Ernie Whitt, celebrated on his 73rd birthday, faced challenges early in his career due to competition within the Red Sox. After being unprotected in the 1976 expansion draft, he joined the Blue Jays. His initial seasons were marked by mediocre hitting, but under the mentorship of Cito Gaston beginning in 1982, Whitt transformed into a power hitter, drastically improving his averages and home run totals. By 1985, he reached new highs and made an All-Star appearance, though struggled in the postseason.
In 1982, Bobby Cox became manager, and Cito Gaston became the hitting coach. Ernie found his hitting stroke that year, I'm sure in large part due to Cito, getting his averages up to .261/.307/.440 and suddenly finding home run power-hitting 11 in just 284 at-bats.
In two seasons, with Cito's tutoring, Whitt went from 1 homer to 11 to 17. His evolution as a power hitter underlines the effectiveness of guidance from skilled coaches.
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