Waite Hoyt facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Waite Hoyt |
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| Pitcher | |||
| Born: September 9, 1899 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
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| Died: August 25, 1984 (aged 84) Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| July 24, 1918, for the New York Giants | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| May 15, 1938, for the Brooklyn Dodgers | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 237–182 | ||
| Earned run average | 3.59 | ||
| Strikeouts | 1,206 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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 Baseball Hall of Fame |
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| Induction | 1969 | ||
| Election Method | Veterans Committee | ||
Waite Charles Hoyt (born September 9, 1899 – died August 25, 1984) was a famous American pitcher in Major League Baseball. He played for seven different teams from 1918 to 1938. Waite Hoyt was one of the best pitchers in the 1920s, especially for the New York Yankees. He was later honored by being inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1969.
Contents
Early Life and Beginnings
Waite Hoyt was born in Brooklyn, New York. His parents were Addison and Louise Benedum Hoyt. He went to Erasmus Hall High School in his hometown.
Baseball Career Highlights
Even though he was a big fan of the Dodgers, Waite Hoyt signed his first professional contract with the New York Giants. He was only 15 years old at the time! Because he was so young, people started calling him "the Schoolboy Wonder."
After a short time with the Giants, Hoyt went to play in the minor leagues to get more experience. He soon returned to the major leagues with the Boston Red Sox. His great pitching caught the eye of the New York Yankees, who signed him in 1920.
Playing for the Yankees
In his first year with the Yankees, Hoyt won 19 games. He also pitched three complete games in the 1921 World Series without letting the other team score any earned runs. During his time in baseball, he helped the Yankees win six American League championships. He also won one championship with the Philadelphia Athletics.
His best years with the Yankees were 1927 and 1928.
- In 1927, he won 22 games and lost 7. His earned run average (ERA) was 2.64, which is very good.
- In 1928, he won 23 games and lost 7. His ERA was 3.36.
Over his 21-year career, Waite Hoyt won 10 or more games 12 times. Eleven of those times were in a row!
Later Career and Retirement
In May 1930, the Yankees traded Hoyt to the Detroit Tigers. He continued to pitch for eight more years after leaving the Yankees. However, he didn't pitch as dominantly as he had in his earlier years.
Waite Hoyt finished his career with 237 wins and 182 losses. His career ERA was 3.59. When he retired in 1938, he had won the most games in World Series history. His World Series record with the Yankees and A's was 6 wins and 4 losses.
Hoyt played with many future Hall of Fame players. He had 36 teammates who later joined him in the Hall of Fame. As of 2009, no other Hall of Famer has played with more Hall of Fame teammates.
Beyond Baseball: Other Talents
Besides being known as "the Schoolboy Wonder," Waite Hoyt also had another nickname: "the Merry Mortician." This was because when he wasn't playing baseball, he worked as a funeral director. At night, he would perform in vaudeville shows.
A Man of Many Talents
In vaudeville, he performed with many famous entertainers like Jack Benny, Jimmy Durante, and George Burns. To stay in shape during the off-season, he played semi-professional basketball. He also became a talented painter and writer.
Life as a Broadcaster
After he stopped playing baseball, Waite Hoyt started a new career in broadcasting. He worked for radio stations in New York City.
Becoming a Sports Announcer
At first, some people thought former players might not be good broadcasters because they didn't have a big vocabulary. But Hoyt was known for his clever way with words.
Red Barber, a famous Dodgers announcer, saw Hoyt's talent and hired him in 1940. Hoyt started by doing commentary and hosting pre- and post-game shows. After two years, he became the main play-by-play voice for the Cincinnati Reds. He held this job for 24 years! He became just as famous as a Reds announcer as he was a player.
Hoyt was known for his unique style of calling games. Most announcers would say, "Here's the pitch!" But Hoyt would say, "There was the pitch!" He felt this was more accurate because what happened a moment ago was already in the past.
Remembering Babe Ruth
On August 16, 1948, during a Reds game, Hoyt learned that his friend Babe Ruth had passed away. After the game, Hoyt spoke on the air for two hours without notes, honoring Ruth. They had been teammates from 1921 to 1930, and Ruth considered Hoyt a close friend. Many people believed Hoyt was the best person to talk about Ruth.
Hoyt also helped broadcast the 1953 Major League Baseball All-Star Game and the second 1960 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. He called the 1961 World Series for NBC Radio. The 1961 World Series was the only time the Reds made it to the championship during his time as their announcer. The Reds often didn't finish at the top of their division, which led Hoyt to jokingly call himself "a bad news broadcaster."
Storyteller and Hall of Famer
Waite Hoyt was famous for entertaining radio listeners during rain delays. He would share funny stories and vivid memories from his playing days. Some of these stories were even put on record albums! He was one of the first athletes to have a very successful career in broadcasting. His name often appears on lists of the best sports announcers ever.
He retired from full-time broadcasting in 1965. However, he still made appearances on radio and TV. In 2007, the Reds honored Hoyt, along with other announcers, with replica microphones hung at their ballpark.
Hall of Fame Induction
Waite Hoyt was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1969. This honor recognized his amazing career as a baseball player.
Personal Life
Waite Hoyt married Dorothy Pyle in 1922, but they later divorced. He then married Ellen Burbank, who passed away in 1982.
His last marriage was to Betty Derie in 1983. Betty was a longtime baseball fan. She lived in Cincinnati until her death in 2015. A video biography called Waite's World features interviews with his son and other people who knew him.
Waite Hoyt was sober for over 40 years. He passed away from heart failure in 1984 while getting ready for a visit to the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. He is buried in Spring Grove Cemetery in Cincinnati.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball career wins leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual saves leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual wins leaders
