Waite Hoyt

Career

Waite Hoyt was a lifelong Dodgers fan, but at age 15 he signed his first professional contract with the New York Giants, thanks to manager John McGraw and a man named Ernie Stanton who helped him land the gig. His youth earned him the nickname "the Schoolboy Wonder." McGraw sent him to the minors to develop, and after a short time with the Giants, Hoyt returned to the big leagues with the Boston Red Sox. His strong play there caught the Yankees' eye, and they picked him up in 1920.

That first season in pinstripes, he won 19 games and threw three complete games in the World Series without giving up a single earned run. Over his career, he won six American League pennants with the Yankees and one more with the Philadelphia Athletics. His best years came in 1927 and 1928, when he went 22-7 with a 2.64 ERA and 23-7 with a 3.36 ERA. Across 21 seasons, he won at least 10 games 12 times, including 11 straight years.

In May 1930, the Yankees traded Hoyt and Mark Koenig to the Detroit Tigers for Ownie Carroll, Harry Rice, and Yats Wuestling. He pitched for eight more seasons after leaving New York, but he never again reached the same level of dominance. He finished his career with a 237-182 record and a 3.59 ERA.

When he retired in 1938, he held the record for most World Series wins, going 6-4 for the Yankees and A's. At the plate, he hit .198 with 255 hits, 96 runs, 100 RBIs, and 40 walks. In the field, he posted a .966 fielding percentage, nine points above the league average for his position.

Additional/concurrent careers

Hoyt played with 36 future Hall of Famers during his career, and as of 2009, no other Hall of Famer had more Hall of Fame teammates. His Hall of Fame plaque includes the "Schoolboy" nickname, but he was also called "the Merry Mortician." That's because when he wasn't on the mound, he worked as a funeral director during the day and performed in vaudeville at night. He shared the stage with stars like Jack Benny, Jimmy Durante, and George Burns. To stay in shape during the offseason, he played semi-professional basketball.

Personal life

Hoyt’s first marriage, to Dorothy Pyle, began in 1922 and ended in divorce a decade later. He then wed Ellen Burbank, who passed away on November 23, 1982. His final marriage was to Betty Derie on March 5, 1983. Derie, a devoted fan, worked with Warren Giles—the first President of the Cincinnati Reds and later the National League.

She remained in Cincinnati until her death on December 25, 2015, and gave extensive interviews for the VHS biography Waite’s World, released in 1997 and directed by Donn Burrows. That video features his son Chris, broadcaster Joe Nuxhall, reporter Nick Clooney, and pitcher Jim O’Toole. A longtime member of Alcoholics Anonymous, Hoyt remarked during the 1978 Old-Timers’ Day game that he might have reached 300 wins had he quit drinking during his career.

He stayed sober for over 40 years after joining AA. Hoyt died of heart failure as he prepared for what he knew would be his last trip to the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. He is buried in Spring Grove Cemetery in Cincinnati.