Steve Whitaker (whitast02)
From BR Bullpen
Steven Herbert Whitaker
- Bats Left, Throws Left
- Height 6' 6", Weight 225 lb.
- School Merced Junior College, Long Beach State University
- Born April 15, 1970 in Grand Forks, ND USA
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Pitcher Steve Whitaker was selected by the San Francisco Giants with a supplemental first round pick (33rd overall, compensation for the loss of Brett Butler to free agency) in the first round of the 1991 amateur draft out of Long Beach State University. As a college senior, he had gone 11-3 with a 2.83 ERA, fifth in the Big West Conference and made the All-Conference team.
Sent directly to A ball, Whitaker was 2-1 with a 3.38 ERA and 25/21 BB/SO in 29 IP for the San Jose Giants in 1991. With San Jose again in 1992, he led the club in GS (26), going 8-9, 4.19 ERA with 86/83 BB/SO in 148 IP. Whitaker spent most of 1993 in San Jose also, going 8-10, 3.82 ERA with 114/94 BB/SO in 127 IP. He pitched 4 games for the Shreveport Captains going 1-0 1.08 with 7/12 BB/SO in 8 IP. In 1994, Whitaker led Shreveport in GS and IP, with a record of 11-8, 3.38, and finally controlling walks a bit - 68/108 BB/SO in 155 IP. He was sixth in the Texas League in ERA that year. Whitaker split 1995 between Shreveport and the Phoenix Firebirds - 2-0, 3.86 10/10 in 16 IP at Shreveport and 0-5, 7.00, 36/30 in 54 IP at Phoenix. In 1996, Steve was with the El Paso Diablos in the Milwaukee Brewers organization and had a 11-7, 4.58 season. The tall left-hander was two wins behind the league leader.
He finished his career with a 4-3, 5.28 campaign for the 1998 Sonoma County Crushers.
Sources include Baseball Almanacs from 1992-1993, 1997 and 1999 and the 1995 Baseball Guide
