Lou Whitaker played his entire 19 years in Major League Baseball as second baseman with the Detroit Tigers. He is best known for pairing with shortstop Alan Trammell to create one of the best double play combinations in baseball history.

Trammell is in the baseball Hall of Fame. Whitaker is not. The Modern Era Committee had a chance to change that late last year, but did not vote Whitaker into the hall. Still, Tiger fans remain optimistic that Whitaker, like Ted Simmons this year, will make the hall as people continue to reevaluate his career.

Ted Simmons' MLB Career

Whitaker certainly deserves another chance when the committee convenes in 2022. Whitaker played exceptionally well for many years at a key defensive position. He also has above-average offensive numbers, especially for a career second baseman.

Whitaker’s Early Life

Whitaker, born May 12, 1957 in New York City, spent most of his childhood in Virginia, where his mother moved to be with family. He never knew his father, who he is named after, and stopped using “Jr.” in his name at a young age.

Whitaker played baseball starting at the age of 10, and by the time he was a senior in high school, scouts with the Tigers had identified him as a talented player and pitcher. He signed with the Tigers and started his journey toward the big leagues in 1975, playing for the Bristol Pirates. In 1976, he joined the Class A Lakeland Tigers where he played third base and had a strong year at the plate.

Paired With Alan Trammell

In 1976, Whitaker and Trammell first met during the Fall Instructional League in St. Petersburg. Whitaker, at the team’s request, had started to make the switch to second base (he wasn’t too keen on it at first, but took to the position quickly). The pair hit it off both on and off the field.

In 1977, Whitaker and Trammell played together for the  Montgomery Rebels of the Double-A Southern League, where they became close friends.  Later that year, Whitaker was a September call-up to the big club. He played in 11 games, hitting .250, stealing two bases and knocking in two runs. But it was the next year, 1978, which would be his coming out party.

Lou Whitaker MLB Career

In 1978, the Tigers decided to make Whitaker the starting second baseman, replacing Tito Fuentes, who the Tigers traded to the Montreal Expos (Fuentes ended up in Oakland for his final season in the majors). Trammell also became the starter in 1978, replacing Mark Wagner.

Whitaker had a strong campaign, hitting .285 and scoring 71 runs. He was named American League Rookie of the Year by the Baseball Writers Association of America.

In 1979, George “Sparky” Anderson became the Tigers manager, which would lead to success for both Whitaker and the Tigers. After a failed experiment hitting leadoff in 1980, Whitaker returned to that spot in 1982 and flourished. He hit 15 home runs and had an average of .286.

That season was the start of Whitaker’s best years. In 1983, he hit .320 and was named to the first of five All-Star teams. He won a Silver Slugger award. In 1984, he won a second Silver Slugger, hit .289 and scored 90 runs. The Tigers won the World Series, beating the San Diego Padres. Whitaker hit .286 in the series, scoring six runs and hitting two doubles.

He won two more Silver Slugger awards in 1985 and 1987, and was named to the All-Star team every year from 1983 to 1987. In 1995, he decided to retire, even though he had offers from the Tigers and other teams to keep playing. Whitaker was only 38 years old in his last season.

The Case For Whitaker in the Hall

Whitaker retired with a lifetime .276 batting average, 2,369 hits, 1,386 runs, 1,084 RBIs, 244 home runs and 143 stolen bases. Rogers Hornsby and Joe Morgan are the only other second basemen to score 1,000 runs and also have 1,000 RBIs, 2,000 hits and 200 home runs.

As impressive as that is, Whitaker also retired with a .984 fielding percentage, all at the extremely difficult position of second base. He won three Gold Gloves. He also had a stellar .363 on-base percentage.

However, it’s only been in the last two decades that on-base percentage and great fielding have been so highly valued. Whitaker also has a 75.1 WAR (wins against replacement), which is higher than the average WAR of 69.4 held by second basemen already in the hall of fame.

Although he did not make the hall this year, fans of Whitaker and the Tigers still can look forward to the Tigers retiring his No. 1 jersey in the 2020 season.

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Since retirement, Whitaker spent many years as a hitting instructor for the Tiger. Otherwise, he has lived quietly with his family in Lakeland, Florida.