Ruth Ann Steinhagen shot Phillies Eddie Waitkus

[chinaski]

I stumbled upon this story, and found it kind of interesting. It was one of the first recognized cases of criminal stalking...

Just a few years into the start of what seemed a very promising career, Ruth Ann Steinhagen, an obsessed fan, shot Waitkus at Chicago's Edgewater Beach Hotel on June 14, 1949,[2] in one of the earliest recognized cases of criminal stalking.[3]

Steinhagen had become infatuated with him when he was a Cub, but seeing him every day in-season may have kept her obsession in check. Once he was traded to the Phillies, Steinhagen's obsession grew to dangerous proportions. She checked into the hotel using the alias of a former high school classmate of his and left a note at the desk, asking him to come to her hotel room on an urgent matter.

When he arrived in her room, she shot him with a .22 caliber rifle, the bullet barely missing his heart. She immediately called the desk to report the shooting and was found cradling his head in her lap.[3] Waitkus nearly died several times on the operating table before the bullet was successfully removed. Steinhagen never stood trial but instead was briefly confined to a mental institution. The incident is discussed at length in a Fireside Book of Baseball entry.

A little more background, if you are interested...

The Player and Victim:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Waitkus

The Stalker:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_Ann_Steinhagen

[Halfcan]

The same thing happened to Roy Hobbs.

[Rain Man]

We've never heard of her because she was a stalker before the era of big money stalkers.

[Titty Meat]

So did he smash or nah?

[chinaski]

Originally Posted by Halfcan

The same thing happened to Roy Hobbs.

Actually this story served as inspiration to the author of the book, interestingly enough.

[Why Not?]

Originally Posted by chinaski

Actually this story served as inspiration to the author of the book, interestingly enough.

This

[chinaski]

Originally Posted by Titty Meat

So did he smash or nah?

Apparently no coitus involved. He walked into the hotel room, sat down, and she shot him in the chest. Evidently she was planning on stabbing him, but when he sat down she elected to shoot him instead. She was going to commit suicide with the rifle, but she couldn't find another cartridge.

[Skyy God]

Would smash.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.chi...story,amp.html