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Episode Guide
Episode 110: "Eddie Waitkus: The Real Roy Hobbs"
Airdate: TBD - FSN

Eddie Waitkus' place in baseball history is secured by two footnotes: he was shot in a Chicago hotel room by a baseball "Annie," and he was the player upon whom Bernard Malamud based his classic novel The Natural.

Waitkus was a WWII hero and a superb athlete, yet not your typical jock. He could have gone to Harvard, but chose instead to become a baseball player when his mother died and family finances were in dire straits. His career was interrupted by WWII, but he took it in stride and had a successful military career. Upon his return, he promptly became a star first baseman for the Chicago Cubs. Waitkus was a handsome, smooth-fielding first baseman who was a hit on the field and off the field with fans, especially women.

One woman who took a particular interest in Waitkus was Ruth Steinhagen, a teenage girl who was obsessed with the handsome star. As Waitkus’ star grew, so too did Steinhagen’s obsession. When Waikus was traded to the Phillies, a harmless obsession turned into something different. A year later, Waitkus would be leading first baseman in All-Star voting when a road trip to Chicago would almost cost him his life. Steinhagen would shoot Waitkus in a hotel room at the Edgewater Hotel.

Steinhagen went to an insane asylum and Waitkus went into recovery. Remarkably, just a year after he faced death, Waitkus made an amazing comeback and was back playing for the Phillies. He was a member of the famed 1950 Phillies known as the “Whiz Kids”, and helped the team capture the NL Pennant and make it to the World Series. Yet Waitkus never reached his potential, his past forever haunting him. He died a tragic figure, a symbol of how a simple twist of fate can change one’s life forever.


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