Dick Wakefield
University of Michigan star Dick Wakefield was the first big bonus baby signed by the Detroit Tigers. 20-year old Wakefield, a hard-hitting outfielder, received $50,000 to ink with the Bengals in 1941. In 1943, his rookie season, Wakefield lived up to the hype, leading the American League with 38 doubles and 200 hits, while batting .316 to finish second in the batting race. He was having an even better season in 1944, hitting .355 with more power at mid-season, when he enlisted in the U.S. Navy. When he returned to the big leagues in 1946, he was not the same player, never hitting over .283, and was out of the game at the age of 31.
Played For
Detroit Tigers (1941-1949)
New York Yankees (1950)
New York Giants (1952)
Best Season: 1943
He finished second to Luke Appling in the Al Batting race: .328 to .316.
Factoids
The $50,000 that Dick Wakefield received to sign with the Detroit Tigers in 1941, is equivalent to $500,000 in 2005 dollars.
Born
Richard Cummings Wakefield was born on May 6, 1921, in Chicago, IL.
Died
August 26, 1985, Redford, MI
Batted: Left
Threw: Right
Primary Position: OF
Primary Team: DET
Major League Debut
June 26, 1941
Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1941
Stan Musial
Phil Rizzuto
Bob Lemon
Vern Stephens
Dave Philley
Jim Hegan
Danny Murtaugh
Dick Wakefield
Virgil Trucks
Hitting Streaks
21 games (1943)
Transactions
June 21, 1941: Signed by the Detroit Tigers as an amateur free agent.
December 17, 1949: Traded by the Detroit Tigers to the New York Yankees for Dick Kryhoski.
April 15, 1952: Signed as a Free Agent with the New York Giants.
May 19, 1952: Released by the New York Giants.
Wakefield's record signing bonus was like an albatross around his neck. He was loved by Tiger fans in 1943 and 1944, when he hit well over .300 and wa sone of the best players in the league. But when he returned from militarys ervice in 1946, his struggles brought boos and catcalls. It's probable that the youngster feasted on poor World War II pitching in '43 and '44, and settled down to his talent level when the ballplayers returned after the war. After so much promise as a stud off the Ann Arbor campus, he hit .293 in 638 games, with 56 homers and 315 RBI.
All-Star Selections
1943 AL
Replaced
Left fielder Barney McCosky, who went into the military in 1943.
Replaced By
Hoot Evers
Best Strength as a Player
Hitting to all fields
Largest Weakness as a Player
Playing the outfield. Wakefield posted a horrific, deadball-era-type .959 fielding average in the outfield. He committed an error roughly every 10 games.
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