George Witt (baseball) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Red Witt |
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Witt with the Hollywood Stars c. 1957
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| Pitcher | |||
| Born: November 9, 1931 Long Beach, California, U.S. |
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| Died: January 30, 2013 (aged 81) Laguna Beach, California, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| September 21, 1957, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| June 10, 1962, for the Houston Colt .45s | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 11–16 | ||
| Earned run average | 4.32 | ||
| Strikeouts | 156 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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George Adrian "Red" Witt (November 9, 1931 – January 30, 2013) was an American professional baseball player. He was a right-handed pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB). Red Witt played for six seasons, from 1957 to 1962. His teams included the Pittsburgh Pirates, Los Angeles Angels, and Houston Colt .45s.
Red Witt was born in Long Beach, California. He was quite tall for a baseball player, standing 6 feet 3 inches (191 cm) tall. He also weighed 185 pounds (84 kg). He went to college at California State University, Long Beach.
Contents
Red Witt's Baseball Journey
Starting His Career
Red Witt began his baseball career in 1950. He first joined the Brooklyn Dodgers team organization. Later, in 1954, the Pittsburgh Pirates chose him to join their team.
In 1957, Witt played for the Hollywood Stars. This was a top team in the Pacific Coast League. He had a great year, winning 18 games and only losing seven. This good performance helped him get noticed by the Pirates.
Big League Moments
Red Witt had two strong seasons with the Pirates in 1958 and 1959. In 1958, he helped the Pittsburgh Pirates have a winning season. This was their first winning season in ten years! He had a great record of 9 wins and 2 losses. His earned run average (ERA) was also very low at 1.61. An ERA shows how many runs a pitcher allows per game. He started 15 games and finished five of them all by himself. He even pitched three shutouts, meaning the other team scored no runs while he was pitching.
However, in 1959, Red Witt had some trouble. He had a sore elbow, which is tough for a pitcher. He only played in 15 games that year. He lost all seven of his games. In 1960, he spent some time playing in the minor leagues again.
World Series Champion
Even with his elbow issues, Red Witt played for the 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates. This team became the National League and World Series champions! He played in ten games for them, starting six of them.
In the World Series, Witt pitched in three games. These were Games 2, 3, and 6. These games were big wins for the New York Yankees. Even though he didn't allow any runs himself, some players who were already on base when he came in did score. It was still exciting to be part of a World Series winning team!
Final Seasons and Life After Baseball
Red Witt played for three more seasons after 1960. He split his time between minor league teams and the big leagues. He played for the Pirates, Angels, and Colt .45s.
In his full MLB career, he had 11 wins and 16 losses. His earned run average (ERA) was 4.32. He also had 156 strikeouts. He pitched a total of 229 innings in 66 games.
After his baseball career, Red Witt became a teacher. He taught physical education and science at Tustin High School in Tustin, California. He also coached baseball and tennis there. He even led groups of high school students on trips to Europe. On these trips, they learned about different government systems.
