Today marks Ernie Whitt’s 74th birthday. Actually, it was yesterday, but I got busy and didn’t get this posted. But, since he was a favourite of mine I wanted to
The Red Sox selected Whitt in the 15th round of the 1972 amateur draft, just one pick ahead of Jason Thompson, who became a standout first baseman for the Tigers and Dodgers. Blocked by Carlton Fisk, Whitt never got a chance with the Red Sox and was left unprotected in the 1976 expansion draft, where the Blue Jays picked him up.
Whitt had
41 at-bats in the Blue Jays’ inaugural season and appeared in a few games in 1978. He spent all of 1979 in the minors, but at age 28, he finally secured a regular role in the majors as the left-handed half of a catching platoon with Rob Davis. He struggled offensively, hitting .237/.288/.353.
In the strike-shortened 1981 season, the Jays acquired Buck Martinez, who would become Whitt’s platoon partner for several years. Whitt continued to struggle at the plate, hitting just .236/.307/.297 with one home run.
In 1982, Bobby Cox took over as manager and Cito Gaston became the hitting coach. That year, Ernie rediscovered his swing, raising his averages to .261/.307/.440 and hitting 11 home runs in just 284 at-bats, thanks in large part to Cito’s all-out pull philosophy. In 1983, Whitt continued to improve, batting .256/.346/.459 with 17 home runs in 344 at-bats. Together with Buck Martinez, the Jays’ catchers produced 27 home runs and 89 RBI. Under Cito’s guidance, Whitt’s home run totals jumped from 1 to 11 to 17 over two seasons.
In 1984, Ernie maintained his power, hitting 15 home runs in 315 at-bats. The following year, during the Blue Jays’ first playoff appearance, Whitt set a career high with 19 home runs, batting .245/.323/.444 in 412 at-bats and earning an All-Star selection. However, he struggled offensively in the seven-game ALCS loss to the Royals, hitting just .190. Whitt started every game of the series, as Buck Martinez was injured—fans likely recall the memorable play where Martinez broke his leg, dislocated his ankle, and still tagged out the runner at home—with Jeff Hearron serving as backup catcher.
Whitt remained remarkably consistent. In 1986, he hit 16 home runs. After Buck Martinez retired before the 1987 season, Charlie Moore became Whitt’s catching partner. That year, Whitt matched his career best with 19 home runs, set new personal highs with 75 RBI, 24 doubles, and 120 hits, and batted .269/.334/.455. Unfortunately, the Blue Jays faltered down the stretch in 1987 and lost the division to the Tigers, with Whitt missing the end of the season due to a rib injury—a factor that might have changed the outcome.
Whitt’s steady production continued in 1988, when he hit .251/.348/.410 with 16 home runs in 398 at-bats. In 1989, as the Jays made their second playoff appearance, he batted .262/.349/.416 with 11 home runs in 385 at-bats. However, his postseason struggles persisted, as he managed just a .125 average with one home run in 16 at-bats during the five-game ALCS loss to the Oakland A’s.
After the 1989 season, Whitt was traded to Atlanta with Kevin Batiste for Rick Trlicek, making way for Pat Borders and Greg Myers behind the plate. He spent a year with the Braves and finished his career with a short stint in Baltimore in 1991. Despite playing just 33 games before his 28th birthday and only reaching 300 at-bats in a season at age 31, Whitt crafted an impressive and consistent career. From 1983 to 1989, he posted OPS+ numbers between 104 and 121, with on-base percentages from .323 to .349 and slugging averages from .410 to .459.
Whitt appeared in 1,328 games over 15 seasons, hitting 134 home runs and posting a career line of .248/.324/.410 with 534 RBI. He was known as a strong defensive catcher with a reliable arm. Despite early doubts from first manager Roy Hartsfield, Whitt proved himself and enjoyed the longest career with the Jays among players from their inaugural season.
Whitt was always one of my favorites. His all-out pull swing, encouraged by Gaston, was the most entertaining to watch. He’d finish his swing down on his left knee, sometimes nearly coming out of his shoes. Watching him, you’d wonder how he ever connected, with his back knee dropping and dragging, seemingly risking swinging under the ball. But his open stance gave him a great look at the pitch, and he was a smart, instinctive hitter. As a catcher, he excelled at anticipating pitches, making him tough to fool at the plate.
He wrote a biography called ‘Catch: A Major League Life,’ which I still have somewhere at home. The book stirred controversy when he labeled umpire Joe Brinkman ‘incompetent.’ Whitt also argued he shouldn’t have been limited to a platoon role, but the stats suggest otherwise: he hit just .223/.303/.311 against left-handed pitchers, and resting against them likely kept him fresh.
Rob Neyer, in his “Big Book of Baseball Lineups,” names Whitt as the Blue Jays’ all-time best catcher—a ranking I still support—and credits him with being the franchise’s top defensive backstop. Bill James ranked Whitt 72nd among all-time catchers in his “New Historical Baseball Abstract.” Whitt will have moved down a few spots since then. He was arguably the most popular Jay during his playing days, known for his relentless effort and extensive charity work off the field.
Ernie later served as the Jays’ bench coach and then first base coach beginning in 2005, before being let go alongside John Gibbons and much of the staff in June 2008. Whitt didn’t hold back afterward, criticizing JP Ricciardi and dubbing himself ‘the best manager the Jays never had.’ Maybe he was right.
Since 2004, Whitt has managed the Canadian National Baseball Team, including leading them during Olympic qualifiers. He is also a member of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.
When Buck Martinez left the broadcast booth this year, I thought Whitt would have been a fitting replacement, though I’m not sure how he’d fare in that role.
Whitt is married with three children.
He remains near the top of my list of favourite Blue Jays. As a fellow lefty hitter, I often tried to mimic his unique swing—dropping down to my knee—but could never quite master it.
Happy Birthday, Ernie. Hope it’s a great one.
