Jerry Walker

Jerry Walker
Pitcher
Born: (1939-02-12) February 12, 1939
Ada, Oklahoma
Batted: Switch Threw: Right
MLB debut
July 6, 1957, for the Baltimore Orioles
Last MLB appearance
September 25, 1964, for the Cleveland Indians
MLB statistics
Win–loss record 37–44
Earned run average 4.36
Strikeouts 326
Teams
Career highlights and awards

Jerry Allen Walker (born February 12, 1939) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles, Kansas City Athletics, and Cleveland Indians between 1957 and 1964. He signed with the Orioles as a "bonus baby" out of Ada's Byng High School on June 28, 1957.

Pitching career

A member of the Orioles' fabled "Kiddie Corps" of young pitchers signed in the late 1950s (others included Milt Pappas, Steve Barber and Chuck Estrada), Walker is one of a very few players to have gone straight to the Major Leagues without ever playing a game in the minor leagues. In his debut, on July 6, 1957, against the Boston Red Sox, he failed to retire a batter, issuing bases on balls to Mickey Vernon and Jackie Jensen, then uncorking a wild pitch. Walker then was lifted from the game, but both runners scored,[1] giving Walker an earned run average of infinity coming out of his first MLB game. However, he was consistently more effective as the season progressed, and threw a four-hit, complete game shutout against the Washington Senators on September 4, beating Camilo Pascual 1–0 for his first big-league victory.[2]

He also became the youngest pitcher ever to start a Major League Baseball All-Star game when, at age 20, he went to mound for the American League in the second All-Star contest of 1959.[3] Walker went three innings and allowed one run on two hits and one base on balls, and was credited with the win in a 5–3 AL victory at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Later that season, on September 11, 1959, he hurled a 16-inning, complete game shutout against the eventual league champion Chicago White Sox, winning 1–0.[4][5] It was his 11th and final win of the 1959 season, his most successful campaign in the big leagues.

By age 26, however, Walker was out of the Majors. In 190 games pitched, 90 as a starter, he allowed 734 hits and 341 bases on balls over 747 innings. He had 326 strikeouts, 16 complete games, four shutouts and 13 saves.

Coach and front-office executive

Walker's active career ended in 1967 in the Double-A Eastern League. He has maintained his involvement in organized baseball as a minor league manager, big-league pitching coach, scout and front-office executive. He served one season (1993) as the general manager of the Detroit Tigers; the Tigers posted an 85–77 record and finished tied for third in the American League East Division that season.

From 1995 through 2007, Walker was the vice president and director of player personnel in the front office of the St. Louis Cardinals, working as a key assistant to then-GM Walt Jocketty. He then became a vice president and special assistant to Jocketty with the Cincinnati Reds from 2009–14.[6]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Retrosheet box score, 1957-7-6
  2. ↑ Retrosheet box score, 1957-9-4
  3. ↑ Baseball Reference
  4. ↑ Berney, Louis, Tales from the Orioles Dugout. Sports Publishing, 2004, pp. 32-33
  5. ↑ Retrosheet box score, 1959-9-11
  6. ↑ Baseball America 2009 Annual Directory
Preceded by
Clyde King		 New York Yankees co-pitching coach
(with Jeff Torborg)
1982		 Succeeded by
Stan Williams
Preceded by
Mel Wright		 Houston Astros co-pitching coach
(with Les Moss)
1983–1985		 Succeeded by
Les Moss
Preceded by
Joe McDonald		 Detroit Tigers general manager
1993		 Succeeded by
Joe Klein
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