Skip to main content

Sunday School: Phillies History Lesson 65

By
Danny Litwhiler was an outfielder with the Phillies from 1940-1943. Signed as a free agent in 1940, the native Pennsylvanian join the Phillies and made his Major League debut that season. Litwhiler quickly proved to be a smart addition for the Phillies, slugging 5 homers and batting .345 and rattling off a 21-game hitting streak in 36 games played that season.

The following year, in 1941, Litwhiler's output continued to be solid, as he led the team in homeruns, with 18, and batted .305. In 1942, Litwhiler played much of the 2nd half of the season with an injured shoulder, but still managed to become the first Major Leaguer to play an entire season without making a single error. While the injury did not effect his performance in the field, it resulted in a reduction in power, as his season homerun total was trimmed in half, down to 9. Riding his reputation as the Phillies' premiere slugger from the previous season, Litwhiler made the National League all-star team in 1942.

On June 1st, 1943, the Phillies traded Litwhiler to the Cardinals, along with outfielder/pitcher Earl Naylor, for Dain Clay, Buster Adams and Coaker Triplett. With St. Louis, Litwhiler would play in two straight World Series, winning one.

Later in his career, Litwhiler would also play for the Braves and the Reds. In 1951, at age 34, Litwhiler's playing days were over but his best contributions to the game were yet to come.

In 1955, Litwhiler became the head baseball coach at Florida State University and led the school to three College World Series in eight seasons. Litwhiler later took over the baseball program at Michigan State University in the mid-1960's. He would spend 19 seasons in charge of the Spartans program. Litwhiler holds the record for wins by a coach at Michigan State.

While coaching college, Litwhiler began developing many tools that are now commonplace around baseball. He introduced the radar gun as a means to measure pitch speed, assisted in the development of Diamond Grit, a material used to dry soaked infield dirt, and pioneered the use of multiple instructional gadgets that taught fundamentals of baseball to young players.

-------------------------------------------------

Follow PhoulBallz.com on Twitter HERE.

Labels:

Comments

mark evans said…
Thanks for the lesson, I'd never heard of the man.

I'm wondering if numbers from the WWII years may be skewed. On a side not, has anyone compiled a list of all players who spent time with the Phillies, and were killed in action during WWII and subsequent wars?
June 7, 2010 at 11:52 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Prospect Nation 2012: #1 RHP Trevor May

By
With a massively impressive campaign in 2011 for the Class A Advanced Clearwater Threshers, right-handed starting pitcher Trevor May locked down his spot as Philadelphia's top prospect and is on the fast track toward the big leagues. He is the reigning Paul Owens Award winner, given to the top pitcher and player in the Phillies' developmental system each year. In 27 starts with the Threshers in 2011, May posted a 10-8 record with a 3.63 ERA, while striking out a Florida State League leading 208 batters in 151 1/3 innings. He also held opposing hitters to a .221 average. The Phillies' 4th round draft pick from 2008, May earned the win in the 50th annual Florida State League All-Star Game at Bright House Field last year. He also was twice named FSL Pitcher of the Week and earned Phillies Minor League Pitcher of the Month honors for June. After signing with Philadelphia, May helped lead the rookie level Gulf Coast League Phillies to a championship in 2008. In 5 regular ...
Post a Comment
Read more

PhoulBallz Interview: RHP Prospect Brody Colvin

By
Recently, right-handed pitcher Brody Colvin was promoted from Class A Advanced Clearwater to Double-A Reading. Prior to the 2012 season, Colvin, who turns 22-years-old on Tuesday, was ranked as PhilliesNation's 6th best prospect . This season, following some ups and downs, it's unclear where Colvin will rank next preseason. Earlier this year, Colvin, a Louisiana native, was removed from Clearwater's starting rotation and moved to the bullpen to relax and improve his mental approach. He did so and returned to starting after a brief time. Through his first two outings with the R-Phils, the 7th round draft choice from 2009 posted a 1-0 record while allowing five earned runs in 11 innings (4.09 ERA). In his last start on Saturday, however, Colvin allowed eight earned runs in 2 2/3 innings pitched in a loss to New Britain. In a recent interview with Brody, he spoke about the transition moving to the Eastern League, his brief bullpen stint, physical concerns from last season...
2 comments
Read more

Prospect Nation 2016: #9 Catcher Jorge Alfaro

By
Alfaro, image- USA Today Acquired as part of the the return for Cole Hamels and Jake Diekman from Texas last summer, catcher Jorge Alfaro quickly became one of the Phillies' most promising young talents. With a powerful bat and outstanding skills behind the dish, Alfaro could become a fast moving performer for his new organization. Originally signed by the Rangers for a reported $1.3 million in 2010 at the age of 16, the Colombia native would make his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League that same year. In 48 games, the righty hitting Alfaro posted a .221 average and a home run along with 23 RBI. The following year, with Class A short-season Spokane, the talented youngster tallied a .300 average with six homers and 23 RBI. In 2012 with full season Class A level Hickory, he batted .261 with five home runs, 34 RBI and 16 stolen bases in 74 contests.
Post a Comment
Read more