Obtained by the Phillies in a minor league draft, Whitney was an immediate success, batting .301 as a rookie regular in 1928. He had 200 hits and hit .327 for the 1929 Phillies – the only team in NL history to have four batters reach 200 hits – and .342 in 1930. In four of his first five years, he drove in more than 100 runs. An accomplished defensive player, he led NL third baseman in fielding three times. After batting just .264 in 1933, he was traded to the Braves, but went back to the Phillies in 1936. In 1937, his final season as a regular, he hit .341.
