Dustin Eli Whiteside (born October 22, 1979) is an American former professional
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...
catcher
Catcher is a position in baseball and softball. When a batter takes their turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the ( home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to this primary duty, the ca ...
who is currently a roving catching instructor for the
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Y ...
. He stands tall, weighs . He batted and threw right-handed. He played in
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
(MLB) for the
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. As one of the American League's eight charter ...
,
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Y ...
, and
Chicago Cubs.
Whiteside attended
Delta State University
Delta State University (DSU) is a public university in Cleveland, Mississippi, a city in the Mississippi Delta.
History
The school was established in 1924 by the State of Mississippi, using the facilities of the former Bolivar County Agricult ...
before being drafted in the sixth round of the
2001 Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft by the Baltimore Orioles. He played in their organization through 2007, though he only played nine games in the major leagues with the Orioles, all coming in 2005. He signed with the
Minnesota Twins in 2008 but was released after playing for their
Triple-A team for a month. The San Francisco Giants then signed him, assigning him to the minor leagues. He was called up to be their backup catcher in May 2009, and he caught
Jonathan Sánchez
Jonathan Omar Sánchez (born November 19, 1982), nicknamed "The Kid" and "The Comeback Kid", is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball pitcher. He is one of only three Puerto Rican players to throw a no-hitter game in MLB, the others bein ...
's no-hitter on July 10. In 2010, he remained the backup catcher and was on the Giants' roster when they won the
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...
, despite not playing any playoff games.
After an injury to
Buster Posey
Gerald Dempsey "Buster" Posey III (born March 27, 1987) is an American former professional baseball catcher. Posey spent his entire twelve-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the San Francisco Giants, from 2009 until his retirement at ...
in May 2011, Whiteside split time catching with
Chris Stewart for the rest of the year. He lost the role of backup to
Héctor Sánchez in 2012 and appeared in just 12 games for the Giants during their second
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...
-winning season in three years. Following 2012, Whiteside was claimed off waivers multiple times by different clubs before finally winding up with the
Texas Rangers, who assigned him to their Triple-A team in 2013. In 2014, he competed for a spot on the Cubs' roster but was beaten out by
John Baker and sent to the minors.
Early life
Whiteside was born on October 22, 1979, in
New Albany,
Mississippi
Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...
. He was raised on an 80-acre farm that belonged to his grandfather. Whiteside attended W. P. Daniel High School, where he played both baseball and soccer before graduation in 1998.
He then spent three years at
Delta State University
Delta State University (DSU) is a public university in Cleveland, Mississippi, a city in the Mississippi Delta.
History
The school was established in 1924 by the State of Mississippi, using the facilities of the former Bolivar County Agricult ...
, majoring in business.
At Delta State, he was an All-American, an All-
Gulf South Conference
The Gulf South Conference (GSC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level, which operates in the Southeastern United States.
History
Originally known as the Mi ...
, and an All-Region player all three years with the baseball team, in which he batted .390/.440/.620. After his junior year in 2001, the
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. As one of the American League's eight charter ...
drafted Whiteside in the sixth round of the
Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft.
Professional career
Baltimore Orioles (2005)
Whiteside began his minor league career in 2001 with the
Single-A
Class A, also known as Single-A and sometimes as Low-A, is the fourth-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States, below Triple-A, Double-A, and High-A. There are 30 teams classified at the Single-A level, one for each ...
Delmarva Shorebirds
The Delmarva Shorebirds are a Minor League Baseball team based in Salisbury, Maryland. They are members of the Carolina League and the Single-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. Their home games are played at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium. The Shor ...
of the
South Atlantic League
The South Atlantic League, often informally called the Sally League, is a Minor League Baseball league with teams predominantly in states along the Atlantic coast of the United States from New York to Georgia. A Class A league for most of its ...
. In 61
games (212
at bats), he
batted .250 with 53
hits, seven
home run
In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...
s, and 28
runs batted in
A run batted in (RBI; plural RBIs ) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if the ba ...
(RBI).
He finished second on the club in home runs and had a
caught stealing percentage of 41%.
Next season, he played for both the
Single-A advanced Frederick Keys
The Frederick Keys are a collegiate summer baseball team of the MLB Draft League. The Keys are based in Frederick, Maryland. The franchise is named for "Star-Spangled Banner" writer Francis Scott Key, a native of Frederick County. A new team masc ...
of the
Carolina League
The Carolina League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated along the Atlantic Coast of the United States since 1945. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 unti ...
and the
Double-A Bowie Baysox of the
Eastern League. He spent most of the season with Frederick, batting .259 with 89 hits, eight home runs, and 42 RBI in 80 games (313 at bats). In 27 games (99 at bats) with Bowie, he hit .263 with 26 hits, two home runs, and 11 RBI. His combined totals for the two leagues were 107 hits, 10 home runs, and 53 RBI in 107 games (412 at bats).
Outside of a rehab assignment, Whiteside spent all of 2003 with Bowie. In 81 games (265 at bats), he batted .204 with 54 hits, one home run, and 23 RBI. Defensively, he had a .989
fielding percentage and threw out 37% of baserunners. In 2004, Whiteside again played with Bowie.
He had two-home-run games against the
Akron Aeros
The Akron RubberDucks are a Minor League Baseball team based in Akron, Ohio. The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. They play in Canal Park, located in downtown Akron, which seats 7,630 ...
on May 17 and the
Erie SeaWolves on July 28, finishing fourth in the Orioles' organization on the season with 18 home runs. He batted .279 before the Eastern League
All-Star break but hit just .206 afterwards.
In 90 games (297 at bats), he hit .253 with 75 hits. Defensively, he posted a .986 fielding percentage.
He batted .310 in away games as opposed to .187 in home games. Following the season, he played for the
Peoria Javelinas
The Peoria Javelinas are a baseball team that plays in the West Division of the Arizona Fall League. The Javelinas play their home games in the Peoria Sports Complex in Peoria, Arizona. The ballpark is also the spring training facility for the S ...
of the
Arizona Fall League
The Arizona Fall League (AFL) is an off-season sports league owned and operated by Major League Baseball (MLB) which operates during the autumn in Arizona, United States, at six different baseball complexes. Arizona Fall League rosters are fille ...
, batting .329 with 20 RBI in 18 games.
Whiteside moved up to the
Triple-A Ottawa Lynx
The Ottawa Lynx were a Minor League Baseball team that competed in the Triple-A International League (IL) from 1993 to 2007. The team's home field was Lynx Stadium in Ottawa, Ontario. Over 15 seasons, the team was an affiliate of the Montreal ...
of the
International League in 2005, and the Orioles signed veteran catcher
Sal Fasano to mentor him.
On July 4, Whiteside was called up by the Orioles after
Gerónimo Gil was placed on the
disabled list. He made his major league debut the next day, entering as a
defensive replacement for Fasano in a 12–3 loss to the
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one of ...
. Four days later, making his first major league start, he got his first hit, an RBI
single
Single may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Single (music), a song release
Songs
* "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004
* "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008
* "Single" (William Wei song), 2016
* "Single", by ...
against
Scott Cassidy
Scott Robert Cassidy (born October 3, 1975) is a former relief pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 2002 to 2006. Cassidy played with the Toronto Blue Jays (2002), Boston Red Sox (2005) and San Diego Padres (2005–2006). Before his pr ...
in a 9–1 victory over the
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eigh ...
. He appeared in six games and committed two throwing
errors, one of which was important. On July 19, he made a wild throw to second base on a stolen base attempt that put
Joe Mauer
Joseph Patrick Mauer (born April 19, 1983) is an American former professional baseball catcher and first baseman, who spent his entire 15-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the Minnesota Twins. A six-time All-Star, Mauer is the only c ...
in position to score the tying run from third on a
wild pitch
In baseball, a wild pitch (WP) is charged against a pitcher when his pitch is too high, too short, or too wide of home plate for the catcher to control with ordinary effort, thereby allowing a baserunner, or the batter (on an uncaught third str ...
in a 4–3 loss to the
Minnesota Twins. Whiteside was sent back to Ottawa on July 25 when
Javy López
Javier "Javy" López Torres (born November 5, 1970) is a Puerto Rican former catcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Atlanta Braves (1992–2003), Baltimore Orioles (2004–2006) and Boston Red Sox (2006). He batted and threw right-h ...
came off the disabled list. In 95 games (317 at bats) with Ottawa, Whiteside hit .233 with 74 hits, four home runs, and 27 RBI while posting a caught stealing percentage of 40%.
He was also called up in September, appearing in three more games. In nine games (12 at bats) with the Orioles, Whiteside had three hits and one RBI.
Whiteside was considered a "long shot" to make the Orioles' roster in 2006, but he remained in spring training with the Orioles until they made their final cuts on April 1 and sent him to Ottawa. On May 21, Whiteside had four RBI in a game against the
Rochester Red Wings, and he had back-to-back three-hit games against the
Norfolk Tides
The Norfolk Tides are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. They are located in Norfolk, Virginia, and are named in nautical reference to the city's location on the Chesapea ...
from July 23 through 24.
In 92 games (315 at bats) with Ottawa in 2006, Whiteside batted .244 with 77 hits, 11 home runs, and 47 RBI.
His batting average was .281 at home compared to .201 on the road.
In 2007, Whiteside attended spring training but was reassigned to the minors on March 27, coinciding with the Orioles' acquisition of
Alberto Castillo. Whiteside began the season with the Orioles' Triple-A affiliate, which was now the Norfolk Tides, but after he batted .180 in 18 games he was reassigned to Bowie on May 11. He spent time on the disabled list from June 18 through July 12 with a fractured right cheekbone. Upon returning, he had a seven-game
hitting streak
In baseball, a hitting streak is the number of consecutive official games in which a player appears and gets at least one base hit. According to the Official Baseball Rules, such a streak is not necessarily ended when a player has at least 1 pla ...
, but he was lost for the season on August 6 after suffering a concussion.
In 42 games (141 at bats) with Bowie, Whiteside hit .291 with 41 hits, four home runs, and 30 RBI.
After 2007, he filed for free agency, having played in only nine major league games during his seven years with the Orioles.
Minnesota Twins organization (2008)
On November 24, 2007, Whiteside signed a contract with the
Minnesota Twins for the 2008 season. He played in eight games with the
Rochester Red Wings of the International League, batting .167 before getting released on April 30 when
Ryan Jorgensen
Ryan Wayne Jorgensen (born May 4, 1979 in Jacksonville, Florida) is a former Major League Baseball catcher. He attended Kingwood High School and Louisiana State University.
Jorgensen was originally drafted by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the Major ...
returned from serving a suspension for performance-enhancing drugs.
San Francisco Giants (2009-2012)
Five days after getting released by the Twins, the
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Y ...
signed Whiteside.
He spent the rest of the year with the Triple-A
Fresno Grizzlies
The Fresno Grizzlies are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. They are located in Fresno, California, and play their home games at Chukchansi Park, which was opened in 2002 in d ...
of the
Pacific Coast League. In 49 games, the most by any catcher with Fresno in 2008, Whiteside batted .238 with 36 hits, two home runs, and 22 RBI. He had a .986 fielding percentage but only threw out seven percent of attempted base-stealers. In 57 games (175 at bats) between Rochester and Fresno, he hit .229 with 40 hits, three home runs, and 23 RBI.
The next season, Whiteside started the year at Fresno again, batting .241 with 28 hits, six home runs, and 24 RBI in 34 games (116 at bats).
However, after an elbow injury prevented
Pablo Sandoval
Pablo Emilio Sandoval Reyes (born August 11, 1986) is a Venezuelan-American professional baseball third baseman for the Olmecas de Tabasco of the Mexican League. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Francisco Giants, ...
from catching, the Giants called up Whiteside to be the backup catcher for
Bengie Molina on May 24, 2009.
The same day, he played his first major league game in four years (and his first for a
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team ...
team). He finished the game with a hit and an RBI in three at-bats.
Matt Cain
Matthew Thomas Cain (born October 1, 1984), nicknamed "The Horse", "Big Daddy", "Big Sugar" and "Cainer", is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played his entire Major League Baseball (MLB) career for the San Francisco Giants ...
said of Whiteside, "He's been great. He's a guy who definitely takes advantage of his days in between, when he's not catching, and asking what guys threw in situations and what the pitches were, so he isn't thrown into the fire the days he's starting. Even if he doesn't see a team, he's still figuring out how guys got them out. He's definitely always learning."
On July 10, 2009, Molina was scheduled to catch, but was unable to because he went to see his wife, who was having a baby. Whiteside caught in his place, and
Jonathan Sánchez
Jonathan Omar Sánchez (born November 19, 1982), nicknamed "The Kid" and "The Comeback Kid", is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball pitcher. He is one of only three Puerto Rican players to throw a no-hitter game in MLB, the others bein ...
, starting in place of the injured
Randy Johnson
Randall David Johnson (born September 10, 1963), nicknamed "The Big Unit", is an American photographer and former professional baseball pitcher who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (1988–2009) for six teams, primarily the Seattle M ...
, threw a
no-hitter against the
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penn ...
. When asked if he thought it was more unlikely for Sánchez to throw a no-hitter or for him to catch it, he said, "Probably me catching one."
He hit a
grand slam
Grand Slam most often refers to:
* Grand Slam (tennis), one player or pair winning all four major annual tournaments, or the tournaments themselves
Grand Slam or Grand slam may also refer to:
Games and sports
* Grand slam, winning category te ...
, his first Major League home run, against
Brian Moehler
Brian Merritt Moehler (born December 31, 1971) is a former starting pitcher.
Moehler pitched for the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He was selected by the Detroit Tigers in the sixth round of the 1993 draft, and assigned to the Ni ...
of the
Houston Astros in a 10–6 Giants' victory on August 5, 2009. He joined
Bobby Bonds,
Dave Kingman
David Arthur Kingman (born December 21, 1948), nicknamed "Kong," "King Kong," and "Sky King", is a former Major League Baseball left fielder, first baseman, third baseman, and designated hitter who was a three-time MLB All-Star with 442 career hom ...
,
Brandon Crawford
Brandon Michael Crawford (born January 21, 1987) is an American professional baseball shortstop for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball (MLB).
Crawford played college baseball for the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). H ...
and
Brian Dallimore as the only Giants to hit a grand slam for their first home run.
He finished the year with 29 hits in 49 games (126 at-bats), two home runs, and 13 RBI. Defensively, he posted a .993 fielding percentage while catching 39% of attempted base stealers.
In 2010, for the first time in his career, Whiteside made an
MLB
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
team out of
spring training. He served as Sánchez's personal catcher for much of the season, catching 19 of his starts. Following Molina's trade to the
Texas Rangers on June 30, Whiteside saw his playing time reduced as
Buster Posey
Gerald Dempsey "Buster" Posey III (born March 27, 1987) is an American former professional baseball catcher. Posey spent his entire twelve-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the San Francisco Giants, from 2009 until his retirement at ...
caught more and more games; Whiteside would only start six of the Giants' final 57 games.
He finished the regular season with a .238 batting average, appearing in 73 games. Though Whiteside did not appear in any playoff games, he was on the team's roster throughout the playoffs, earning his first career championship title after the Giants won the series against the Rangers.
In 2011, Whiteside again began the year as the backup catcher. However, following Posey's season-ending leg injury on May 25, 2011, he moved into a more prominent role, splitting starting time with
Chris Stewart. On June 22, he had two hits (including a triple) and a season-high three RBI in a 5–2 victory over the Twins. He had a season-high three hits on July 14 in a 12-inning, 6–2 victory over San Diego. From August 19 through August 25, he was on the seven-day disabled list with a concussion. In 82 games (213 at bats), Whiteside hit .197 with 42 hits, four home runs, and 17 RBI.
Defensively, he threw out 25% of attempted base stealers.
He was
non-tendered after the season and briefly became a free agent before being re-signed to a one-year deal with the Giants.
In 2012 spring training, Whiteside competed with Stewart for the backup catcher job. However, the Giants ultimately decided to give the role to prospect
Héctor Sánchez, a promising hitter who had been expected to start the season with Fresno to work on his defense. Stewart was traded to the Yankees and Whiteside was sent to Fresno. In 60 games (201 at bats) with Fresno, he hit .224 with 45 hits, one home run, and 20 RBI.
On July 18, 2012, Whiteside was called up from Fresno when Héctor Sánchez was placed on the disabled list, appearing in six games before being optioned back to Fresno on August 1 when Sánchez returned from the disabled list. He was then recalled on August 26 to be the third-string catcher. Whiteside appeared in 12 games with the Giants in 2012, having one hit (an RBI double) in 11 at bats.
He threw out three out of five attempted base stealers.
This time, he was left off the playoff roster as the Giants went on to win the
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...
in a four-game sweep against the
Detroit Tigers.
2012-13 offseason
Due to the emergence of Héctor Sánchez, Whiteside did not expect to return to the Giants after 2012. "I didn't really think I'd be back with the Giants. Love that team and love that organization. They've got a good thing going there. Good group of guys and I've enjoyed the time I've spent there."
On November 5, 2012, Whiteside was claimed off waivers by the
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one of ...
, agreeing to terms with them on a one-year contract worth $625,000 in the Major Leagues and $200,000 in the Minors on November 26. Just two days later, the Yankees designated Whiteside for assignment to make room for
Andy Pettitte
Andrew Eugene Pettitte (; born June 15, 1972) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), primarily for the New York Yankees. He also pitched for the Houston Astros. Pettitte won fiv ...
.
On December 3, he was claimed off waivers by the
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...
.
Texas Rangers organization (2013)
Nine days later, Whiteside was claimed off waivers by the
Texas Rangers. He was designated for assignment by the Rangers on January 3, 2013, and removed from the 40 man roster to make room for
Jason Frasor
Jason Andrew Frasor (born August 9, 1977) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He made his debut with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2004, and had a 4.08 ERA in 63 games. He also played in MLB for the Chicago White Sox, Texas Rangers, ...
. Whiteside cleared waivers the next day and was assigned to the Rangers' Triple-A affiliate
Round Rock Express
The Round Rock Express are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers. They are located in Round Rock, Texas, and play their home games at the Dell Diamond. The team is named ...
of the Pacific Coast League.
Whiteside attended 2013 spring training as a non-roster invitee, appearing in five games.
He played 2013 with the Round Rock Express, where he split time at catcher with
Robinson Chirinos
Robinson David Chirinos González (; born June 5, 1984) is a Venezuelan professional baseball catcher who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers, Houston Astros, New York ...
and
José Félix
José Heberto Félix (born June 28, 1988) is a Mexican professional baseball player for the Olmecas de Tabasco of the Mexican League. He was a mid-season all-star in the California League in 2010 and the Texas League in 2011.
Career
Felix began ...
. In 67 games (225 at bats) with the Express, he hit .187 with 5 home runs and 25 RBI.
On October 1, he filed for free agency.
Chicago Cubs
On November 15, 2013, Whiteside signed a minor league contract with the
Chicago Cubs, with an invitation to spring training.
He competed with
John Baker and
George Kottaras for the backup catcher role, and was assigned to the Triple-A
Iowa Cubs of the
Pacific Coast League on March 27 when Baker was given the role. His contract was selected from Iowa on June 3 when
Welington Castillo was placed on the disabled list. Whiteside appeared in eight games, batting .120.
He was designated for assignment on June 22 when Castillo returned from the disabled list, and sent outright to the Iowa Cubs on June 25. Whiteside elected free agency in October 2014.
Retirement
He signed a minor league contract with the
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The Braves were founded in Bos ...
during the off-season in 2015, but decided to retire instead.
He returned to the San Francisco Giants as a
bullpen catcher
The bullpen catcher is a member of a baseball team's staff, often a former professional player, who catches the ball for relief pitchers warming up before entering a game and starting pitchers before games. A bullpen catcher differentiates from a ...
.
Personal life
Whiteside married his high school sweetheart, Amy, in 2004. They have two sons: Whit and Wake who play soccer at TFC New albany.
Whiteside is easily recognized by his completely gray hair, which he said began to gray when he was in high school. Whiteside said, "I've come to terms with it. As long as it doesn't fall out, I'll be doing all right, I think."
After Whiteside won the
2010 World Series, his hometown of New Albany declared an "Eli Whiteside Day" and presented Whiteside with a key to the city.
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Whiteside, Eli
1979 births
Living people
Aberdeen IronBirds players
American expatriate baseball players in Canada
Baltimore Orioles players
Baseball coaches from Mississippi
Baseball players from Mississippi
Bowie Baysox players
Chicago Cubs players
Delmarva Shorebirds players
Frederick Keys players
Fresno Grizzlies players
Gulf Coast Orioles players
Iowa Cubs players
Major League Baseball catchers
Mesa Solar Sox players
Norfolk Tides players
Ottawa Lynx players
People from New Albany, Mississippi
Peoria Javelinas players
Rochester Red Wings players
Round Rock Express players
San Francisco Giants coaches
San Francisco Giants players