Margaret Whitton, best known for her role as Rachel Phelps in the “Major League” films, died peacefully in her Palm Beach, Fla., home on Sunday after a short battle with cancer. She was 67.
Born in Philadelphia, Whitton’s first gigs included her off-Broadway debut in 1973 in “Baba Goya,” followed by her Broadway introduction in Nell Dunn’s “Steaming” in 1983. Her first major screen role came in 1986, portraying Molly in “9 1/2 Weeks,” alongside Mickey Rourke and Kim Basinger. She then landed lead roles in films such as “The Secret of My Success” and “Ironweed,” before starring in the critically-acclaimed “Major League” and its sequel, “Major League II,” as Rachel Phelps, a former showgirl who inherits the Cleveland Indians following her husband’s death.