Shooting in 1949 Remains Vivid Memory : Meyer, 65, Recalls Wounding of Phillie Teammate Waitkus by Female Admirer

In “The Natural,” the movie based on Bernard Malamud’s novel, a mysterious woman played by Barbara Hershey shoots a ballplayer played by Robert Redford in a hotel room.

Russ (Monk) Meyer, 65, a coach for the Albany Yankees in the Eastern League, was Eddie Waitkus’ roommate when the Philadelphia Phillies’ first baseman was shot by a 19-year-old woman in a Chicago hotel room in 1949.

During an interview at Heritage Park here, where the Albany club plays, Meyer recounted the incident in room 904 at the Edgewater Beach Hotel.

Meyer said that after he and Waitkus had played for the Phillies against the Cubs on a June day in 1949, he and his fiancee were joined by Meyer’s parents, who were from downstate Illinois, and Waitkus for dinner at a restaurant.

The group returned to the Edgewater, where the Phillies were staying. Meyer’s fiancee was spending the night with the pitcher’s parents and they went to their room. Meyer and Waitkus went to their room, on a different floor.

“We got in early, because (Manager) Eddie Sawyer had a curfew and we knew there would be a bed check,” Meyer said.

“When we got to our room, there must have been six or seven messages for Eddie to call Ruth Ann in another room at the hotel. That was the name of his girlfriend back in Massachusetts, and although she wasn’t in town, she was the kind of gal who was capable of flying in without telling anybody.”

Meyer said that Waitkus, instead of calling his girlfriend, told him that he was going directly to her room. From that point, Meyer was told the rest of the story by Waitkus.

“Eddie said that when he got to the room, a girl he didn’t know answered the door,” Meyer said. “He said that he had the wrong room, but the girl said that she was Ruth Ann’s friend. She asked Eddie to come in and wait until Ruth Ann came back.

“Eddie sat down on a chair opposite a closet. The girl reached into the closet, pulled out a .22-caliber rifle and let him have it.”

The assailant’s name was Ruth Ann Steinhagen, a Chicago typist who was infatuated with Waitkus.

According to Waitkus, right after he was shot, Steinhagen said: “If I can’t have you, neither will anybody else.”

Steinhagen’s room in Chicago was found to be papered with Waitkus’ pictures and newspaper accounts of his accomplishments.

Meyer said: “Right after she shot Eddie, she called downstairs and said, ‘This is Ruth Ann Steinhagen in room 904 and I’ve just shot Eddie Waitkus.’ If she doesn’t do that, Eddie bleeds to death.”

Moments later, Meyer got a call in his room from the Phillies’ traveling secretary and hurried to room 904.

“I remember them hauling Eddie out, to the ambulance,” Meyer said. “The only thing he kept saying was, ‘Why? Why? Why?”

Waitkus, who died in 1972, attempted a comeback, but Meyer said he was never the ballplayer he had been before the shooting.

Meyer had a 94-73 big league record. He was 17-8 for the Phillies in 1949, was 9-11 in their pennant-winning season the next year and played on two championship teams for the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Meyer has worked as a pitching coach in the New York Yankees’ organization since 1981.

“He’s a special man,” said Royal Clayton, a pitcher for the Albany Yankees.

“He’s not trying to move along to the majors, to make some news and promote himself. He’s just trying to help me. He’s been where we’re trying to go and he’ll advise you on anything as a pitcher or a person.”

Meyer also is a loyal friend. Waitkus was a handsome man who some believe was a womanizer.

“I don’t care what anybody says,” Meyer said. “Eddie didn’t meet Ruth Ann Steinhagen until the night she shot him.”