Hall of Fame in 2005 and into the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame in 2020