Wes Westrum Would Have Been 93 Today
Saturday, November 28, 2015 at 8:30:00 AM |
| Wesley Noreen Westrum (November 28, 1922 – May 28, 2002) played 11 years for the New York Giants. |
"How baseball is like a church -- many attend but few understand." - Wes Westrum
Today would have been Wes Westrum's 93rd birthday.
Wesley Noreen Westrum (November 28, 1922 – May 28, 2002) played 11 seasons (from 1947 to 1957) as a Major League catcher for the New York Giants. He was an integral part of the Giants' incredible 1951 pennant race and there during the famous Shout Heard 'Round the World -- a three-run homer hit by Bobby Thomson in the bottom of the ninth during the final playoff game against the Brooklyn Dodgers.
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| The very first issue of Sports Illustrated. August 16, 1954. |
Wes Westrum, catching for the Giants, was featured on the cover of the very first issue of Sports Illustrated along with Edie Mathews -- at bat for the Milwaukee Braves, on August 16, 1954.
Known as a superb defensive catcher, Westrum held the National League record for the highest fielding percentage by a catcher (.999) until 1997 when it was broken by Charles Johnson.
Westrum became the second manager for the New York Mets in 1965. He also served as a coach and scout during his memorable career.
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