Ernie Whitt #12

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.