Named first base coach for the Blue Jays on Sept. 30, 2007 after serving as Toronto's bench coach since Oct. 4 2004.
Personal:
Leo Ernest Whitt... Married with three children...
Graduated from Brablec H.S. in Roseville, Mich., in
1970 and attended Macomb Community College in Warren
Michigan.
Professional Career:
Red Sox 15th selection in
1972 June draft... Selected by Blue Jays in American
League expansion draft on November 5, 1976... 1973: Was
sixth in the Carolina League in batting (.290)... 1975: Was
on the disabled list for two months... 1976: Hit first major
league homer while with Red Sox on September 21 off Jim
Colborn of Brewers... 1977: Second among International
League catchers in fielding percentage (.992)... 1979: Led
Internationl League catchers in fielding percentage (.995)...
1983: Enjoyed best major league season platooning with
Buck Martinez for a second straight season, hit two homers
in a game against Tigers on May 23 and September 4... had
a four-hit game against Angels on June 12... 1984: Continued
to platoon behind the plate with Buck Martinez... Injured
his right achilles tendon in a game on June 15 against
Boston, putting him on the disabled list for two weeks... Hit
10 of his home runs on the road and hit 11 from July 27 to the
end of the season... 1985: Was third among American
League catchers in home runs (19) behind Calton Fisk and
Lance Parrish... Hit grand slam home run against Boston on
June 23 (off Bruce Kison)... Played in mid-season All-Star
game at Minnesota, did not bat... Hit home run in division
clinching game vs. New York on October 5 for the Jays first
run in the 5-1 victory... Saw much action due to injury to
Buck Martinez in July... Batted .190 (4-for-21) in ALCS vs.
Kansas City... 1986: Belted second career grand slam off
Richard Dotson in Chicago May 22... 1987: Had fine season
for Jays, setting career highs in batting average, at-bats,
runs, hits, doubles and RBI... cracked two home runs September
12 vs. Yankees, the second being No. 100 in major
league career... belted three more round-trippers just two
days later in game vs. Orioles in which Jays established
major league record by clubbing 10 home runs...
1988: Named top Sporting News All-Star team. Is the only
player that has been with the Jays since the 1976 AL Expansion
Draft... Was Labatts Blue Player-of-the-Month in August
(.318, 5 HR, 18 RBI). Hit 11 of his 16 HR from August 8
on. Hit 2 HRs and had 6 RBI at Boston on September 27.
Has 121 HRs in his big league career, 120 with Blue Jays,
placing him fourth on Blue Jays All-Time list...
1989: Smashed third career grand slam off the Red Sox
Lee Smith on June 4th at Fenway Park; hammered 4 home
runs in a 5 game stretch from May 20-May 27... 1991: Finished
his playing career with the Baltimore Orioles.
Coaching Career:
1997: Started his coaching career in as roving minor league
catching instructor... Midway through the 1997 season took
over as manager of Dunedin in the Florida State League... 1998-2004: Returned to his current position as roving
catching and hitting instructor... 2005-07: Joined the Blue Jays Major League coaching staff
being appointed as the teams Bench Coach on October 4,
2004... 2008: Appointed to the position of First Base Coach on September
30, 2007.
Team Canada:
Began his managerial tenure with Baseball Canada when
he managed Team Canada at the 1999 Pan-American
Games in Winnipeg, guiding the club to a bronze medal
with a 6-1 win over Mexico while missing an Olympics berth
by just one place... Skippered the Canadian squad at the
Olympic qualification tournament in Panama last fall (2003),
clinching a berth at the 2004 Summer Olympics with an 11-1
victory against Mexico in the semi-finals... The win secured
one of two spots representing the Americas region in the
Olympics, as Cuba won the tournament final 5-0 over Canada
to claim the other berth... Most recently managed the
2004 Canadian Olympic Team in Athens to a 4th place finish...
Qualified for the medal round before losing to Japan in
the bronze medal game... Selected to manage Canadas
entry in the 2006 inaugural World Baseball Classic... Managed
the club to 2-1 record in the round-robin format, narrowly
missing out on a playoff birth on a tie-breaker... Led
the Canadian team to a dramatic 8-6 win over the United States.