Two Guys Named Pinky Went to Third Base

Pinky Whitney and Pinky May

In their long, often frustrating, often losing history, the Phillies have nevertheless been blessed with some fine third baseman with considerable staying power. Of course, for most of the finest sustained period of excellence for the team in the 1970s and early 80s, the Phillies had the GOAT third baseman, Mike Schmidt (1972-1989). But they have also had the near Hall of Famers, Scott Rolen (1996-2002), and Dick Allen (1964-1969), and the clutch hitting Whiz Kid Willie Jones (1947-1959). Defensively, current hot corner habitue, Alec Bohm, will never make us forget any of these players, but he may eventually prove to be a solid member of this roll call. Less well known may be the two "Pinkys" who held down third base for most of 16 seasons for the Phillies during their most sustained period of awfulness, 1928-1943. The two were Arthur Carter (Pinky) Whitney, (1928-33 and 1936-39) and Merrill (Pinky) May, (1939 - 1943).

No less an eminence than Grover Cleveland Alexander called Pinky Whitney, "the greatest third baseman in baseball." Whitney, who got his nickname from a cartoon character when he was a boy, had above average range for a third baseman and was consistently among the league leaders in fielding percentage, leading the league four times. Not a power hitter, like today's prototypical third sacker, Whitney was a more than solid contact hitter. He averaged .295 in his ten years with the Phillies and reached a high of .342 in 1930. He was also an excellent RBI man, knocking in over 100 in four of his Phillies' seasons. Alexander called him "one of the most dangerous hitters in the game."

Pinky Whitney had one of his finest games at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, on July 30, 1929. After lining out to first in the second inning, Whitney followed a Chuck Klein homerun with a home run of his own off Buccos hurler Ray Kremer in the Phillies seven run fourth. In the fifth, Whitney doubled and followed that with triples in both the seventh and eighth innings. When the smoke had cleared, Whitney had gone 4-for-5, with 3 runs scored, 2 RBIs, a double, two triples, and a home run, just a single short of the cycle. The Phillies won the game. 13-5. 

Whitney was the roommate and lifelong friend of Phillies great Chuck Klein. Klein and Whitney were rookies with the Phillies in 1928. When Whitney was traded from the Phillies to the Boston Braves in 1933, Klein is said to have broken down and cried. The Phillies brought Whitney back in 1936 and he managed one more great season, hitting .341 in 138 games. For all the losing he experienced in Philadelphia, Whitney enjoyed his time in the city and remained a fan favorite. Recalling his time there long after he retired from baseball, he said, "Old Philly, lowly Philly, it had the worst water, best ice cream, and most loyal fans in the game."

When age and injury caught up with Whitney in 1939, 28-year-old, Merrill "Pinky" May took over third base for the Phillies. May got his moniker while playing for the Cumberland (Maryland) Colts in the Mid-Atlantic League as a 21-year-old out of Indiana University. Reporters there asked him what his nickname was, and May told them a few players at Indiana called him "Pinky", so the scribes called him Pinky from there on. May had several excellent seasons in the New York Yankees minor league system but was never able to earn a spot on the Yankee roster, because veteran All-Star Red Rolfe was a fixture there. Finally, the Phillies acquired May in the Rule 5 draft after the 1938 season. He immediately took over in 1939 as the Phillies starting third baseman. 

May was the regular Phillies third baseman for the next five years. He was very much a singles hitter, averaging fewer than 25 extra base hits a season, including a stretch where he went more than 1400 at bats without a home run. May was, however, an excellent defensive third baseman. He led the league in both fielding percentage and range factor in three of his five major league seasons. He was selected to play in the 1940 All-Star game. He appeared in the game as a defensive replacement for Cookie Lavagetto and was plunked by a Bob Feller fastball in one of his two at bats in the game. 

May had one of his finest offensive games on July 15, 1939, in a Phillies. 8-5 victory over the Chicago Cubs at Shibe Park. May chipped in with four hits, including a double, and three runs batted in. His double off Charlie Root in the eighth inning drove in a run as the Phillies rallied from a 4-3 deficit to win the game. On October 3, 1943, May had four hits in a doubleheader sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates, bringing his season average to .282.  It would be the last game May would play in the Major Leagues. He enlisted in the Navy at the end of the season. He spent the war stationed on islands in Southeast Asia. 

May returned to the Phillies in 1946 but was released in May, another fine ballplayer whose career was interrupted, and in May's case, ended, by the war. May then embarked on a 26-year career as a minor league manager with several organizations. His son Milt spent 15 years as a Major League catcher.

Two Society for American Baseball Research biographies were very helpful in writing this story. To find out more about these "two Pinkys." Pinky Whitney, by Seven V. Rice and Pinky May, by Alan Cohen.

Pinkey Whitney – Society for American Baseball Research (sabr.org)

Pinky May – Society for American Baseball Research (sabr.org)