Possum Whitted
Encyclopedia
George Bostic "Possum" Whitted (February 4, 1890 – October 16, 1962) was an Outfielder
and Third Baseman
for the St. Louis Cardinals
(1912–14), Boston Braves
(1914), Philadelphia Phillies
(1915–19), Pittsburgh Pirates
(1919–21) and Brooklyn Robins
(1922).
Whitted was born in Durham, North Carolina
.
In 1914
, Whitted was a member of the Braves team that went from last place to first place in two months, becoming the first team to win a pennant
after being in last place on the Fourth of July. The team then went on to defeat Connie Mack's
heavily-favored Philadelphia Athletics
in the 1914 World Series
.
He played for the Phillies
in 1915, which won the National League
Pennant.
In 11 seasons he played in 1,025 Games and had 3,630 At Bats, 440 Runs, 978 Hits, 145 Doubles, 60 Triples, 23 Home Runs, 451 RBI, 116 Stolen Bases, 215 Walks, .269 Batting Average, .313 On-base percentage, .361 Slugging Percentage, 1,312 Total Bases and 180 Sacrifice Hits.
He died in Wilmington, North Carolina
at the age of 72 from complications from a hip injury sustained in a fall.
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
and Third Baseman
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
for the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
(1912–14), Boston Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
(1914), Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
(1915–19), Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
(1919–21) and Brooklyn Robins
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
(1922).
Whitted was born in Durham, North Carolina
Durham, North Carolina
Durham is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the county seat of Durham County and also extends into Wake County. It is the fifth-largest city in the state, and the 85th-largest in the United States by population, with 228,330 residents as of the 2010 United States census...
.
In 1914
1914 Boston Braves season
The 1914 Boston Braves was a season in American baseball. The team finished first in the National League, winning the pennant by 10½ games over the New York Giants...
, Whitted was a member of the Braves team that went from last place to first place in two months, becoming the first team to win a pennant
Pennant (sports)
A pennant is a commemorative flag typically used to show support for a particular athletic team. Pennants have been historically used in all types of athletic levels: high school, collegiate, professional etc. Traditionally, pennants were made of felt and fashioned in the official colors of a...
after being in last place on the Fourth of July. The team then went on to defeat Connie Mack's
Connie Mack (baseball)
Cornelius McGillicuddy, Sr. , better known as Connie Mack, was an American professional baseball player, manager, and team owner. The longest-serving manager in Major League Baseball history, he holds records for wins , losses , and games managed , with his victory total being almost 1,000 more...
heavily-favored Philadelphia Athletics
1914 Philadelphia Athletics season
The Philadelphia Athletics season was a season in American baseball. It involved the A's finishing first in the American League with a record of 99 wins and 53 losses...
in the 1914 World Series
1914 World Series
In the 1914 World Series, the Boston Braves beat the Philadelphia Athletics in a four-game sweep.A contender for greatest upset of all time, the "Miracle Braves" were in last place on July 4, then roared on to win the National League pennant by games and sweep the stunned Athletics...
.
He played for the Phillies
1915 Philadelphia Phillies season
The Philadelphia Phillies season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Phillies winning the National League, then going on to lose the 1915 World Series to the Boston Red Sox. This was the team's first pennant since joining the league in...
in 1915, which won the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
Pennant.
In 11 seasons he played in 1,025 Games and had 3,630 At Bats, 440 Runs, 978 Hits, 145 Doubles, 60 Triples, 23 Home Runs, 451 RBI, 116 Stolen Bases, 215 Walks, .269 Batting Average, .313 On-base percentage, .361 Slugging Percentage, 1,312 Total Bases and 180 Sacrifice Hits.
He died in Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington is a port city in and is the county seat of New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. The population is 106,476 according to the 2010 Census, making it the eighth most populous city in the state of North Carolina...
at the age of 72 from complications from a hip injury sustained in a fall.