Happy Birthday Ernie Whitt

Happy Birthday, Ernie Whitt, and a look back at a long major-league career that began when the Red Sox drafted him in the 15th round of 1972, one pick ahead of Jason Thompson. Blocked by Carlton Fisk, Whitt went unprotected in the 1976 expansion draft and was claimed by the Blue Jays, logging 41 at-bats in the franchise’s inaugural season and a handful of 1978 appearances before a full-year in the minors in 1979. He earned a regular big-league role at age 28 as the left-handed half of a catching platoon with Rob Davis, a development that set the stage for a productive run in Toronto.