Vic Wertz

Vic Wertz of the main cogs of the Gregg Post Legion Baseball team that marched to the state American Legion crown after pitching Northwest to the junior high school title by tossing a one-hitter (1940). He went on to attend high school in York, PA and played for the Keys the following season (1941) and with Clover Farms in the City League before entering the professional ranks with Winston-Salem of the Piedmont League (1942). Vic spent the next three years serving with the U.S. Army overseas during WWII. His first full season in the pros was at Buffalo, in the International League, when he hit .301 (1946). Vic spent the next 5½ seasons playing for the Detroit Tigers. In two of those seasons, he hit .304 with 133 RBIs and .308 with 123 RBIs (1949 & 1950). Wertz compiled a career batting average of .277 over 17 seasons playing for the Detroit Tigers, St. Louis Browns, Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins, all of the American League. He belted 266 homers and drove in 1,178 runs during that time as a right fielder and first baseman. Wertz was Cleveland’s batting star in the World Series loss to the New York Giants with a .500 average (1954). During that series, he became famous when Willie Mays made the miracle catch of Vic’s drive to deep center in the first game at the Polo
Grounds. What is rarely reported, is the fact Wertz hit a triple, double and two singles during that same game.

Deceased