Wally Westlake

Wally Westlake
Outfielder
Born: (1920-11-08) November 8, 1920
Gridley, California
Batted: Right Threw: Right
MLB debut
April 15, 1947, for the Pittsburgh Pirates
Last MLB appearance
May 12, 1956, for the Philadelphia Phillies
MLB statistics
Batting average .272
Home runs 127
Runs batted in 539
Teams
Career highlights and awards

Waldon Thomas Westlake (born November 8, 1920) is a former utility player in Major League Baseball who had a ten-year career from 1947 to 1956.

At age 97, Westlake is the oldest living former National League player and, following the death of Bobby Doerr on November 13, 2017, the oldest living former All-Star.

Career

Born in Gridley, California, Westlake played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds and Philadelphia Phillies of the National League, and the Cleveland Indians and Baltimore Orioles of the American League. He primarily played as an outfielder, with some appearances as a third baseman.

Westlake hit for the cycle twice in his career (both while playing for the Pirates), coming almost a year apart; July 30, 1948, against the Brooklyn Dodgers,[1] and June 14, 1949, against the Boston Braves.[2]

He was a member of the National League All-Star team in 1951, entering the game as a defensive replacement in the bottom of the 9th inning.[3]

Westlake was a member of the 1954 Cleveland Indians team, who were swept by the New York Giants in the 1954 World Series. He played in two games of the Series, batting 1-for-7 (.143) with one walk.

In 958 regular season games played, Westlake hit .272 with 127 home runs and 539 RBIs. He played 738 games in the National League, and 220 games in the American League. He played 834 games in the outfield, and 34 games at third base (all of his games at third were with the 1951 Pittsburgh Pirates).

Personal life

Westlake graduated from Christian Brothers High School in Sacramento. His brother Jim Westlake was also a major league player.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Pittsburgh Pirates 10, Brooklyn Dodgers 5". Retrosheet. July 30, 1948.
  2. ↑ "Pittsburgh Pirates 4, Boston Braves 3". Retrosheet. June 14, 1949.
  3. ↑ "National League 8, American League 3". Retrosheet. July 10, 1951.

Further reading

  • Attanasio, Ed (2009). "They Were There: Wally Westlake". This Great Game. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
  • Hill, Justice B. (August 24, 2007). "Where have you gone, Wally Westlake?". MLB.com. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
  • Hurte, Bob (January 8, 2013). "How I became friends with Wally Westlake". seamheads.com. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
  • Hurte, Bob. "Wally Westlake". SABR.
Achievements
Preceded by
Joe DiMaggio
Jackie Robinson		 Hitting for the cycle
July 30, 1948
June 14, 1949		 Succeeded by
Jackie Robinson
Gil Hodges


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