Joe Wilhoit

From SoSH

Contents 1 Overall Career 2 Wilhoit's Moments in the Sun 3 Trivia 4 Quotes 5 Transactions 6 External Links

Overall Career

Joseph William Wilhoit (born December 20, 1885 in Hiawatha, Kansas) had a 4 year major league career with the Boston Braves, Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Giants and Boston Red Sox.

A left-hand hitting, right-hand throwing outfielder, Wilhoit appeared in six games for the Red Sox in 1919, hitting .333 in 18 at-bats. He spent the remaining four summers of his career in the minor leagues.

In 283 games, Wilhoit hit .257 with 3 home runs and 73 RBI in 782 at-bats.

Wilhoit's Moments in the Sun

• Joe Wilhoit holds the record for hits in consecutive games in professional baseball. Playing in 1919 for Wichita in the Western League, Wilhoit hit in 69 consecutive games. The streak is kept alive in game 63 when Bert Graham, a third baseman for Omaha, in a show of sportsmanship, holds onto a bunt allowing Wilhoit to reach base safely. During the streak he collected 155 hits in 299 at bats for a robust .505 batting average. The previous record was 49 set by Oakland's Jack Ness (Pacific Coast League) in 1915.

Trivia

• Baseball America called Wilhoit's 69 game hit streak "the most significant on-field event" in the minor leagues in the 1911-1920 decade.
• The Red Sox signed Wilhoit the day after his hit streak came to an end.
• In his first 25 games with Wichita, Wilhoit hit just .198. He ended the season with a .422 average, best not only in the Western League that summer but in all of organized baseball. He also led the league in runs and hits.
• Spent the war season of 1918 with the New York Giants, alternating with Jim Thorpe as a fill-in outfielder.
• A year after his record-setting summer in Wichita, Joe began to prepare for life after baseball. He bought Gray's Trunk Shop in Santa Barbara, renaming it Wilhoit Luggage Shop. He joined the Elks Lodge and La Cumbre Golf and Country Club. And he continued his love of the outdoors, particularly hunting and fishing.

Quotes

• "Fans everyplace like Joe, as they prefer to call him. Joe is not a pugnacious player. He takes things easy and the fans, players and umps delight in praising his work. At Oklahoma City, Joplin and other towns where the team has appeared recently, the fans came out and rooted for Joe to add some more games to his streak." - The Wichita Eagle 1919.

Transactions

• July 10, 1917: Selected off waivers by the Pittsburgh Pirates from the Boston Braves.
• August 5, 1917: Selected off waivers by the New York Giants from the Pittsburgh Pirates.
• January 2, 1919: Traded by the New York Giants with Bill Kelly (minors), Waite Hoyt, Jack Ogden, Jose Rodriguez, and cash to Rochester (International League) for Earl Smith.

External Links

• Baseball-Reference.com - Career Statistics and Analysis
• Joe Wilhoit - The Wichita Wonder