Growing up with watching the Yankees on T.V., I was very familiar
with former all-star first baseman Bill White, being that he was a
longtime announcer on channel 11 here in the NYC area for games along
with Phil Rizzuto.
As a matter of fact White would end up being a sort of fall-guy for
all of Rizzuto's hilarious antics, which made for some really funny
moments during the game.
Anyway, I always wanted to create a "Career Capper" for him in the 1970 set, just to have him creep into the 1970's.
So here you go:
White closed out a brilliant, if not shortened 13-year career in
1969, returning to the Cardinals, for whom he played between 1959 and
1965 and put together his best years as a big-league player.
In '69, he appeared in 49 games, hitting .211 with 12 hits over 57 official at-bats.
But when you take a good look at what he did over the eleven
seasons that he played full-time, you see an excellent, consistent
player who also played his position superbly.
At the plate White put together four 100-RBI seasons, reached 200
hits once (with two other 190+ hit years thrown in), clubbed 20+ homers
seven times, topped .300 four times and scored 100+ runs once.
Defensively, all White did was take home seven consecutive Gold
Glove Awards between 1960 to 1966, leading his league in fielding twice
along the way as well.
Admittedly I didn't know any of this as a young kid watching Yankee games at first.
Wasn't until I was bestowed with my first MacMillan Encyclopedia around 1979 that I was able to soak it all in.
I just remember him as a somewhat reserved guy who'd crack a joke
here and there while Rizzuto was running wild at the mouth with all of
his anecdotes.
