Manufacturer: Bowman
Set: 1949 Bowman Baseball ➡️
Player Name: Eddie Waitkus
Position/Team: 1st Base for Phillies
Card #: 142
Card Size: 2-1/16” x 2-1/2”
Card Values: See Pricing Table Below
Eddie Waitkus was a slick-fielding, line-drive hitting first baseman whose Major League career spanned 11 seasons, but is often remembered for a tragic and bizarre incident that gained him national attention and inspired a famous novel.
Waitkus played for Chicago Cubs (1941, 1946–1948), Philadelphia Phillies (1949–1953, 1955), Baltimore Orioles (1954–1955). He played First Base and was a reliable defensive player and a solid left-handed hitter. He was named an NL All-Star twice (1948, 1949).
Waitkus’s career was interrupted by military service. He was an amphibious engineer in the U.S. Army during World War II, seeing heavy combat in the Pacific and earning four Bronze Stars.
The defining moment of his life and career occurred on June 14, 1949. While staying at a Chicago hotel with the Phillies, Waitkus was lured to a room and shot in the chest by Ruth Ann Steinhagen, a 19-year-old obsessed fan. The bullet barely missed his heart. Waitkus endured multiple operations but made a miraculous recovery. He returned to play the following season in 1950.
His 1950 season was perhaps his most memorable on the field. He was the leadoff hitter for the “Whiz Kids” Phillies team that won the National League pennant. Waitkus was named the Associated Press Comeback Player of the Year for his performance.
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Pricing Data For This Rookie Card
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