George Whiteman

Who was George Whiteman?

George Whiteman was an outfielder in Major League Baseball, playing mainly as a left fielder for the Boston Americans, New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox between the 1907 and 1918. Listed at 5' 7", 160 lb., Whiteman batted and threw right-handed. He was born in Peoria, Illinois.

In a three-season career, Whiteman posted a .272 batting average with one home run and 31 runs batted in in 85 games played.

A 35-year-old minor league journeyman, Whiteman filled in outfield for the Boston Red Sox whenever Babe Ruth was pitching. Prior to the 1918 season, he had played in only 15 major league games since 1907 before becoming the surprise hero of the World Champion Boston team. Although Ruth and Carl Mays won two games apiece in the World Series, Whiteman batted just .250 against the Chicago Cubs but delivered some key hits and made several run-saving catches in the outfield, specially in the eighth inning of the final game won by the Red Sox, 2–1, at Fenway Park. He never appeared in another major league game after the Series.

Whiteman died in Houston, Texas, at the age of 64.