Whitey Wistert facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Whitey Wistert |
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| Pitcher | |||
| Born: February 20, 1912 | |||
| Died: April 23, 1985 (aged 73) | |||
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| debut | |||
| September 11, 1934, for the Cincinnati Reds | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 25, 1934, for the Cincinnati Reds | |||
| Career statistics (through Career) |
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| Win-Loss | 0–1 | ||
| Earned run average | 1.13 | ||
| Strikeouts | 1 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
| Big Ten MVP, Baseball, 1934 | |||
Francis Michael "Whitey" Wistert was born on February 20, 1912, in Chicago, Illinois. He passed away on April 23, 1985, in Painesville, Ohio. Whitey Wistert was a talented American football and baseball player. He played college football for the University of Michigan Wolverines.
Whitey was added to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1967. He and his two brothers are very special. They are three of only seven players whose uniform numbers have been retired by Michigan Wolverines football. While at college, Wistert helped Michigan win the Big Ten Conference football championship three times: in 1931, 1932, and 1933. He was also named the Big Ten Most Valuable Player in college baseball. Later, he even played for the Cincinnati Reds in Major League Baseball.
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College Sports Star
Wistert finished high school at Chicago's Schurz High School in 1929. He then went to the University of Michigan. There, he was a top athlete in both football and baseball. He played these sports from 1931 to 1933.
The Amazing Wistert Brothers
Whitey Wistert played for the Michigan Wolverines before his two younger brothers, Al Wistert and Alvin Wistert, did. All three Wistert brothers wore the number 11 jersey for the Wolverines football team. And all three were chosen for the College Football All-America team. This team features the very best college players from all over the United States.
In 2004, his brother Alvin Wistert was interviewed by the Detroit News. Alvin said something amazing about their family. He believed it was a first in college football history. Three brothers all went to the same school. They all played football. They all played the tackle position. They all wore the same number 11. And they all became All-Americans! Alvin also shared that two of them played on four national championship teams. All three brothers made it into the College Football Hall of Fame.
The Wistert brothers grew up in Chicago. Their family came from Lithuania. Their father was a Spanish-American War veteran. He later passed away while working for the Chicago Police Department. Alvin Wistert explained that their father's original name was Casmir Vistertus. He changed it to Wistert when he came to America.
The Wistert brothers' story at Michigan began with Whitey. His high school friend, John Kowalik, was invited to visit the University of Michigan. At that time, Whitey Wistert was working in a factory. He was building "Majestic radios." Kowalik took Whitey with him on his visit to Ann Arbor, Michigan. Alvin Wistert later said, "that's how it started: the Wisterts of Michigan."
Football Achievements
As a football player, Wistert was part of National Championship teams in 1932 and 1933. These teams never lost a game! He was also chosen as an All-American in 1933. The 1934 University of Michigan yearbook, the Michiganensian, praised Wistert. It quoted Grantland Rice, a famous sportswriter. Rice said Wistert was chosen as the best tackle in the Middle-West that year. He was a very important part of Michigan's defensive line. He was a great tackler. It was almost impossible to trick him with special plays. He was smart, quick, and accurate at figuring out what plays would happen. Wistert and Chuck Bernard led the offensive line in 1933. That team had a great record of 7 wins, 0 losses, and 1 tie. The tie was against the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers.
One of Wistert's teammates on the 1932 and 1933 Michigan football teams was Gerald Ford. Ford later became the U.S. President. In a 1974 interview, Wistert spoke about Ford. He said Ford was a very good competitor. He was like a "bulldog." Even in a losing year, his teammates voted him Most Valuable Player. They believed he was someone who would always fight hard. In 1936, Wistert was a member of Coach Harry Kipke's Michigan football coaching staff.
Baseball Career
Wistert earned special awards called varsity letters in baseball for three years. He was chosen as the Most Valuable Player in the Big Ten Conference in 1934. The 1934 Michiganensian yearbook wrote about the final baseball game of the season. It was a 4–0 shutout by Wistert against the University of Chicago Maroon team. The yearbook said Wistert only allowed five hits during the game. Even though he walked four players, he made up for it by striking out nine of the Maroons. Wistert also pitched a game against Ohio State where he only allowed four hits.
Playing Professional Baseball
Whitey Wistert played for a short time in Major League Baseball. He played in three games for the Cincinnati Reds in September 1934. In the two times he pitched, Wistert only allowed one run in eight innings. This gave him a very low career earned run average of 1.13. However, in the three times he batted, he did not hit the ball and struck out twice. Even though his Major League career was short, Wistert played five years of professional baseball. His teammate from the 1933 Michigan Wolverines football team, Ted Petoskey, also started playing for the Reds in September 1934.
Honors and Recognition
Wistert became part of the College Football Hall of Fame in 1967. This was one year before his brother Albert received the same honor. In 1981, Whitey was named to the University of Michigan Hall of Honor. He joined in the fourth group of people to receive this award, along with his brothers. Only five other Michigan football players had earned this honor before him.
Life After Sports
After he stopped playing sports, Whitey Wistert became a New York lawyer. He later became a vice president of a company that dealt with industrial relations in Toledo, Ohio. During World War II, he served as a United States Navy lieutenant.
