History of Eli Whiteside in Timeline

Dustin Eli Whiteside is a former professional baseball catcher who played in MLB for the Baltimore Orioles, San Francisco Giants, and Chicago Cubs. Currently, he serves as a roving catching instructor for the San Francisco Giants. He is a right-handed batter and thrower, standing 6'2" and weighing 220 pounds.

Sections (2)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements

October 22, 1979: Dustin Eli Whiteside Born

On October 22, 1979, Dustin Eli Whiteside was born.

Others born on this day/year

1998: Graduated from W. P. Daniel High School

In 1998, Eli Whiteside graduated from W. P. Daniel High School, where he played both baseball and soccer.

2001: Drafted by the Baltimore Orioles

After his junior year in 2001, the Baltimore Orioles drafted Eli Whiteside in the sixth round of the Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft.

2001: Began Minor League Career

In 2001, Eli Whiteside began his minor league career with the Single-A Delmarva Shorebirds of the South Atlantic League.

2003: Played with Bowie

Outside of a rehab assignment, Eli Whiteside spent all of 2003 with Bowie. In 81 games, he batted .204 with 54 hits, one home run, and 23 RBI. Defensively, he had a .989 fielding percentage and threw out 37% of baserunners.

2004: Played with Bowie

In 2004, Eli Whiteside again played with Bowie. He had two-home-run games against the Akron Aeros on May 17 and the Erie SeaWolves on July 28, finishing fourth in the Orioles' organization on the season with 18 home runs. He batted .279 before the Eastern League All-Star break but hit just .206 afterwards.

2004: Marriage to Amy

In 2004, Eli Whiteside married his high school sweetheart, Amy.

2005: MLB Debut with Orioles

In 2005, Eli Whiteside moved up to the Triple-A Ottawa Lynx and on July 4, he was called up by the Orioles after Geronimo Gil was placed on the disabled list. He made his major league debut the next day, entering as a defensive replacement. Four days later, he got his first hit, an RBI single. He was sent back to Ottawa on July 25.

2005: Played Nine Games in MLB with the Orioles

In 2005, Eli Whiteside played nine games in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Baltimore Orioles.

2006: Remained in Spring Training with Orioles

In 2006, Eli Whiteside remained in spring training with the Orioles until final cuts and was then sent to Ottawa. He had four RBI in a game against the Rochester Red Wings on May 21, and back-to-back three-hit games against the Norfolk Tides from July 23 through 24. In 92 games with Ottawa, he batted .244 with 77 hits, 11 home runs, and 47 RBI.

November 24, 2007: Signed with Minnesota Twins

On November 24, 2007, Eli Whiteside signed a contract with the Minnesota Twins for the 2008 season.

2007: Played in Orioles Organization Through 2007

Eli Whiteside played in the Baltimore Orioles organization through 2007.

2007: Reassigned to Minors and Suffered Concussion

In 2007, Eli Whiteside attended spring training but was reassigned to the minors. He began the season with Norfolk Tides, then was reassigned to Bowie on May 11. He spent time on the disabled list from June 18 through July 12 with a fractured right cheekbone. He was lost for the season on August 6 after suffering a concussion and after 2007, he filed for free agency.

2008: Released by Twins

In 2008, Eli Whiteside played in eight games with the Rochester Red Wings, batting .167 before getting released on April 30 when Ryan Jorgensen returned from serving a suspension.

2008: Signed with Minnesota Twins

In 2008, Eli Whiteside signed with the Minnesota Twins but was later released after playing for their Triple-A team for a month.

2008: Signed by San Francisco Giants

In 2008, Five days after getting released by the Twins, Eli Whiteside signed with the San Francisco Giants. He spent the rest of the year with the Triple-A Fresno Grizzlies. In 49 games, the most by any catcher with Fresno in 2008, Eli Whiteside batted .238 with 36 hits, two home runs, and 22 RBI.

May 2009: Called Up by San Francisco Giants

In May 2009, Eli Whiteside was called up to be the backup catcher for the San Francisco Giants and he caught Jonathan Sánchez's no-hitter on July 10.

May 24, 2009: Called Up by Giants

On May 24, 2009, after an elbow injury prevented Pablo Sandoval from catching, the San Francisco Giants called up Eli Whiteside to be the backup catcher for Bengie Molina. The same day, he played his first major league game in four years.

July 10, 2009: Caught Jonathan Sánchez No-Hitter

On July 10, 2009, Eli Whiteside caught Jonathan Sánchez's no-hitter against the San Diego Padres.

August 5, 2009: Hit First Major League Home Run

On August 5, 2009, Eli Whiteside hit a grand slam, his first Major League home run, against Brian Moehler of the Houston Astros in a 10–6 Giants' victory.

2010: Eli Whiteside Day in New Albany

After Whiteside won the 2010 World Series, his hometown of New Albany declared an "Eli Whiteside Day" and presented Whiteside with a key to the city.

2010: Made MLB Team and Won World Series

In 2010, Eli Whiteside made an MLB team out of spring training for the first time in his career and served as Jonathan Sánchez's personal catcher for much of the season. He was on the team's roster throughout the playoffs, earning his first career championship title after the Giants won the series against the Rangers.

2010: Won World Series with Giants

In 2010, Eli Whiteside remained the backup catcher for the San Francisco Giants and was on the roster when they won the World Series, although he did not play in any playoff games.

May 2011: Split Catching Time with Chris Stewart

After an injury to Buster Posey in May 2011, Eli Whiteside split time catching with Chris Stewart for the rest of the year.

May 25, 2011: Moved into More Prominent Role

Following Buster Posey's season-ending leg injury on May 25, 2011, Eli Whiteside moved into a more prominent role, splitting starting time with Chris Stewart.

July 18, 2012: Called Up from Fresno

On July 18, 2012, Eli Whiteside was called up from Fresno when Héctor Sánchez was placed on the disabled list, appearing in six games before being optioned back to Fresno on August 1 when Sánchez returned from the disabled list.

November 5, 2012: Claimed off Waivers by New York Yankees

On November 5, 2012, Eli Whiteside was claimed off waivers by the New York Yankees.

2012: Appeared in 12 Games for Giants

In 2012, Eli Whiteside lost the backup role to Héctor Sánchez and appeared in just 12 games for the Giants during their second World Series-winning season in three years.

January 3, 2013: Designated for Assignment by Texas Rangers

On January 3, 2013, Eli Whiteside was designated for assignment by the Texas Rangers.

November 15, 2013: Signed Minor League Contract with Chicago Cubs

On November 15, 2013, Whiteside signed a minor league contract with the Chicago Cubs and was invited to spring training.

2013: Assigned to Texas Rangers Triple-A Team

Following 2012, Eli Whiteside was claimed off waivers multiple times before winding up with the Texas Rangers, who assigned him to their Triple-A team in 2013.

2013: Spring Training and Round Rock Express

In 2013, Whiteside attended spring training as a non-roster invitee, playing in five games. Throughout 2013, he played with the Round Rock Express, sharing catcher duties with Robinson Chirinos and José Félix. In 67 games, he achieved a .187 batting average with 5 home runs and 25 RBI. On October 1, 2013, he filed for free agency.

October 2014: Elected Free Agency

In October 2014, Eli Whiteside elected free agency.

2014: Competed for a Spot on the Cubs Roster

In 2014, Eli Whiteside competed for a spot on the Chicago Cubs' roster but was sent to the minors.

2015: Retirement and Return to Giants

In 2015, Whiteside signed a minor league contract with the Atlanta Braves but chose to retire instead. Later in 2015, he returned to the San Francisco Giants as a bullpen catcher.