Vic Wertz
Born: 2/9/1925 in York, PA, USA
Died: 7/7/1983 in Detroit, MI, USA
MLB Debut: 1947-04-15 | Final Game: 1963-09-19
Bats: L | Throws: R | Height: 6'0" | Weight: 186 lbs
Full name: Victor Woodrow Wertz
Biography
Vic Wertz was a prominent American baseball player, born in 1925 and active in Major League Baseball from 1947 until his retirement on September 19, 1963. Known for his powerful hitting and solid defensive capabilities, Wertz played primarily as a position player, appearing in 1,862 games throughout his career. He amassed a remarkable total of 1,692 hits, 266 home runs, and 1,178 RBIs, while maintaining a respectable batting average of .277. Wertz was also recognized for his contributions to the game with four All-Star selections, underscoring his status as one of the standout players of his era.
Wertz played in a time that bridged the transition from the post-war period into the more dynamic offensive years of the 1950s and early 1960s. His playing style was characterized by a mix of power and consistency, making him a valuable asset to the teams he played for, including the Detroit Tigers and the Cleveland Indians. His ability to drive in runs placed him among the more productive offensive players of his time, and his legacy continues to be felt in the annals of baseball history.
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1862 | 6099 | 867 | 1692 | 289 | 42 | 266 | 1178 | 9 | 828 | 842 | 0.277 | 0.364 | 0.469 | 0.833 | 18920.1 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1947 | DET | AL | 102 | 333 | 60 | 96 | 22 | 4 | 6 | 44 | 2 | 47 | 66 | 0.288 | 887.7 |
| 1948 | DET | AL | 119 | 391 | 49 | 97 | 19 | 9 | 7 | 67 | 0 | 48 | 70 | 0.248 | 31.1 |
| 1949 | DET | AL | 155 | 608 | 96 | 185 | 26 | 6 | 20 | 133 | 2 | 80 | 61 | 0.304 | 2186.9 |
| 1950 | DET | AL | 149 | 559 | 99 | 172 | 37 | 4 | 27 | 123 | 0 | 91 | 55 | 0.308 | 3212.8 |
| 1951 | DET | AL | 138 | 501 | 86 | 143 | 24 | 4 | 27 | 94 | 0 | 78 | 61 | 0.285 | 2476.4 |
| 1952 | DET | AL | 85 | 285 | 46 | 70 | 15 | 3 | 17 | 51 | 1 | 46 | 44 | 0.246 | 1132.4 |
| 1952 | SLA | AL | 37 | 130 | 22 | 45 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 19 | 0 | 23 | 20 | 0.346 | 1132.4 |
| 1953 | SLA | AL | 128 | 440 | 61 | 118 | 18 | 6 | 19 | 70 | 1 | 72 | 44 | 0.268 | 1449.1 |
| 1954 | BAL | AL | 29 | 94 | 5 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 0 | 11 | 17 | 0.202 | -412.6 |
| 1954 | CLE | AL | 94 | 295 | 33 | 81 | 14 | 2 | 14 | 48 | 0 | 34 | 40 | 0.275 | -412.6 |
| 1955 | CLE | AL | 74 | 257 | 30 | 65 | 11 | 2 | 14 | 55 | 1 | 32 | 33 | 0.253 | 458.1 |
| 1956 | CLE | AL | 136 | 481 | 65 | 127 | 22 | 0 | 32 | 106 | 0 | 75 | 87 | 0.264 | 2009.2 |
| 1957 | CLE | AL | 144 | 515 | 84 | 145 | 21 | 0 | 28 | 105 | 2 | 78 | 88 | 0.282 | 2174.3 |
| 1958 | CLE | AL | 25 | 43 | 5 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 0.279 | 0.0 |
| 1959 | BOS | AL | 94 | 247 | 38 | 68 | 13 | 0 | 7 | 49 | 0 | 22 | 32 | 0.275 | 224.1 |
| 1960 | BOS | AL | 131 | 443 | 45 | 125 | 22 | 0 | 19 | 103 | 0 | 37 | 54 | 0.282 | 948.9 |
| 1961 | BOS | AL | 99 | 317 | 33 | 83 | 16 | 2 | 11 | 60 | 0 | 38 | 43 | 0.262 | 312.3 |
| 1961 | DET | AL | 8 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.167 | 312.3 |
| 1962 | DET | AL | 74 | 105 | 7 | 34 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 18 | 0 | 5 | 13 | 0.324 | 309.9 |
| 1963 | DET | AL | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 1963 | MIN | AL | 35 | 44 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 0.136 | 0.0 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 16 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0.500 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1954 | WS | CLE | 4 | 16 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0.500 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 715 | 685 | 5098 | 447 | 63 | 537 |
| OF | 889 | 38 | 1709 | 72 | 49 | 20 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1947 | DET | OF | 83 | 0 | 160 | 6 | 6 | 0 |
| 1948 | DET | OF | 98 | 0 | 196 | 11 | 10 | 3 |
| 1949 | DET | OF | 155 | 0 | 302 | 14 | 6 | 4 |
| 1950 | DET | OF | 145 | 0 | 286 | 5 | 10 | 3 |
| 1951 | DET | OF | 131 | 0 | 254 | 7 | 3 | 1 |
| 1952 | DET | OF | 79 | 0 | 134 | 8 | 2 | 3 |
| 1952 | SLA | OF | 36 | 0 | 64 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 1953 | SLA | OF | 121 | 0 | 243 | 15 | 7 | 4 |
| 1954 | BAL | OF | 27 | 27 | 47 | 5 | 2 | 1 |
| 1954 | CLE | 1B | 83 | 79 | 557 | 52 | 7 | 57 |
| 1954 | CLE | OF | 5 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1955 | CLE | 1B | 63 | 61 | 449 | 33 | 8 | 49 |
| 1955 | CLE | OF | 9 | 7 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1956 | CLE | 1B | 133 | 133 | 971 | 77 | 9 | 99 |
| 1957 | CLE | 1B | 139 | 138 | 1025 | 83 | 14 | 122 |
| 1958 | CLE | 1B | 8 | 7 | 44 | 5 | 1 | 5 |
| 1959 | BOS | 1B | 64 | 56 | 440 | 38 | 4 | 44 |
| 1960 | BOS | 1B | 117 | 110 | 841 | 78 | 12 | 89 |
| 1961 | BOS | 1B | 86 | 82 | 664 | 67 | 7 | 65 |
| 1962 | DET | 1B | 16 | 14 | 75 | 9 | 1 | 5 |
| 1963 | MIN | 1B | 6 | 5 | 32 | 5 | 0 | 2 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 715 |
| Left Field | 106 |
| Center Field | 3 |
| Right Field | 781 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | RF |
| 1949 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | RF |
| 1949 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | RF |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 14th | 22.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1957 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 6th | 61.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1956 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 9th | 45.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1950 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 10th | 50.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1949 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 10th | 51.0 | 336 | 0 |