The Orioles introduced this morning that former All-Star pitcher Jerry Walker handed away over the weekend. He was 85.
Walker, a 6’1″ right-hander, signed with Baltimore out of East Central College in Oklahoma. Although he was simply 18 years outdated on the time, the O’s despatched Walker straight to the massive leagues. He remarkably managed a 2.93 ERA over 13 appearances (three begins) down the stretch in 1957. The O’s despatched him down the next season and gave him almost a full 12 months within the minors to construct up as a beginning pitcher. In 1959, Walker bought a shot at Baltimore’s rotation.
Throughout his age-20 season, Walker turned in the very best 12 months of his profession. He fired 182 innings of two.92 ERA ball whereas recording 100 strikeouts. Between 1959-62, MLB hosted two All-Star Video games per season. The American League tabbed Walker to open the second All-Star contest in 1959.
At 20 years and 172 days, he stays the youngest beginning pitcher in All-Star Recreation historical past. (Simply behind him on that listing are Fernando Valenzuela, Dwight Gooden, Mark Fidrych, Vida Blue, yesterday’s NL starter Paul Skenes, and Denny McLain.) Walker began reverse Don Drysdale and bought the win in opposition to a Nationwide League lineup that included Henry Aaron, Willie Mays, Ernie Banks and Stan Musial.
Walker pitched yet one more season in Baltimore, working to a 3.74 ERA throughout 118 innings. The O’s traded him to the then-Kansas Metropolis A’s going into the 1961 marketing campaign in a deal that netted them outfielder Dick Williams and reliever Dick Corridor. Walker struggled over two seasons within the Kansas Metropolis rotation. The A’s ultimately swapped him to the Indians for Chuck Essegian (who’d coincidentally gone to Ok.C. alongside Walker within the 1961 commerce earlier than being rapidly bought to Cleveland). Walker labored out of the Cleveland bullpen for 2 seasons. He completed his taking part in profession within the higher minors in 1967.
That preceded a a lot lengthier second act in varied off-field roles. Walker labored as a scout, minor league supervisor and MLB pitching coach properly into the Eighties. He labored his manner as much as basic supervisor of the Tigers in 1993, main the entrance workplace for one season during which the group went 85-77. Walker held roles within the Cardinals and Reds entrance places of work into the 2010s.
Over components of eight MLB campaigns, Walker turned in a 4.36 earned run common. He compiled a 37-44 file with 326 strikeouts throughout 747 innings. Walker tossed 16 full video games, seven of which got here in the course of the ’59 season during which he made All-Star historical past. MLBTR sends our condolences to Walker’s household, family members, and varied former teammates and colleagues all through the trade.
