Skip to main content

Sunday School: History Lesson 6

Eddie Waitkus was a first baseman with our Phillies from 1949-1953, then again in 1955. Waitkus was a slick fielder who is best remembered for being shot by a female fan in his Chicago hotel. Waitkus was also the basis for the novel The Natural, that was later made into a major motion picture starring Robert Redford.

Waitkus was signed as an amateur free agent by the Cubs in 1939. He played with the Cubs over parts of 4 seasons, after which he was traded to the Phillies on December 14th, 1948.

Eddie was not a great offensive contributor, as his best season saw him bat .295, while hitting 7 homers and driving in 44 runs. That didn't stop Cubs fan Ruth Ann Steinhagen from developing a dangerous infatuation for Waitkus. During his seasons with the Cubs, Steinhagen's interest in the player was kept in check, but once he was traded to Philadelphia, her infatuation became obsession and she sought to attack Waitkus. In June 1949, with the Phillies in Chicago for a series, Steinhagen checked into the Phillies' hotel under a name of a former classmate of Waitkus, and left a note for him, telling Waitkus that she needed to see him. When Waitkus arrived at her room, Steinhagen shot him in the abdomen with a .22 caliber rifle. She then calmly phoned the front desk for help. Waitkus required 4 surgeries to remove the bullet and repair the damage caused from the gunshot. Waitkus was near death multiple times and he missed the remainder of the season.

Following his recovery, Eddie Waitkus recovered and played three more seasons as our Phillies' starting first baseman. Ruth Ann Steinhagen never stood criminal trial, but was instead confined to a mental institution for only 3 years, before being declared cured and released.

In March 1954, the Orioles purchased Waitkus for $45,000. He played the entire 1954 season with the O's. He returned to the Phillies for a handful of games in 1955, after being released by Baltimore. Waitkus retired following the 1955 season.

Comments

GM-Carson said…
I really like your "Sunday School" thing you've got going here. Excellent theme day.

Popular posts from this blog

Caption This....

Jayson Werth was hit by a pitch thrown by Jeff Bennett on Friday. This picture shows where the ball made contact with Werth. Drop YOUR caption in the comments area.

Who is Your Favorite Willie 'Mays' Hayes?

PhoulBallz.com is wondering which individual who has portrayed Willie "Mays" Hayes is the favorite of the public. Hayes, of course, is the character made famous in the Major League motion picture series. In Major League , Willie "Mays" Hayes was portrayed by budding Hollywood actor Wesley Snipes, who would go on to action movie superstardom. Snipes has starred in major motion pictures like the Blade trilogy, Passenger 57 , Undisputed and many more. Snipes remains an impact Hollywood actor, despite legal troubles related to income tax evasion. Snipes was replaced for the sequel, Major League II when his busy career, and possibly the film's budget, would not allow him to return, by Omar Epps. Another budding actor, Epps had previously worked with director David S. Ward, on the film The Program , and landed the role of Hayes, who had become a Hollywood action star over the off-season that occured between the two films. Epps' career portraying athletes rolle

Harry Kalas Phorever...

Legendary broadcaster Harry Kalas passed away today. Harry collapsed while preparing to call today's game against the Washington Nationals. So many phans will feel as though we've lost a member of our own families. I feel as though I've lost a part of myself, but Harry enhanced my love of the great sport we call baseball and I will always carry that love, and Harry, in my heart. I've stated on this page before that I consider Harry more of a Phillie than anyone who wears the uniform as an active member of the roster. Harry Kalas was a Phillie. Moreso, Harry Kalas was the Phillies. Please share your thoughts and memories of Harry in the comments section, or send them to PhoulBallz (at) verizon (dot) net.