Eddie Waitkus: The Natural

Eddie Waitkus was the Fred Astaire of first-basemens during his era because of his nimble defensive footwork and his impeccable grace around the bag. He was a solid, productive bat, finishing with a .285 average over his 11 year career with the Cubs, Phillies and Orioles. But that is not what he is most remembered for, if he is remembered at all. On June 14th, 1949, he is lured by an 18 year old obsessed fan named Ruth Ann Steinhagen to her hotel room, who has been quietly stalking him for three years while playing for the Cubs. She shoots the rising star in his stomach with a .22 caliber pistol. Waitkus' story is a cautionary tale, and it was immortalized loosely by Bernard Malamud's novel, "The Natural", which was later made into a hit movie in 1984, with actor Robert Redford playing the protagonist. The ups and downs of a baseball career that is culminated with him leading the 1950 Philadelphia Whiz Kid Phillies to the NL Pennant, after his miraculous recovery. #EddieWaitkus #ChicagoCubs #PhiladelphiaPhillies #BaltimoreOrioles #RussMeyer #BillNicholson #RuthAnnSteinhagen #BernardMalamud #TheNatural #RobertRedford #DizzyDean #TedWilliams