Eddie Waitkus shot...
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June 16, 1949
THE DETROIT NEWS, Detroit, Michigan, June 16, 1949
* Eddie Waitkus shooting
* Philadelphia Phillies - MLB baseball
* Ruth Ann Steinhagen arrest
This 72 page newspaper has one column headlines on page 4: "Girl Assailant Faces Court" and "Shows No Sorrow for Shooting Ball Player".
Other news of the day throughout. Rag edition in some small binding holes along the spine, otherwise in very nice condition.
wikipedia notes: Eddie began his pro career in 1938 playing for the Worumbo Indians, a semi-pro team sponsored by Worumbo Woolen Mill in Lisbon Falls, Maine.
He was elected to the National League All-Star team twice (1948 and 1949).
Eddie Waitkus, the son of Lithuanian immigrants, grew up in Boston. He saw some of the bloodiest fighting of World War II with the U.S. Army in the Philippines, earning four Bronze Stars. Upon his return to baseball he quickly became a star for the Chicago Cubs. He also became a popular media figure, as he was well-educated and could speak several languages.
Just a few years into the start of what seemed a very promising career, Waitkus was shot in the chest by Ruth Ann Steinhagen, an obsessed fan, on June 14, 1949, at the Edgewater Beach Hotel in Chicago. Steinhagen had become infatuated with him when he was a Cub, but seeing him every day in-season apparently kept her obsession in check. Once he was traded to the Phillies and would only be in Chicago 11 games in the season, her obsession grew to dangerous proportions. She checked into the hotel using the alias of a former high school classmate of his, and left a note at the desk asking him to come to her hotel room on an urgent matter. She then shot him with a rifle, the bullet barely missing his heart. He nearly died several times on the operating table before the bullet was successfully removed. Steinhagen never stood trial, but instead was confined to a mental institution. Steinhagen's obsession and stalking was covered at length in one of the Fireside Book of Baseball entries.
On the night of August 19, 1949, the Phillies held "Eddie Waitkus Night" at Shibe Park and showered Waitkus with gifts. Waitkus was in uniform for the first time since he was shot in Chicago.
* Eddie Waitkus shooting
* Philadelphia Phillies - MLB baseball
* Ruth Ann Steinhagen arrest
This 72 page newspaper has one column headlines on page 4: "Girl Assailant Faces Court" and "Shows No Sorrow for Shooting Ball Player".
Other news of the day throughout. Rag edition in some small binding holes along the spine, otherwise in very nice condition.
wikipedia notes: Eddie began his pro career in 1938 playing for the Worumbo Indians, a semi-pro team sponsored by Worumbo Woolen Mill in Lisbon Falls, Maine.
He was elected to the National League All-Star team twice (1948 and 1949).
Eddie Waitkus, the son of Lithuanian immigrants, grew up in Boston. He saw some of the bloodiest fighting of World War II with the U.S. Army in the Philippines, earning four Bronze Stars. Upon his return to baseball he quickly became a star for the Chicago Cubs. He also became a popular media figure, as he was well-educated and could speak several languages.
Just a few years into the start of what seemed a very promising career, Waitkus was shot in the chest by Ruth Ann Steinhagen, an obsessed fan, on June 14, 1949, at the Edgewater Beach Hotel in Chicago. Steinhagen had become infatuated with him when he was a Cub, but seeing him every day in-season apparently kept her obsession in check. Once he was traded to the Phillies and would only be in Chicago 11 games in the season, her obsession grew to dangerous proportions. She checked into the hotel using the alias of a former high school classmate of his, and left a note at the desk asking him to come to her hotel room on an urgent matter. She then shot him with a rifle, the bullet barely missing his heart. He nearly died several times on the operating table before the bullet was successfully removed. Steinhagen never stood trial, but instead was confined to a mental institution. Steinhagen's obsession and stalking was covered at length in one of the Fireside Book of Baseball entries.
On the night of August 19, 1949, the Phillies held "Eddie Waitkus Night" at Shibe Park and showered Waitkus with gifts. Waitkus was in uniform for the first time since he was shot in Chicago.
Category: The 20th Century
