Whitaker was one of a pair with Alan Trammell, longtime Tigers shortstop. When Whitaker and Trammell came up through the minor leagues, they played together along the way. It was announced, after they had a "cup of coffee" in 1977, that they would be the double play combination the next year, but only if both were ready. They were, as Whitaker batted .285 in 1977, and won the Rookie of the Year award. Trammell and Whitaker were a pair in the middle of the diamond for years. "Sweet Lou" was an amazingly consistent player, with occasional jumps back and forth. He batted just .233 in 1980, .320 in 1983, but usually Whitaker was right around .280. He developed some power about 1982 and started hitting double-digit homers every year.
Whitaker was mostly a platoon player, sitting out against lefty pitching, but some years he played every day. He struck out a fair amount, but also drew about 80 walks a year, making him an excellent leadoff man. He was a key part of the 1984 World Championship team, and the 1987 division winners. Whitaker won Gold Gloves 1983-85, though he managed a top-ten MVP voting finish just once, in that 1983 season. Mostly, he was just a consistent, dependable player, the kind you need to win championships.
Whitaker earned 146.64 ratings points.
Whitaker's stats: .276 average, 244 homers, 1197 BB, 2369 hits, 1386 runs. posted by Shawn Weaver at 10:42 AM
