Showtime: A Look at the Storied Career of Jessie Weisberg

Nicknames are curious things. Sometimes, they are extremely fitting. “Thunder” is a pretty good way to describe Tim Wilson’s electrifying stuff. “Sweetness” sums up the smooth swing of Jared McCombs. Sometimes, however, not so much. Benito Salgado is definitely not an onion, and it might be a while before Matt “Grandpa” Gilbert lives up to his nickname.

For one of the best players in league history, it’s a mix of both.

“Showtime.” Throughout his career, Jesse Weisberg stole the show for various reasons. Only a few players can say they were part of a trade that led to the resignation of a GM in protest. He also cracked over 2,000 hits, swiped over 300 stolen bases, and hit a fair amount of home runs. He collected his fair share of awards as well.

At the same time, the defining characteristic of his career isn’t exactly the most exciting thing. If you came to the ballpark on any given day, you were about as likely to see him get on base without swinging as you were to see him with a swing. Weisberg led the league in walks 10 times, OBP 11 times, and he falls just 52 walks short of 2,000.

Jesse Weisberg began his professional career by being drafted 4th overall by the Chicago Cubs in the 1966 draft. He was ready for the big leagues straight out of college; not only did he receive a sizable signing bonus, but the Cubs also gave him a 2-year major league contract. Not long after, he made his debut, and he put together an impressive campaign for a 22-year-old. In 67 games, he hit .273/.345/.410, good for an OPS+ of 115 and 2.1 WAR.

The next year, he had his first of 13 straight 4+ WAR seasons. He blossomed into an all star, being selected in 1967, 1969, 1970, and 1971 while with the Cubs.

Midway through 1971, he was traded to the San Francisco Giants (arguably the worse trade that he was involved in) for Chris Bainter, Jason Young, and a few more guys who would never suit up for Chicago. Less than a week later, he signed a 3-year, $895,000 contract, no small sum for 1971. And during his time with the Giants, he was worth every penny. He led the NL in OBP every year, and he led the team to a World Series title in 1973. Following this, the Giants awarded him with a 6-year, $3,450,000 contract, making him the highest paid player in the new free agency era of baseball. Weisberg and the Giants would go on to win another championship in 1975.

I’m sure we all know what came next. In the 1976-77 off-season, Weisberg was dealt to the Kansas City Royals for young stud Jimmy Parker. Outrage ensued across the league. You can read more about that here.

It is worth noting that, despite concerns about his health at the time of the trade, he would go on to turn in some good performances in his three full seasons with Kansas City. After some struggles in 1980, the Royals dealt him to Milwaukee in exchange for current Cubs pitcher John Clark. This change of scenery flipped some kind of switch for Weisberg, with him having great age-36 and -37 seasons.

Things came off the rails a bit in 1982. After a disappointing few months, the Brewers released him, putting Jesse Weisberg on the free agent market for the first time in his 15+ year career. Nobody else took a chance on him in 1982. The Yankees signed him in the spring of ‘83, but released him after spring training.

Weisberg continues to be without a team. His speed and defense are long gone, and his once-excellent contact skills are faltering. However, his plate discipline is likely still good enough to walk at a good enough rate to give him some value. Perhaps an AL team might take a chance on him at DH.

If Weisberg does land another contract, he has one big accolade to play for. He currently sits at 3rd all-time in batter WAR, trailing first by only 0.59. This certainly seems like a reasonable task for as talented of a player as him, and it would add to his already slam-dunk Hall of Fame case.