October 2, 2024 • 37 mins
On this episode, I'm joined by Ernie Whitt, catcher from the 1977 inaugural Toronto Blue Jays team. He shares stories about some of the historic minor league ballparks he played in, the American League ballparks of the 70s and 80s, his first MLB hit, and the early days of the Blue Jays at Exhibition Stadium. Plus, Ernie reflects on two unforgettable things Dwight Evans and Carlton Fisk did for him that he'll never forget.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Mike Koser (00:00):
All right, I think we are ready to go.
Ernie Witt.
Can you hear me okay?
Ernie Whitt (00:04):
Yeah, I can hear you, Mike.
Mike Koser (00:05):
Oh, perfect.
Good.
How are you?
Ernie Whitt (00:07):
I'm do well.
I'm well.
You know, little bumps andbruises along the way with this
rehab, but
Mike Koser (00:13):
That sounds like the life of a catcher.
Ernie Whitt (00:15):
Yeah, tell me about it.
And hopefully no more new partscoming my way.
Mike Koser (00:20):
Our guest today is Ernie Witt.
Ernie, it's so great to haveyou with us today.
You were a key member of theinaugural Toronto Blue Jays from
1977, an all-star catcher,wrapping up your career with 134
home runs and two divisiontitles.
In 2009, you were inducted intothe Canadian Baseball Hall of
Fame, and you are, without adoubt, a beloved figure among
(00:41):
diehard Blue Jay fans.
Hey, thanks for making time forthis.
(02:11):
I appreciate it.
Ernie Whitt (02:12):
No worries.
Mike Koser (02:13):
You grew up in Detroit.
Did you watch your first bigleague game at Tiger Stadium?
Ernie Whitt (02:17):
I did.
Mike Koser (02:18):
Yeah, what do you remember about that day?
Ernie Whitt (02:20):
Well, I remember that we always listen uh to the
Tiger games.
I don't remember seeing much ofthem on TV, but uh always
listened to them on the radio.
Ernie Harwell (02:31):
Bright and sunny on Mother's Day in Detroit, but
very breezy.
The wind uh coming from thirdbase toward first.
Here's a drive to the left andmaybe all the way.
It's hooking.
It is a foul ball ooh that wasclose.
Ernie Whitt (02:45):
Uh it just we had the opportunity, my brother and
I, we we'd get on a bus and we'dgo downtown Detroit and sit in
the center field bleachers andwatch the games like on a
Saturday afternoon or somethinglike that.
Mike Koser (02:59):
Yeah, because it was Kids' Day every Saturday,
right?
Ernie Whitt (03:01):
Yeah, uh again, I don't remember much of it other
than the fact I remember we'dwe'd always you know start off
in center field and kind of workour way down into left field
and then worked our way aroundinto the uh on the baselines.
Mike Koser (03:15):
And some of your favorite Tiger players at the
time would have been
Ernie Whitt (03:19):
Well, Al Kaline was naturally the my favorite at
that time, you know, DickMcAuliffe actually, who managed
me in the minor leagues.
Then uh I I loved Bill Freehanas a catching end of it.
Ernie Harwell (03:32):
Bill Freehan, the catcher and the number eight
hitter.
Freehan catching.
Ernie Whitt (03:37):
So, I mean, there there was uh a number of
em...Norm Cash, Storm in NormanCash.
Mike Koser (03:43):
Yeah.
Speaking of your brother, thebackyard baseball games that you
guys would have with yourfriends sound like so.
What so many of us wouldexperience or have experienced.
Didn't you guys have two treesthat were first and third, and
then you would find whatever waslaying around for second base?
Ernie Whitt (03:58):
Yeah, we'd find something to lay around, put
down for second base.
But uh you know, if there wasonly you know four or five of
us, we you know, we'd alwayssay, well, left field was out,
you're you're a left-handhitter, left you couldn't hit
the ball left field.
And so we'd have our ourmakeshift shift going early in
(04:18):
the 60s.
People didn't even know aboutit, but we were shifting early
in the 60s.
Mike Koser (04:23):
You guys were way ahead of your time.
Ernie Whitt (04:25):
Way ahead.
But you knew from the time youwere small, right, that you
wanted to be a big league ballplayer one day.
Yeah, that was that was my uhhopes and dreams, I think I
would say.
Announcer (04:36):
How does a fella get to be a major leaguer?
Well, if you've got baseball inyour blood, you've got to be
playing somewhere.
On the vacant lot or the highschool team or the sandlot
squad.
If you're good enough, theygrade you on how well you hit,
how fast you run, how stronglyyou throw.
Mike Koser (04:52):
In 1972, Ernie, you were drafted by the Boston Red
Sox.
You were hoping to be taken byyour hometown team, the Tigers,
but their scout said he didn'tthink you would make it past AA
baseball.
That had to be fuel for you.
That had to be fire, didn't it?
Ernie Whitt (05:07):
Well, I found out later, uh, during the course of
my, you know, my career in theminor leagues and big leagues,
that the scout told me that thegeneral manager who was um
Mike Koser (05:18):
That was Bill.
Was it Bill?
Bill Lajoie.
Thank you.
Yeah, yeah.
He had said to the scout, I'veseen him, I don't think you'll
ever make it past double A.
I've always had the mentalstate that if you tell me I
can't do something, I'm gonnaprove you wrong.
Especially being that I I usedto go to all of their camps that
(05:39):
they had here in the in theDetroit area.
All of the Tiger Scouts alwaystalked to me and told me that
they really thought that I had achance to play at the highest
level.
Announcer (05:50):
There'll be a good living in the years ahead with
top salaries, firm friendships,and profitable contacts in the
business world.
Ernie Whitt (05:57):
Yeah, but then when they told me what Bill had
said, I was like, okay.
Mike Koser (06:01):
Yeah, let me put that in the back of my pocket.
Ernie Whitt (06:03):
Yes, that was definitely uh what they called
chalkboard uh memory that youthink of, the opposing team.
Mike Koser (06:11):
Yeah, absolutely.
So coming up through the minorleagues, you played at some
historic ballparks like WahconahPark in Pittsfield,
Massachusetts, which was builtin 1919.
One of the last remainingballparks with a wooden
grandstand, in fact.
What do you remember aboutWahconah Park?
Ernie Whitt (06:26):
Uh that we'd always, if if it was a nice day,
we were going to have like ahalf an hour break.
Didn't matter what inning youwere in, because the sun set in
center field and you could notsee the ball.
Mike Koser (06:39):
There'd be like a little intermission.
Ernie Whitt (06:40):
There would be an intermission, about a half an
hour intermission, which wasdifficult on on the managers
because you don't want yourpitcher to sit in for that long.
But right, then again, from asafety standpoint, you know,
with the sun setting there,there's nothing that you could
do.
So they'd have to have a littleintermission, and we'd just uh,
you know, just kind of sit in adugout and waiting for the sun
(07:03):
to set.
Mike Koser (07:04):
Another great old ballpark that you played in as a
member of the Bristol Red Soxwas Muzzy Field in Bristol,
Connecticut.
It opened in 1912, wasdestroyed by fire in the late
1930s, and then reopened with abrick grandstand in 1939.
And we're talking, Ernie, we'retalking all-time greats who
play there.
Babe Ruth, Warren Spahn,Satchel Paige, all played at
Muzzy Field.
What do you remember aboutMuzzy Field?
Ernie Whitt (07:27):
I loved that place.
It was just a beautifulsetting.
They had huge evergreens allaround the fence in the
outfield.
Uh, it was a short porch inright field.
And that's that was probably mytime where I learned how to
pull the ball to try to takeadvantage of that short porch in
right field.
(07:47):
Then outside the main gate wasuh a little uh bar called
Chippies, and they had the bestcorn beef, roast beef sandwiches
around.
And uh anytime we'd have adouble header, you know, I'd
have my wife go out and go nextdoor and get a get a sandwich
from Chippies, and while all thewives there would go and get
(08:08):
sandwiches for their husbandsfrom Chippies, and it was just
uh a quaint little setting thatthose those are things that you
you remember, I guess, mostgoing through the minor league
system.
Mike Koser (08:20):
Early 70s, didn't they also have hand-painted ads
on the outfield wall?
Ernie Whitt (08:26):
Absolutely hand-painted.
They they didn't have thebanners that they drape over the
wall, they had the hand-paintedones.
You know, it was there was nopadding on the wall.
So, you know, things weredifferent back then.
Mike Koser (08:39):
Yeah, they sure were.
And the minors, uh, speaking ofdifferent, there were plenty of
small towns that you passedthrough and played in, like
Thetford Mines in Quebec wherethe only source of food, the
only restaurant at the time wasa little hamburger dairy bar
stand.
Do you remember that place?
Ernie Whitt (08:55):
I do.
Spent a lot of I spent a lot ofmy five dollars a day that we
got for meal money at thatplace.
About a quarter mile down theroad that we'd have to walk to
to get us, you know, get ahamburger.
And uh it was quaint.
Uh, what I liked about the ballpark too is that it was a party
atmosphere for the fans.
I mean, that that was theirentertainment at night, is to
(09:18):
come and watch the games in theevening.
And I guess that was really myfirst experience watching the
fans drink a lot of beerat Thetford Mines.
At Thetford Mines.
Mike Koser (09:30):
Yeah, absolutely.
When you played for the RhodeIsland Red Sox, your manager was
Joe Morgan, not the Hall ofFamer, different Joe Morgan.
Ernie Whitt (09:38):
Yeah,
Mike Koser (09:38):
he was he was a unique guy, wasn't he?
Ernie Whitt (09:40):
He was different.
He he was different.
I mean, he he just he kept theteam loose.
You never knew what he wasgoing to do.
My first time up triple A andbeing with him, I think it was
like in in early April, all of asudden, our we our center
fielder, Dick Sharon, made adiving catch, just a tremendous
(10:01):
catch.
And all of a sudden, I see Joerunning out of the dugout,
sprinting out the center field.
He runs out there, he shakeshis hand, and he jogs back into
the dugout.
I'm going, what the hell isgoing on here?
But he was uh he was good.
He'd sit in the front of busand just we had a guy by the
name of Dave Machemer, uh, thatwas a little utility player for
(10:25):
us that managed a lot in theminor leagues and uh after he
was done playing.
But Joe would just sit in a busand just start MacMur.
MacMur, Machemer .
I don't know that that namejust intrigued him.
And we we'd be on a couple hourbus trip, and that's all you'd
hear Joe saying in the front ofthe bus.
MacMur.
Mike Koser (10:45):
As a side note, I don't think you ever made over
$1,500 a month in the minorleagues.
So you would have to supplementyour income in the offseason
with different jobs andsometimes bowling.
Right?
Ernie Whitt (10:57):
I did, I loved bowling.
We'd bowl a lot in what theycall the moonlight double
bowling.
Uh it was my wife and I, and wedid it, you know.
I mean, she took the trophies,but I took the money, which was
which was a good thing.
And then I'd go to sometournaments on the way to spring
training.
They had the Hoinke Classic inCincinnati.
(11:18):
And we'd always time going tospring training to stop there
and and I'd participate in thetournament, win some money, and
then go on.
But uh they also won a lot ofmoney in what they call pot
games.
So after the leagues are done,guys, a bunch of guys would get
together and they'd play, youknow, put money in the pot, and
whoever won the game would winthat money.
Mike Koser (11:40):
Yeah, that's great.
What a great way to supplement,too.
Ernie Whitt (11:43):
Yeah, it was fun.
Mike Koser (11:44):
So, Ernie, you finally get the call up to the
Red Sox in September of 1976,and your first game is at Yankee
Stadium.
Howard Cosell (11:51):
You can't be here, you can't be on these
Yankee dugout steps where I amnow, and not live with the
nostalgia of what's been herebefore.
Ernie Whitt (12:03):
It was uh quite a nervous feeling I had in my gut.
I mean, I I'm walking from thedugout out to the out to the
bullpen before the game started,and all of a sudden my mind
started going.
I says, Can you I just can'timagine all of the great players
through the history of theYankees and all of baseball that
(12:24):
have walked these same fields.
And uh it just was like a uh adream come true that I was
actually walking on a majorleague field where other
superstars, as you you know,that that played at that level,
and now I was a part of it.
Mike Koser (12:44):
And a couple weeks later, the Red Sox are playing
at Tiger Stadium, the ballparkof your youth.
So describe that moment,walking into Tiger Stadium, now
in a big league uniform withyour family and friends watching
you.
Ernie Whitt (12:57):
Well, the the beauty of the whole story was uh
Carlton Fisk, who was a regularcatcher with the Red Sox at the
time, the night before, hesays, Hey Ernie, you're you're
from Detroit, right?
And I go, Yeah.
He says, Well, look, call callyour parents, call your family,
your friends, and tell them tocome to the game tomorrow night
because you're gonna start thegame tomorrow.
(13:19):
I'm going, what?
And he says, Yeah, just just dothat.
So I did and I told, you know,called everyone.
My wife and I was tellingeveryone that I'm gonna start my
start the game at TigerStadium.
And sure enough, I walk intothe locker room and Don Zimmer
comes up to me, who was managingat the time, says, Hey, Pudge
(13:40):
isn't feeling well today.
You're gonna catch.
And so, I mean, they had, Imean, Carlton knew all of a
sudden, and he's the one whokind of set it up for me to get
my first big league start atTiger Stadium.
And I'm back behind the plate.
Al K aline comes up to theplate and I'm looking at him,
and this is the guy that I wasjust like, oh my gosh.
Ernie Harwell (14:00):
Kaline the batter, no score, first inning,
two out, nobody on.
Ernie Whitt (14:03):
He looks back to me and says, Welcome to big
leagues, kid.
And I'm just going, okay.
I mean, and I think I probablyjust was just staring, a stare,
and I I don't even remembergiving the sign to our pitcher
to start the, you know, to starthim throwing the ball at me.
But anyways, it's some greatmemories that uh I'll never
(14:26):
forget.
Mike Koser (14:27):
You come up to the plate, and there's Bill Freehan,
another one of your heroesgrowing up.
Ernie Whitt (14:32):
Absolutely.
And I walked up to the walkedup to the plate and he says,
exciting, isn't it?
I go, oh my gosh, I can'tbelieve it.
And uh and again, here'sanother guy that I grew up
watching, and kind of I I Iguess you could say I idolized,
you know, some of these playersthat I grew up with, and uh
(14:54):
they're actually carrying onconversations with me.
And it's like, this is reallytoo true, just too real.
I can't believe it.
Mike Koser (15:01):
And a few days later, you're back at Fenway
Park, and what a place tocollect your very first hit.
Uh, and I'm sure you rememberthat like it was yesterday,
right?
Ernie Whitt (15:09):
Oh, I do, I do.
I mean, I I I I remember uh JimColburn was the pitcher with
Milwaukee, and he threw me apitch.
I I don't even I I think it wasa fastball.
I I don't remember, but it waskind of in on me, and I I was
able to keep it fair.
I hit it and hit the "peskypole" down the right field line.
(15:30):
And when I saw it hit the pole,uh I just jumped and I don't
remember anything else.
And the ball went in thestands, and Dwight Evans, who
was a right fielder for us, um,the next inning went out and
made the exchange and got theball for me.
Mike Koser (15:46):
Yeah, what a solid Dwight Evans does.
He goes up to the fan, brings aball out with him, exchanges it
for your home run ball, theball with the yellow paint
smudge on it.
Do you still have that ball?
Ernie Whitt (15:55):
I still have it.
Mike Koser (15:56):
Does it still have the yellow smudge?
Ernie Whitt (15:58):
Oh, yeah, yeah.
It hasn't worn out.
I've got it kind of taken careof.
Mike Koser (16:02):
In November 1976, you were taken in the expansion
draft by the Toronto Blue Jays.
You started in the minorleagues for them in Charleston,
West Virginia, but then whenRick Cerone gets hurt in the 76
season, you're or I'm sorry, the77 season, you're called up,
and you and your wife Chrisdrove your two-tone Monte Carlo
to Toronto.
That trip, by the way, musthave felt like 10,000 miles.
Ernie Whitt (16:23):
Oh, it did.
And we were we were towing ablue wooden trailer behind it.
And we pulled up, I mean, we uhstarted having some car issues
in Woodstock.
So we had to pull over.
I ended up calling thetraveling secretary and saying,
look, I'm having some car issuesright now.
Uh we're in Woodstock.
(16:43):
I have no idea how far that isfrom Toronto, but I am in Canada
and I'm on my way.
And uh he says, Don't worry,just get here, get here as
quickly as you can.
He says, you know, he told uswe were checking into the Westin
Hotel, the Toronto Westin Hotelat the time.
And we pulled up with this oldmy car and this old blue wooden
(17:06):
trailer, towed behind it withall of our stuff.
And yeah, I don't think theyknew what to do with it because
it's you know the big city, andI've got a car with a trailer.
Where do you put this stuff?
So you know it was quite atrip.
But I finally got to theballpark, and uh, the story of
that too is that prior to thatme being called up, Garth Iorg
and I were roommates.
(17:27):
We were uh in Syracuse, NewYork, and we said, let's let's
get our perms done on our hair.
I mean, at the time in '77,that was the ingoing thing is to
get a perm.
And I did, and I looked so bad.
It was terrible.
I walked in, and RoyHartsfield, who was a manager,
(17:48):
he he looked at me, he neverlooked me in the eyes.
He just looked at the top of myhead, and he says, Well,
welcome to big leagues.
Get your uniform and get out onthe field.
Mike Koser (17:59):
One Sunday afternoon in 1977, umpire Kenny Kaiser
was behind the plate, and it'sthe Angels and Blue Jays.
And at that point, I don'tthink you had ever faced Nolan
Ryan before.
Do you remember that first atbat and then the conversation
you had with Kenny the umpire?
Ernie Whitt (18:14):
Oh, yeah, I do.
Well, Kenny and I, we came upto the minor leagues together.
So we had a good rapport, andso I was, you know, I was
comfortable talking with him andeverything.
And before I faced Nolan, Imean, all the guys in the
dugouts, I would just think ofthe fastest guy you ever face
and add a foot to it.
You know, I'm going, okay,there's no way that because I
thought I faced some pretty fastguys, and so I got in the box,
(18:37):
and actually I'm nervous, youknow, and then so I I dig in and
first pitch those to me, and Iswear I never saw the pitch.
And all of a sudden, Kennycalls a strike, and I just kind
of stepped back and I just says,Kenny, I didn't see the pitch,
and I know damn well you didn'tsee it.
(18:58):
So why'd you why'd you call ita strike?
He says, Well, it sounded likea strike.
So that was the start of it,and it took me seven at bats
before I fouled the pitch off ofNolan Ryan.
Mike Koser (19:10):
Unbelievable.
Ernie Whitt (19:11):
When I fouled it off, I raised my hands, like,
yeah, I got you now.
Needless to say ten times thoseall strikeouts.
So he he had my number.
Mike Koser (19:20):
The following April, um, yeah, April 1977, the Blue
Jays opened up at ExhibitionStadium.
Announcer (19:26):
Well, here we are in Toronto, the scene of this Major
League opening game today.
The tower in downtown Toronto,and just down the road along
Lakeshore Boulevard.
Snowy Exhibition Stadium.
Mike Koser (19:37):
A ballpark that was intended to be just a temporary
home for the Blue Jays, but justlike Jarry Park in Montreal,
the Blue Jays played atExhibition a lot longer than I
think anyone had anticipated.
What are your memories ofExhibition Stadium?
Ernie Whitt (19:49):
Well, to me, it was it was great because I was in
the big leagues.
You think back on it, then youstart saying, Well, wait a
minute, I'm I'm catching and Ican't see my center fielder's
legs, you know, because it hadthe hump in the middle of the
outfield.
Mike Koser (20:02):
For those who don't remember, it was made for
football, it was converted forbaseball.
So, you know, sight lines werenot great.
Uh, if you sat in the bleachersrather than look toward home
plate, you were actually facingthe other set of bleachers, and
some of the seats were over 800feet away from home plate.
Ernie Whitt (20:17):
Yes, that is true.
And you felt bad for them.
And because again, at the time,you know, I thought I thought
the organization was doing agreat job selling the opposing
teams that are coming in andtheir stars, but it was
especially difficult in in earlyApril and and later later
September when those the nightsstarted getting cool and stuff.
(20:38):
It was uh some real cold nightsthere.
Uh, I felt bad for the fansbecause of the aluminum seats
that were there.
Mike Koser (20:45):
Yeah, down the uh first base in right field line,
right?
Ernie Whitt (20:48):
Yes, yes, it was all aluminum seating.
And at least we were able to gointo the dugout and they had
some overhead heaters for usthat we could actually put our
hands up to and kind of warm upa little bit.
But I felt bad for the fansbecause there was no place for
them to go.
Mike Koser (21:05):
Well, and you think about it, I know you weren't
there um when it opened forbaseball April 7th, 1977, but
there was a pretty significantlayer of snow on the field that
day, and the Blue Jays had toborrow a Zamboni from the from
the maple leaves, from the mapleleafs just to clear it.
Ernie Whitt (21:21):
That's right.
Announcer (21:21):
And uh we'll have some activities underway now.
It looks as though they'regonna give it a real try to get
this ballgame underway.
The snow has certainly eased upconsiderably, it's just
the white stuff on the fieldthat's the problem.
Ernie Whitt (21:35):
Yeah.
Um actually I was in Detroitwatching the game on TV because
we were on our way to going toCharleston, West Virginia.
(21:56):
Game audio from 1st Blue Jays game.
But yeah, it was it was not a baseball field, but
it served a purpose.
They were able to see anothergreat login place.
Um, you know, in 85, we youknow, we won the championship
division for the first time.
You know, 87, we were rightdown to the wire in that
(22:36):
stadium.
I mean, it was, you know, a lotof a lot of great memories of
Exhibition Stadium.
And like I said, I just feltmore bad for the for the fans
than I did for the players.
Mike Koser (22:47):
But you know, you think about it, it was
definitely an interestingballpark, to say the least.
I mean, where else would youhave a fog assisted inside the
park home run?
You remember that?
Ernie Whitt (22:57):
We saw a lot of things.
We had fog, we had uh we we hadto delay a game because of the
wind that was picking up thelittle pebbles that they used in
all of the the bases and homeplate and the pitcher's mount
was just like they're throwingrocks at you because the wind
was blowing and swirling so muchat the time.
Mike Koser (23:18):
1984, uh, when they postponed for wind, it literally
blew Blue Jays pitcher JimClancy right off the mount,
right?
Ernie Whitt (23:25):
That's right.
He was pitching that night whenthat happened.
Crazy.
It was crazy.
And then all of the seagullsthat would roll in the chaos
that happened with Dave Winfieldand one of the seagulls.
Mike Koser (23:36):
And yeah, where he ended up actually getting
arrested after the game.
That's another story, butthat's a great one to look up if
you want to.
Ernie Whitt (23:42):
Yeah, you're right.
No, it was it's it was crazy.
Uh, but again, it was somethingthat you know it happened in my
life, and it was a part of mybuilding blocks in the major
leagues and and being a part ofit, playing at that stadium.
So uh I have fond memories ofit.
Mike Koser (24:00):
Wade Boggs, who you played against a lot, was a very
superstitious player, and hehad a fixation with the number
seven.
And one night in 1984, whenBobby Cox, who was then the
manager for the Blue Jays, didhe did he call the scoreboard
operator exhibition stadium?
Ernie Whitt (24:16):
Yes, he did.
We we had it set up, Bobby hadit set up, he called the the
scoreboard.
I think at the time we wereplaying 7:07 games or something
like that.
So at 6:57, Wade would alwayshe'd be out in the dugout just
waiting for the clock to turn toeither 6:57.
It had to have a seven in it.
Maybe it was a 7:17 start.
(24:38):
He would wait until 7:07 to goout and run his sprints to get
uh get himself ready.
Yeah, well, this one nightwe're we're saying because Boggs
was on a you know pretty goodheater at this point in time.
He was uh seeing the ballreally well and hitting very
well.
So let's try to play a littlemind game with him.
And so he's in there.
We're we're sitting in ourdugout, and we can see we have a
(25:00):
clear view of watching him,watching him, watching him.
He's pacing back and forth andlooking up at the clock, looking
up at the clock, and all of asudden it went from 6:56 to
6:58, and he just blew a gasket.
He goes running out, he could,he's looking in the dugout at
us, and he's you know, he's ofcourse he gets up to the plate
(25:23):
and he blames me for it.
I said, Boggsy, I had nothingto do with it, but we'll see how
it went whether it worked ornot.
He went 0 for four that night,so it did play a factor on him,
and every time he came up to theplate, he would he was cussing
me out.
Mike Koser (25:36):
Ernie, in 1985, you achieved a lifelong dream
playing in the All-Star game atthe Metrodome in Minnesota.
Bob Costas (25:42):
Welcome to the Metrodome in Minneapolis, the
1985 Major League All-Star Game.
More than 55,000 fans will beon hand at game time as the
finest players in baseballperform on a national stage.
Which stars will shinebrightest tonight?
Mike Koser (25:57):
Each player that year got an oil painting of
themselves.
Do you still have yours?
I do.
It's put away.
I don't have it hanging oranything like that, uh, but it
is put away and I do have it.
Tell me the most thrilling moment for you being
at that All-Star game in 1985.
What was it?
Ernie Whitt (26:14):
Well, number one, just to be recognized as one of
the you know the better catchersin in Major League Baseball at
that time.
And going there and being ableto be there and uh just be in
the locker room signing all thebaseball that all the other guys
were signing, and uh then beinga part of this uh the three
(26:35):
catchers that were on theAmerican League that year was
Carlton Fisk, Rich Gedman, andmyself.
All of us came up through theRed Sox organization.
Special.
Yeah.
So it was very special forthat.
I mean, I've got pictures ofthe three of us together, and uh
yeah, so that was that was aspecial moment.
And I was disappointed I didn'tget in at bat that game, but
(26:58):
uh, you know, be able to catchan inning, it was uh it was
something that if you would havetold me growing up, it was a
dream, you know, to say that Inot only played in the big
leagues, but also played at anall-star game.
Mike Koser (27:13):
I imagine Ernie lining up before the game and
hearing your name beingintroduced at the Metrodome.
Announcer (27:19):
Number 12, catcher Ernie Wit.
Mike Koser (27:22):
That probably had to give you goosebumps, didn't it?
Ernie Whitt (27:24):
Oh, absolutely.
Absolutely.
It was it's hard to describe.
I mean, it it's something thatyou know you dream about, but
you really deep down you say,well, that probably won't happen
to me because you know, at thattime I was I was playing a lot,
but it was I was consideredmore of a platoon situation.
(27:45):
Bobby Cox had uh uh like two orthree positions where he always
platooned.
But you know, there was mostlyright-handed pitchers in the
league at that time, so I had agood share of starts for me that
year.
Mike Koser (27:59):
September 14th, 1987, you and your Blue Jays
teammates set a record thatstill stands to this day.
Ten home runs in one game,including three by you and an
absolute drubbing of theBaltimore Orioles.
3-1-5 home run.
Announcer (28:20):
Ernie Whitt three home runs in the game, and
exhibition stadium is goingbonkers.
Mike Koser (28:27):
That had to be one of the most special nights in
your career.
Ernie Whitt (28:29):
Yeah, it was.
Actually, I'm I'm sitting at mydesk and I'm looking at I've
got a bat and a picture of theuh of the five guys, six guys
actually, that hit home runsthat night and and a game ball
representing that record, whichstill stands today.
Mike Koser (28:47):
Yeah, 30 think about that.
37 years later.
Ernie Whitt (28:50):
It's it's amazing because again, I mean, there's a
lot of smaller ballparks outthere right now.
Right.
I don't know what happened thatnight.
I I I always give credit to thepitcher that he had good
control, he hit my bat threetimes.
Um it is uh a feat that I'llnever forget.
Uh hit some hit some home runs,but those three are very
(29:13):
special, and uh no question itwas uh something that I will
always remember.
Mike Koser (29:19):
That year in 1987, Hall of Famer Phil Niekro came
to the Blue Jays from Clevelandonly for a couple weeks, but
what was it like catching thatthat knuckleball?
Ernie Whitt (29:28):
Well, I had a chance, I caught him one start,
and unfortunately, not too manyballs got to me because his ball
wasn't doing much and they hithim pretty hard.
Such a class guy.
I think that's the biggestthing I took from him was that
it was fun to catch him.
I I know that when you aknuckle baller, you just try to
stay as relaxed as you can, andyou really you you don't receive
(29:51):
the ball, you kind of snatch atthe ball.
So you try to stay as relaxedas you possibly can and let the
ball travel and then just snatchit out of the air.
But again, he he's just a classguy, and and uh I I really
enjoyed him as a teammate, justa short period of time, but I
enjoyed him as a teammate.
Mike Koser (30:09):
Wouldn't he sit in the hot tub next to you after a
game?
And he would keep his hat on,right?
He wouldn't take his hat off.
Ernie Whitt (30:14):
He'd keep his hat on, and sit we'd sit next to
each other in the hot tub.
You know, two separate hottubs, but yeah.
So he had his hat on, neverwould take his hat off.
He was always the last one toleave the ballpark.
You know, he had his specialthings that he did.
Mike Koser (30:30):
The Sky Dome opened June 3rd, 1989.
Announcer (30:34):
Tonight is the beginning of a new era in this
magnificent Sky Dome.
This is a structure that willbe recognized all over the world
as the greatest sports stadiumever built.
Mike Koser (30:47):
The first stadium with a fully retractable roof
that could open and close in 20minutes.
They've got, of course, the348-room hotel in center field,
definitely a unique feature ofthe ballpark.
What do you remember about thatfirst day in June of 1989 at
the Sky Dome?
Ernie Whitt (31:00):
Didn't we have a rain delay that day?
Mike Koser (31:02):
Yeah.
Announcer (31:02):
Game audio.
Ernie Whitt (31:32):
Yeah, I remember that.
Jimmy Key started the game, uh,I I started catching, and uh,
we're rolling along, and uh allof a sudden we look up and we
see the dome starting to close,and all of a sudden the rain
started falling.
And so yeah, we had a littlebit of a rain delay because they
had a little hiccup in closingthe dome all the way.
Mike Koser (31:54):
And you're thinking, like, hey, wait a second, I
thought this was the wholepoint.
Ernie Whitt (31:57):
Exactly.
And but it was, you know, itwas such a neat dome at the
time, and we'd sell out theplace every game, but it was
almost like there was no one inthe stadium at the time because
everyone was in there lookingaround, looking all over the
place, looking up at the uhseeing tower and the jumbotron.
The jumbotron.
I mean, it was like a people,there is a baseball game going
(32:20):
on.
You can kind of cheer andwatch, but it was they were more
into the sightseeing and andobserving everything about the
new stadium, which was beautifulat the time.
Mike Koser (32:30):
Ernie, there is no position on the field quite like
catcher.
The amount of physical abusethat you take on your body
throughout a season isincredible.
You probably wouldn't go morethan a day or two without some
kind of injury, you know, a foultip to the hand or face mask,
blocking the ball with the tipof your shoulder.
Outside of game one of 162,there's probably no time of the
suit season where a catcherfeels 100%.
Ernie Whitt (32:51):
Yeah, very, very true.
I mean, and and you know, youtell that to people, and you
when you you talk to people, anduh I I was fortunate enough to
uh once I was done playing, Igot into player development and
started working with catchers.
And and I always tell them, Isaid, look, you're gonna have
aches and pains, you're gonnahave foul tips, you're going to,
(33:14):
you know, you're not gonna feelgood all the time, but that's
part of this job is that you'rejust gonna have to wear it and
learn how to deal with pain.
And I said, the last thing thatyou want to do is have an
opportunity to play at thehighest level, and all of a
sudden you come out because yougot a you know, a foul tip off
your shoulder.
You you've got to find a way toplay yourself through it.
(33:37):
And uh because once you comeout, then it's that's the
medical team that takes over andthey may keep you out for a
week, and that's a week of gamesthat you'll never get back as a
player.
So I always tried to encouragethem to toughen up and and uh
just learn how to play with painat times.
Mike Koser (33:58):
Sitting behind the dish, uh you would have some
great conversations with uh withdifferent players.
I know George Brett is one ofthem, and you know, a lot of
times you think of okay, ahitter, especially a great
hitter, is just gonna be lockedin and not want to have a
conversation.
But George Brett was special inthat regard, wasn't he?
Ernie Whitt (34:13):
Well, George George was easy to talk to, too.
I mean, he he enjoyed engagingin conversation.
So there was times in where hewas he was going for a batting
title, and we I mean, we justcouldn't get him out.
And and I mean, he hiteverything in sight.
So I said, I'm gonna try thison, I'm gonna try talking to him
(34:34):
a little bit.
For his first hit battie comesup, and we're talking about uh
he had set up a golf uh golf uhtime for us earlier that day to
go out and play golf.
And so I said, Man, George,what a beautiful place you put
us out today.
We had such a great time, andthe pitcher's delivering the
ball at the time.
He whacks about a solid basehit to uh right field.
(34:57):
How does this guy do it?
Because when he's responding toyou, he hits it right in the
middle of his sentence.
Yeah, right in the middle ofthe sentence.
He we're carrying on aconversation.
So the next time he comes upthe day before, he set us up
over at um Larry Gura, who'sleft-handed pitcher for the
Royals, to go up to his farm todo some fishing.
He has these uh bass ponds outthere.
(35:18):
So we went out there and Isays, Man, you you know, I said,
Hey, thanks again for settingus up yesterday, too, for the
fishing.
We had a great time.
We should see some of thefishes we fish we caught.
And and sure enough, he hits aline drive to left center field.
Watches that to center field.
Announcer (35:35):
Game audio.
Mid-conversation, third timecomes up and he says, you know
what, let's talk about fishingsome more because I hit that
ball better than when we weretalking about golfing.
I mean, yeah, you couldn't getinto his coconut.
(35:57):
He he was he was just lockedin.
Mike Koser (35:59):
Yeah, no matter what.
Listen, Ernie, for someone whowas told that they would never
go beyond double A, you with theencouragement of your wife,
Chris, persisted and ended up anall-star with 938 hits, 134
home runs, two division titles,and a member as of 2009 of the
Canadian Baseball Hall of Fameand one of the most beloved
Toronto Blue Jays of all time.
Thank you so much for your timetoday.
(36:21):
I really, really appreciate it,Ernie.
Ernie Whitt (36:23):
Thank you, Mike.
Enjoyed it and uh greatmemories.
Thank you for bringing them up.
Mike Koser (36:28):
54 years ago, Ernie Witt was drafted by the Boston
Red Sox as the 352nd pick.
His signing bonus, $2,500.
Now, to put that intoperspective, the 352nd pick in
this year's draft received abonus of $150,000.
The number one overall pick inthis year's draft was given
nearly $9 million.
All right, I think we are ready to go.
Ernie Witt.
Can you hear me okay?
Ernie Whitt (00:04):
Yeah, I can hear you, Mike.
Mike Koser (00:05):
Oh, perfect.
Good.
How are you?
Ernie Whitt (00:07):
I'm do well.
I'm well.
You know, little bumps andbruises along the way with this
rehab, but
Mike Koser (00:13):
That sounds like the life of a catcher.
Ernie Whitt (00:15):
Yeah, tell me about it.
And hopefully no more new partscoming my way.
Mike Koser (00:20):
Our guest today is Ernie Witt.
Ernie, it's so great to haveyou with us today.
You were a key member of theinaugural Toronto Blue Jays from
1977, an all-star catcher,wrapping up your career with 134
home runs and two divisiontitles.
In 2009, you were inducted intothe Canadian Baseball Hall of
Fame, and you are, without adoubt, a beloved figure among
(00:41):
diehard Blue Jay fans.
Hey, thanks for making time forthis.
(02:11):
I appreciate it.
Ernie Whitt (02:12):
No worries.
Mike Koser (02:13):
You grew up in Detroit.
Did you watch your first bigleague game at Tiger Stadium?
Ernie Whitt (02:17):
I did.
Mike Koser (02:18):
Yeah, what do you remember about that day?
Ernie Whitt (02:20):
Well, I remember that we always listen uh to the
Tiger games.
I don't remember seeing much ofthem on TV, but uh always
listened to them on the radio.
Ernie Harwell (02:31):
Bright and sunny on Mother's Day in Detroit, but
very breezy.
The wind uh coming from thirdbase toward first.
Here's a drive to the left andmaybe all the way.
It's hooking.
It is a foul ball ooh that wasclose.
Ernie Whitt (02:45):
Uh it just we had the opportunity, my brother and
I, we we'd get on a bus and we'dgo downtown Detroit and sit in
the center field bleachers andwatch the games like on a
Saturday afternoon or somethinglike that.
Mike Koser (02:59):
Yeah, because it was Kids' Day every Saturday,
right?
Ernie Whitt (03:01):
Yeah, uh again, I don't remember much of it other
than the fact I remember we'dwe'd always you know start off
in center field and kind of workour way down into left field
and then worked our way aroundinto the uh on the baselines.
Mike Koser (03:15):
And some of your favorite Tiger players at the
time would have been
Ernie Whitt (03:19):
Well, Al Kaline was naturally the my favorite at
that time, you know, DickMcAuliffe actually, who managed
me in the minor leagues.
Then uh I I loved Bill Freehanas a catching end of it.
Ernie Harwell (03:32):
Bill Freehan, the catcher and the number eight
hitter.
Freehan catching.
Ernie Whitt (03:37):
So, I mean, there there was uh a number of
em...Norm Cash, Storm in NormanCash.
Mike Koser (03:43):
Yeah.
Speaking of your brother, thebackyard baseball games that you
guys would have with yourfriends sound like so.
What so many of us wouldexperience or have experienced.
Didn't you guys have two treesthat were first and third, and
then you would find whatever waslaying around for second base?
Ernie Whitt (03:58):
Yeah, we'd find something to lay around, put
down for second base.
But uh you know, if there wasonly you know four or five of
us, we you know, we'd alwayssay, well, left field was out,
you're you're a left-handhitter, left you couldn't hit
the ball left field.
And so we'd have our ourmakeshift shift going early in
(04:18):
the 60s.
People didn't even know aboutit, but we were shifting early
in the 60s.
Mike Koser (04:23):
You guys were way ahead of your time.
Ernie Whitt (04:25):
Way ahead.
But you knew from the time youwere small, right, that you
wanted to be a big league ballplayer one day.
Yeah, that was that was my uhhopes and dreams, I think I
would say.
Announcer (04:36):
How does a fella get to be a major leaguer?
Well, if you've got baseball inyour blood, you've got to be
playing somewhere.
On the vacant lot or the highschool team or the sandlot
squad.
If you're good enough, theygrade you on how well you hit,
how fast you run, how stronglyyou throw.
Mike Koser (04:52):
In 1972, Ernie, you were drafted by the Boston Red
Sox.
You were hoping to be taken byyour hometown team, the Tigers,
but their scout said he didn'tthink you would make it past AA
baseball.
That had to be fuel for you.
That had to be fire, didn't it?
Ernie Whitt (05:07):
Well, I found out later, uh, during the course of
my, you know, my career in theminor leagues and big leagues,
that the scout told me that thegeneral manager who was um
Mike Koser (05:18):
That was Bill.
Was it Bill?
Bill Lajoie.
Thank you.
Yeah, yeah.
He had said to the scout, I'veseen him, I don't think you'll
ever make it past double A.
I've always had the mentalstate that if you tell me I
can't do something, I'm gonnaprove you wrong.
Especially being that I I usedto go to all of their camps that
(05:39):
they had here in the in theDetroit area.
All of the Tiger Scouts alwaystalked to me and told me that
they really thought that I had achance to play at the highest
level.
Announcer (05:50):
There'll be a good living in the years ahead with
top salaries, firm friendships,and profitable contacts in the
business world.
Ernie Whitt (05:57):
Yeah, but then when they told me what Bill had
said, I was like, okay.
Mike Koser (06:01):
Yeah, let me put that in the back of my pocket.
Ernie Whitt (06:03):
Yes, that was definitely uh what they called
chalkboard uh memory that youthink of, the opposing team.
Mike Koser (06:11):
Yeah, absolutely.
So coming up through the minorleagues, you played at some
historic ballparks like WahconahPark in Pittsfield,
Massachusetts, which was builtin 1919.
One of the last remainingballparks with a wooden
grandstand, in fact.
What do you remember aboutWahconah Park?
Ernie Whitt (06:26):
Uh that we'd always, if if it was a nice day,
we were going to have like ahalf an hour break.
Didn't matter what inning youwere in, because the sun set in
center field and you could notsee the ball.
Mike Koser (06:39):
There'd be like a little intermission.
Ernie Whitt (06:40):
There would be an intermission, about a half an
hour intermission, which wasdifficult on on the managers
because you don't want yourpitcher to sit in for that long.
But right, then again, from asafety standpoint, you know,
with the sun setting there,there's nothing that you could
do.
So they'd have to have a littleintermission, and we'd just uh,
you know, just kind of sit in adugout and waiting for the sun
(07:03):
to set.
Mike Koser (07:04):
Another great old ballpark that you played in as a
member of the Bristol Red Soxwas Muzzy Field in Bristol,
Connecticut.
It opened in 1912, wasdestroyed by fire in the late
1930s, and then reopened with abrick grandstand in 1939.
And we're talking, Ernie, we'retalking all-time greats who
play there.
Babe Ruth, Warren Spahn,Satchel Paige, all played at
Muzzy Field.
What do you remember aboutMuzzy Field?
Ernie Whitt (07:27):
I loved that place.
It was just a beautifulsetting.
They had huge evergreens allaround the fence in the
outfield.
Uh, it was a short porch inright field.
And that's that was probably mytime where I learned how to
pull the ball to try to takeadvantage of that short porch in
right field.
(07:47):
Then outside the main gate wasuh a little uh bar called
Chippies, and they had the bestcorn beef, roast beef sandwiches
around.
And uh anytime we'd have adouble header, you know, I'd
have my wife go out and go nextdoor and get a get a sandwich
from Chippies, and while all thewives there would go and get
(08:08):
sandwiches for their husbandsfrom Chippies, and it was just
uh a quaint little setting thatthose those are things that you
you remember, I guess, mostgoing through the minor league
system.
Mike Koser (08:20):
Early 70s, didn't they also have hand-painted ads
on the outfield wall?
Ernie Whitt (08:26):
Absolutely hand-painted.
They they didn't have thebanners that they drape over the
wall, they had the hand-paintedones.
You know, it was there was nopadding on the wall.
So, you know, things weredifferent back then.
Mike Koser (08:39):
Yeah, they sure were.
And the minors, uh, speaking ofdifferent, there were plenty of
small towns that you passedthrough and played in, like
Thetford Mines in Quebec wherethe only source of food, the
only restaurant at the time wasa little hamburger dairy bar
stand.
Do you remember that place?
Ernie Whitt (08:55):
I do.
Spent a lot of I spent a lot ofmy five dollars a day that we
got for meal money at thatplace.
About a quarter mile down theroad that we'd have to walk to
to get us, you know, get ahamburger.
And uh it was quaint.
Uh, what I liked about the ballpark too is that it was a party
atmosphere for the fans.
I mean, that that was theirentertainment at night, is to
(09:18):
come and watch the games in theevening.
And I guess that was really myfirst experience watching the
fans drink a lot of beerat Thetford Mines.
At Thetford Mines.
Mike Koser (09:30):
Yeah, absolutely.
When you played for the RhodeIsland Red Sox, your manager was
Joe Morgan, not the Hall ofFamer, different Joe Morgan.
Ernie Whitt (09:38):
Yeah,
Mike Koser (09:38):
he was he was a unique guy, wasn't he?
Ernie Whitt (09:40):
He was different.
He he was different.
I mean, he he just he kept theteam loose.
You never knew what he wasgoing to do.
My first time up triple A andbeing with him, I think it was
like in in early April, all of asudden, our we our center
fielder, Dick Sharon, made adiving catch, just a tremendous
(10:01):
catch.
And all of a sudden, I see Joerunning out of the dugout,
sprinting out the center field.
He runs out there, he shakeshis hand, and he jogs back into
the dugout.
I'm going, what the hell isgoing on here?
But he was uh he was good.
He'd sit in the front of busand just we had a guy by the
name of Dave Machemer, uh, thatwas a little utility player for
(10:25):
us that managed a lot in theminor leagues and uh after he
was done playing.
But Joe would just sit in a busand just start MacMur.
MacMur, Machemer .
I don't know that that namejust intrigued him.
And we we'd be on a couple hourbus trip, and that's all you'd
hear Joe saying in the front ofthe bus.
MacMur.
Mike Koser (10:45):
As a side note, I don't think you ever made over
$1,500 a month in the minorleagues.
So you would have to supplementyour income in the offseason
with different jobs andsometimes bowling.
Right?
Ernie Whitt (10:57):
I did, I loved bowling.
We'd bowl a lot in what theycall the moonlight double
bowling.
Uh it was my wife and I, and wedid it, you know.
I mean, she took the trophies,but I took the money, which was
which was a good thing.
And then I'd go to sometournaments on the way to spring
training.
They had the Hoinke Classic inCincinnati.
(11:18):
And we'd always time going tospring training to stop there
and and I'd participate in thetournament, win some money, and
then go on.
But uh they also won a lot ofmoney in what they call pot
games.
So after the leagues are done,guys, a bunch of guys would get
together and they'd play, youknow, put money in the pot, and
whoever won the game would winthat money.
Mike Koser (11:40):
Yeah, that's great.
What a great way to supplement,too.
Ernie Whitt (11:43):
Yeah, it was fun.
Mike Koser (11:44):
So, Ernie, you finally get the call up to the
Red Sox in September of 1976,and your first game is at Yankee
Stadium.
Howard Cosell (11:51):
You can't be here, you can't be on these
Yankee dugout steps where I amnow, and not live with the
nostalgia of what's been herebefore.
Ernie Whitt (12:03):
It was uh quite a nervous feeling I had in my gut.
I mean, I I'm walking from thedugout out to the out to the
bullpen before the game started,and all of a sudden my mind
started going.
I says, Can you I just can'timagine all of the great players
through the history of theYankees and all of baseball that
(12:24):
have walked these same fields.
And uh it just was like a uh adream come true that I was
actually walking on a majorleague field where other
superstars, as you you know,that that played at that level,
and now I was a part of it.
Mike Koser (12:44):
And a couple weeks later, the Red Sox are playing
at Tiger Stadium, the ballparkof your youth.
So describe that moment,walking into Tiger Stadium, now
in a big league uniform withyour family and friends watching
you.
Ernie Whitt (12:57):
Well, the the beauty of the whole story was uh
Carlton Fisk, who was a regularcatcher with the Red Sox at the
time, the night before, hesays, Hey Ernie, you're you're
from Detroit, right?
And I go, Yeah.
He says, Well, look, call callyour parents, call your family,
your friends, and tell them tocome to the game tomorrow night
because you're gonna start thegame tomorrow.
(13:19):
I'm going, what?
And he says, Yeah, just just dothat.
So I did and I told, you know,called everyone.
My wife and I was tellingeveryone that I'm gonna start my
start the game at TigerStadium.
And sure enough, I walk intothe locker room and Don Zimmer
comes up to me, who was managingat the time, says, Hey, Pudge
(13:40):
isn't feeling well today.
You're gonna catch.
And so, I mean, they had, Imean, Carlton knew all of a
sudden, and he's the one whokind of set it up for me to get
my first big league start atTiger Stadium.
And I'm back behind the plate.
Al K aline comes up to theplate and I'm looking at him,
and this is the guy that I wasjust like, oh my gosh.
Ernie Harwell (14:00):
Kaline the batter, no score, first inning,
two out, nobody on.
Ernie Whitt (14:03):
He looks back to me and says, Welcome to big
leagues, kid.
And I'm just going, okay.
I mean, and I think I probablyjust was just staring, a stare,
and I I don't even remembergiving the sign to our pitcher
to start the, you know, to starthim throwing the ball at me.
But anyways, it's some greatmemories that uh I'll never
(14:26):
forget.
Mike Koser (14:27):
You come up to the plate, and there's Bill Freehan,
another one of your heroesgrowing up.
Ernie Whitt (14:32):
Absolutely.
And I walked up to the walkedup to the plate and he says,
exciting, isn't it?
I go, oh my gosh, I can'tbelieve it.
And uh and again, here'sanother guy that I grew up
watching, and kind of I I Iguess you could say I idolized,
you know, some of these playersthat I grew up with, and uh
(14:54):
they're actually carrying onconversations with me.
And it's like, this is reallytoo true, just too real.
I can't believe it.
Mike Koser (15:01):
And a few days later, you're back at Fenway
Park, and what a place tocollect your very first hit.
Uh, and I'm sure you rememberthat like it was yesterday,
right?
Ernie Whitt (15:09):
Oh, I do, I do.
I mean, I I I I remember uh JimColburn was the pitcher with
Milwaukee, and he threw me apitch.
I I don't even I I think it wasa fastball.
I I don't remember, but it waskind of in on me, and I I was
able to keep it fair.
I hit it and hit the "peskypole" down the right field line.
(15:30):
And when I saw it hit the pole,uh I just jumped and I don't
remember anything else.
And the ball went in thestands, and Dwight Evans, who
was a right fielder for us, um,the next inning went out and
made the exchange and got theball for me.
Mike Koser (15:46):
Yeah, what a solid Dwight Evans does.
He goes up to the fan, brings aball out with him, exchanges it
for your home run ball, theball with the yellow paint
smudge on it.
Do you still have that ball?
Ernie Whitt (15:55):
I still have it.
Mike Koser (15:56):
Does it still have the yellow smudge?
Ernie Whitt (15:58):
Oh, yeah, yeah.
It hasn't worn out.
I've got it kind of taken careof.
Mike Koser (16:02):
In November 1976, you were taken in the expansion
draft by the Toronto Blue Jays.
You started in the minorleagues for them in Charleston,
West Virginia, but then whenRick Cerone gets hurt in the 76
season, you're or I'm sorry, the77 season, you're called up,
and you and your wife Chrisdrove your two-tone Monte Carlo
to Toronto.
That trip, by the way, musthave felt like 10,000 miles.
Ernie Whitt (16:23):
Oh, it did.
And we were we were towing ablue wooden trailer behind it.
And we pulled up, I mean, we uhstarted having some car issues
in Woodstock.
So we had to pull over.
I ended up calling thetraveling secretary and saying,
look, I'm having some car issuesright now.
Uh we're in Woodstock.
(16:43):
I have no idea how far that isfrom Toronto, but I am in Canada
and I'm on my way.
And uh he says, Don't worry,just get here, get here as
quickly as you can.
He says, you know, he told uswe were checking into the Westin
Hotel, the Toronto Westin Hotelat the time.
And we pulled up with this oldmy car and this old blue wooden
(17:06):
trailer, towed behind it withall of our stuff.
And yeah, I don't think theyknew what to do with it because
it's you know the big city, andI've got a car with a trailer.
Where do you put this stuff?
So you know it was quite atrip.
But I finally got to theballpark, and uh, the story of
that too is that prior to thatme being called up, Garth Iorg
and I were roommates.
(17:27):
We were uh in Syracuse, NewYork, and we said, let's let's
get our perms done on our hair.
I mean, at the time in '77,that was the ingoing thing is to
get a perm.
And I did, and I looked so bad.
It was terrible.
I walked in, and RoyHartsfield, who was a manager,
(17:48):
he he looked at me, he neverlooked me in the eyes.
He just looked at the top of myhead, and he says, Well,
welcome to big leagues.
Get your uniform and get out onthe field.
Mike Koser (17:59):
One Sunday afternoon in 1977, umpire Kenny Kaiser
was behind the plate, and it'sthe Angels and Blue Jays.
And at that point, I don'tthink you had ever faced Nolan
Ryan before.
Do you remember that first atbat and then the conversation
you had with Kenny the umpire?
Ernie Whitt (18:14):
Oh, yeah, I do.
Well, Kenny and I, we came upto the minor leagues together.
So we had a good rapport, andso I was, you know, I was
comfortable talking with him andeverything.
And before I faced Nolan, Imean, all the guys in the
dugouts, I would just think ofthe fastest guy you ever face
and add a foot to it.
You know, I'm going, okay,there's no way that because I
thought I faced some pretty fastguys, and so I got in the box,
(18:37):
and actually I'm nervous, youknow, and then so I I dig in and
first pitch those to me, and Iswear I never saw the pitch.
And all of a sudden, Kennycalls a strike, and I just kind
of stepped back and I just says,Kenny, I didn't see the pitch,
and I know damn well you didn'tsee it.
(18:58):
So why'd you why'd you call ita strike?
He says, Well, it sounded likea strike.
So that was the start of it,and it took me seven at bats
before I fouled the pitch off ofNolan Ryan.
Mike Koser (19:10):
Unbelievable.
Ernie Whitt (19:11):
When I fouled it off, I raised my hands, like,
yeah, I got you now.
Needless to say ten times thoseall strikeouts.
So he he had my number.
Mike Koser (19:20):
The following April, um, yeah, April 1977, the Blue
Jays opened up at ExhibitionStadium.
Announcer (19:26):
Well, here we are in Toronto, the scene of this Major
League opening game today.
The tower in downtown Toronto,and just down the road along
Lakeshore Boulevard.
Snowy Exhibition Stadium.
Mike Koser (19:37):
A ballpark that was intended to be just a temporary
home for the Blue Jays, but justlike Jarry Park in Montreal,
the Blue Jays played atExhibition a lot longer than I
think anyone had anticipated.
What are your memories ofExhibition Stadium?
Ernie Whitt (19:49):
Well, to me, it was it was great because I was in
the big leagues.
You think back on it, then youstart saying, Well, wait a
minute, I'm I'm catching and Ican't see my center fielder's
legs, you know, because it hadthe hump in the middle of the
outfield.
Mike Koser (20:02):
For those who don't remember, it was made for
football, it was converted forbaseball.
So, you know, sight lines werenot great.
Uh, if you sat in the bleachersrather than look toward home
plate, you were actually facingthe other set of bleachers, and
some of the seats were over 800feet away from home plate.
Ernie Whitt (20:17):
Yes, that is true.
And you felt bad for them.
And because again, at the time,you know, I thought I thought
the organization was doing agreat job selling the opposing
teams that are coming in andtheir stars, but it was
especially difficult in in earlyApril and and later later
September when those the nightsstarted getting cool and stuff.
(20:38):
It was uh some real cold nightsthere.
Uh, I felt bad for the fansbecause of the aluminum seats
that were there.
Mike Koser (20:45):
Yeah, down the uh first base in right field line,
right?
Ernie Whitt (20:48):
Yes, yes, it was all aluminum seating.
And at least we were able to gointo the dugout and they had
some overhead heaters for usthat we could actually put our
hands up to and kind of warm upa little bit.
But I felt bad for the fansbecause there was no place for
them to go.
Mike Koser (21:05):
Well, and you think about it, I know you weren't
there um when it opened forbaseball April 7th, 1977, but
there was a pretty significantlayer of snow on the field that
day, and the Blue Jays had toborrow a Zamboni from the from
the maple leaves, from the mapleleafs just to clear it.
Ernie Whitt (21:21):
That's right.
Announcer (21:21):
And uh we'll have some activities underway now.
It looks as though they'regonna give it a real try to get
this ballgame underway.
The snow has certainly eased upconsiderably, it's just
the white stuff on the fieldthat's the problem.
Ernie Whitt (21:35):
Yeah.
Um actually I was in Detroitwatching the game on TV because
we were on our way to going toCharleston, West Virginia.
(21:56):
Game audio from 1st Blue Jays game.
But yeah, it was it was not a baseball field, but
it served a purpose.
They were able to see anothergreat login place.
Um, you know, in 85, we youknow, we won the championship
division for the first time.
You know, 87, we were rightdown to the wire in that
(22:36):
stadium.
I mean, it was, you know, a lotof a lot of great memories of
Exhibition Stadium.
And like I said, I just feltmore bad for the for the fans
than I did for the players.
Mike Koser (22:47):
But you know, you think about it, it was
definitely an interestingballpark, to say the least.
I mean, where else would youhave a fog assisted inside the
park home run?
You remember that?
Ernie Whitt (22:57):
We saw a lot of things.
We had fog, we had uh we we hadto delay a game because of the
wind that was picking up thelittle pebbles that they used in
all of the the bases and homeplate and the pitcher's mount
was just like they're throwingrocks at you because the wind
was blowing and swirling so muchat the time.
Mike Koser (23:18):
1984, uh, when they postponed for wind, it literally
blew Blue Jays pitcher JimClancy right off the mount,
right?
Ernie Whitt (23:25):
That's right.
He was pitching that night whenthat happened.
Crazy.
It was crazy.
And then all of the seagullsthat would roll in the chaos
that happened with Dave Winfieldand one of the seagulls.
Mike Koser (23:36):
And yeah, where he ended up actually getting
arrested after the game.
That's another story, butthat's a great one to look up if
you want to.
Ernie Whitt (23:42):
Yeah, you're right.
No, it was it's it was crazy.
Uh, but again, it was somethingthat you know it happened in my
life, and it was a part of mybuilding blocks in the major
leagues and and being a part ofit, playing at that stadium.
So uh I have fond memories ofit.
Mike Koser (24:00):
Wade Boggs, who you played against a lot, was a very
superstitious player, and hehad a fixation with the number
seven.
And one night in 1984, whenBobby Cox, who was then the
manager for the Blue Jays, didhe did he call the scoreboard
operator exhibition stadium?
Ernie Whitt (24:16):
Yes, he did.
We we had it set up, Bobby hadit set up, he called the the
scoreboard.
I think at the time we wereplaying 7:07 games or something
like that.
So at 6:57, Wade would alwayshe'd be out in the dugout just
waiting for the clock to turn toeither 6:57.
It had to have a seven in it.
Maybe it was a 7:17 start.
(24:38):
He would wait until 7:07 to goout and run his sprints to get
uh get himself ready.
Yeah, well, this one nightwe're we're saying because Boggs
was on a you know pretty goodheater at this point in time.
He was uh seeing the ballreally well and hitting very
well.
So let's try to play a littlemind game with him.
And so he's in there.
We're we're sitting in ourdugout, and we can see we have a
(25:00):
clear view of watching him,watching him, watching him.
He's pacing back and forth andlooking up at the clock, looking
up at the clock, and all of asudden it went from 6:56 to
6:58, and he just blew a gasket.
He goes running out, he could,he's looking in the dugout at
us, and he's you know, he's ofcourse he gets up to the plate
(25:23):
and he blames me for it.
I said, Boggsy, I had nothingto do with it, but we'll see how
it went whether it worked ornot.
He went 0 for four that night,so it did play a factor on him,
and every time he came up to theplate, he would he was cussing
me out.
Mike Koser (25:36):
Ernie, in 1985, you achieved a lifelong dream
playing in the All-Star game atthe Metrodome in Minnesota.
Bob Costas (25:42):
Welcome to the Metrodome in Minneapolis, the
1985 Major League All-Star Game.
More than 55,000 fans will beon hand at game time as the
finest players in baseballperform on a national stage.
Which stars will shinebrightest tonight?
Mike Koser (25:57):
Each player that year got an oil painting of
themselves.
Do you still have yours?
I do.
It's put away.
I don't have it hanging oranything like that, uh, but it
is put away and I do have it.
Tell me the most thrilling moment for you being
at that All-Star game in 1985.
What was it?
Ernie Whitt (26:14):
Well, number one, just to be recognized as one of
the you know the better catchersin in Major League Baseball at
that time.
And going there and being ableto be there and uh just be in
the locker room signing all thebaseball that all the other guys
were signing, and uh then beinga part of this uh the three
(26:35):
catchers that were on theAmerican League that year was
Carlton Fisk, Rich Gedman, andmyself.
All of us came up through theRed Sox organization.
Special.
Yeah.
So it was very special forthat.
I mean, I've got pictures ofthe three of us together, and uh
yeah, so that was that was aspecial moment.
And I was disappointed I didn'tget in at bat that game, but
(26:58):
uh, you know, be able to catchan inning, it was uh it was
something that if you would havetold me growing up, it was a
dream, you know, to say that Inot only played in the big
leagues, but also played at anall-star game.
Mike Koser (27:13):
I imagine Ernie lining up before the game and
hearing your name beingintroduced at the Metrodome.
Announcer (27:19):
Number 12, catcher Ernie Wit.
Mike Koser (27:22):
That probably had to give you goosebumps, didn't it?
Ernie Whitt (27:24):
Oh, absolutely.
Absolutely.
It was it's hard to describe.
I mean, it it's something thatyou know you dream about, but
you really deep down you say,well, that probably won't happen
to me because you know, at thattime I was I was playing a lot,
but it was I was consideredmore of a platoon situation.
(27:45):
Bobby Cox had uh uh like two orthree positions where he always
platooned.
But you know, there was mostlyright-handed pitchers in the
league at that time, so I had agood share of starts for me that
year.
Mike Koser (27:59):
September 14th, 1987, you and your Blue Jays
teammates set a record thatstill stands to this day.
Ten home runs in one game,including three by you and an
absolute drubbing of theBaltimore Orioles.
3-1-5 home run.
Announcer (28:20):
Ernie Whitt three home runs in the game, and
exhibition stadium is goingbonkers.
Mike Koser (28:27):
That had to be one of the most special nights in
your career.
Ernie Whitt (28:29):
Yeah, it was.
Actually, I'm I'm sitting at mydesk and I'm looking at I've
got a bat and a picture of theuh of the five guys, six guys
actually, that hit home runsthat night and and a game ball
representing that record, whichstill stands today.
Mike Koser (28:47):
Yeah, 30 think about that.
37 years later.
Ernie Whitt (28:50):
It's it's amazing because again, I mean, there's a
lot of smaller ballparks outthere right now.
Right.
I don't know what happened thatnight.
I I I always give credit to thepitcher that he had good
control, he hit my bat threetimes.
Um it is uh a feat that I'llnever forget.
Uh hit some hit some home runs,but those three are very
(29:13):
special, and uh no question itwas uh something that I will
always remember.
Mike Koser (29:19):
That year in 1987, Hall of Famer Phil Niekro came
to the Blue Jays from Clevelandonly for a couple weeks, but
what was it like catching thatthat knuckleball?
Ernie Whitt (29:28):
Well, I had a chance, I caught him one start,
and unfortunately, not too manyballs got to me because his ball
wasn't doing much and they hithim pretty hard.
Such a class guy.
I think that's the biggestthing I took from him was that
it was fun to catch him.
I I know that when you aknuckle baller, you just try to
stay as relaxed as you can, andyou really you you don't receive
(29:51):
the ball, you kind of snatch atthe ball.
So you try to stay as relaxedas you possibly can and let the
ball travel and then just snatchit out of the air.
But again, he he's just a classguy, and and uh I I really
enjoyed him as a teammate, justa short period of time, but I
enjoyed him as a teammate.
Mike Koser (30:09):
Wouldn't he sit in the hot tub next to you after a
game?
And he would keep his hat on,right?
He wouldn't take his hat off.
Ernie Whitt (30:14):
He'd keep his hat on, and sit we'd sit next to
each other in the hot tub.
You know, two separate hottubs, but yeah.
So he had his hat on, neverwould take his hat off.
He was always the last one toleave the ballpark.
You know, he had his specialthings that he did.
Mike Koser (30:30):
The Sky Dome opened June 3rd, 1989.
Announcer (30:34):
Tonight is the beginning of a new era in this
magnificent Sky Dome.
This is a structure that willbe recognized all over the world
as the greatest sports stadiumever built.
Mike Koser (30:47):
The first stadium with a fully retractable roof
that could open and close in 20minutes.
They've got, of course, the348-room hotel in center field,
definitely a unique feature ofthe ballpark.
What do you remember about thatfirst day in June of 1989 at
the Sky Dome?
Ernie Whitt (31:00):
Didn't we have a rain delay that day?
Mike Koser (31:02):
Yeah.
Announcer (31:02):
Game audio.
Ernie Whitt (31:32):
Yeah, I remember that.
Jimmy Key started the game, uh,I I started catching, and uh,
we're rolling along, and uh allof a sudden we look up and we
see the dome starting to close,and all of a sudden the rain
started falling.
And so yeah, we had a littlebit of a rain delay because they
had a little hiccup in closingthe dome all the way.
Mike Koser (31:54):
And you're thinking, like, hey, wait a second, I
thought this was the wholepoint.
Ernie Whitt (31:57):
Exactly.
And but it was, you know, itwas such a neat dome at the
time, and we'd sell out theplace every game, but it was
almost like there was no one inthe stadium at the time because
everyone was in there lookingaround, looking all over the
place, looking up at the uhseeing tower and the jumbotron.
The jumbotron.
I mean, it was like a people,there is a baseball game going
(32:20):
on.
You can kind of cheer andwatch, but it was they were more
into the sightseeing and andobserving everything about the
new stadium, which was beautifulat the time.
Mike Koser (32:30):
Ernie, there is no position on the field quite like
catcher.
The amount of physical abusethat you take on your body
throughout a season isincredible.
You probably wouldn't go morethan a day or two without some
kind of injury, you know, a foultip to the hand or face mask,
blocking the ball with the tipof your shoulder.
Outside of game one of 162,there's probably no time of the
suit season where a catcherfeels 100%.
Ernie Whitt (32:51):
Yeah, very, very true.
I mean, and and you know, youtell that to people, and you
when you you talk to people, anduh I I was fortunate enough to
uh once I was done playing, Igot into player development and
started working with catchers.
And and I always tell them, Isaid, look, you're gonna have
aches and pains, you're gonnahave foul tips, you're going to,
(33:14):
you know, you're not gonna feelgood all the time, but that's
part of this job is that you'rejust gonna have to wear it and
learn how to deal with pain.
And I said, the last thing thatyou want to do is have an
opportunity to play at thehighest level, and all of a
sudden you come out because yougot a you know, a foul tip off
your shoulder.
You you've got to find a way toplay yourself through it.
(33:37):
And uh because once you comeout, then it's that's the
medical team that takes over andthey may keep you out for a
week, and that's a week of gamesthat you'll never get back as a
player.
So I always tried to encouragethem to toughen up and and uh
just learn how to play with painat times.
Mike Koser (33:58):
Sitting behind the dish, uh you would have some
great conversations with uh withdifferent players.
I know George Brett is one ofthem, and you know, a lot of
times you think of okay, ahitter, especially a great
hitter, is just gonna be lockedin and not want to have a
conversation.
But George Brett was special inthat regard, wasn't he?
Ernie Whitt (34:13):
Well, George George was easy to talk to, too.
I mean, he he enjoyed engagingin conversation.
So there was times in where hewas he was going for a batting
title, and we I mean, we justcouldn't get him out.
And and I mean, he hiteverything in sight.
So I said, I'm gonna try thison, I'm gonna try talking to him
(34:34):
a little bit.
For his first hit battie comesup, and we're talking about uh
he had set up a golf uh golf uhtime for us earlier that day to
go out and play golf.
And so I said, Man, George,what a beautiful place you put
us out today.
We had such a great time, andthe pitcher's delivering the
ball at the time.
He whacks about a solid basehit to uh right field.
(34:57):
How does this guy do it?
Because when he's responding toyou, he hits it right in the
middle of his sentence.
Yeah, right in the middle ofthe sentence.
He we're carrying on aconversation.
So the next time he comes upthe day before, he set us up
over at um Larry Gura, who'sleft-handed pitcher for the
Royals, to go up to his farm todo some fishing.
He has these uh bass ponds outthere.
(35:18):
So we went out there and Isays, Man, you you know, I said,
Hey, thanks again for settingus up yesterday, too, for the
fishing.
We had a great time.
We should see some of thefishes we fish we caught.
And and sure enough, he hits aline drive to left center field.
Watches that to center field.
Announcer (35:35):
Game audio.
Mid-conversation, third timecomes up and he says, you know
what, let's talk about fishingsome more because I hit that
ball better than when we weretalking about golfing.
I mean, yeah, you couldn't getinto his coconut.
(35:57):
He he was he was just lockedin.
Mike Koser (35:59):
Yeah, no matter what.
Listen, Ernie, for someone whowas told that they would never
go beyond double A, you with theencouragement of your wife,
Chris, persisted and ended up anall-star with 938 hits, 134
home runs, two division titles,and a member as of 2009 of the
Canadian Baseball Hall of Fameand one of the most beloved
Toronto Blue Jays of all time.
Thank you so much for your timetoday.
(36:21):
I really, really appreciate it,Ernie.
Ernie Whitt (36:23):
Thank you, Mike.
Enjoyed it and uh greatmemories.
Thank you for bringing them up.
Mike Koser (36:28):
54 years ago, Ernie Witt was drafted by the Boston
Red Sox as the 352nd pick.
His signing bonus, $2,500.
Now, to put that intoperspective, the 352nd pick in
this year's draft received abonus of $150,000.
The number one overall pick inthis year's draft was given
nearly $9 million.
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