Fred Whitfield

Fred Dwight Whitfield (January 7, 1938 – January 31, 2013 ) was an American professional baseball player. A first baseman, he appeared in the Major Leagues from 1962 to 1970, primarily for the Cleveland Indians and also for with the St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds and Montreal Expos. Nicknamed "Wingy" for his unique throwing motion, he threw and batted left-handed, stood tall and weighed .

He was born in Vandiver, Alabama, one of four children of William Theodore and Inez Clarice (Brasher) Whitfield. He attended Woodlawn High School in Birmingham, Alabama. At age 19, he married Helen Leverton of Gadsden, Alabama on February 9, 1957 and their household eventually numbered six children.

Whitfield was signed by the Cardinals as an amateur free agent in 1956. He made his big league debut at age 24 on May 27, 1962.

His prime seasons were 1963–66, with seasons of 21, 10, 26 and 27 home runs with a single-season high of 27 (fifth in the American League) in 1966 and single-season highs in 1965 with a .293 batting average and 90 runs batted in. He was named first baseman on the 1965 The Sporting News American League all-star team.