Harry Walker

Harry Walker
Harry Walker
	Walker in 1966
	Center fielder/Manager
	Born:October 22, 1918; Pascagoula, Mississippi,U.S.
	Died:August 8, 1999(aged 80); Birmingham, Alabama,U.S.
	Batted:Left Threw:Right
MLB debut
	September 25, 1940, for the St. Louis Cardinals
Last MLB appearance
	August 19, 1955, for the St. Louis Cardinals
MLB statistics
Batting average	.296
Home runs	10
Runs batted in	214
Managerial record	630–604
Winning %	.511
Teams
	As player; St. Louis Cardinals(1940–1943,1946–1947); Philadelphia Phillies(1947–1948); Chicago Cubs(1949); Cincinnati Reds(1949); St. Louis Cardinals(1950–1951,1955); As manager; St. Louis Cardinals(1955); Pittsburgh Pirates(1965–1967); Houston Astros(1968–1972);
Career highlights and awards
	2×All-Star(1943,1947); 2×World Serieschampion (1942,1946); NL batting champion(1947);

Harry William Walker(October 22, 1918 – August 8, 1999) was an American professionalbaseballplayer,coachandmanager.Known by the nickname "Harry the Hat", he played as acenter fielderinMajor League Baseballbetween 1940 and 1955, most notably as a member of theSt. Louis Cardinalswith whom he won two world championships and was the 1947National League batting champion.

A two-time All-Star player, Walker also played for thePhiladelphia Phillies,Chicago Cubsand theCincinnati Reds.After his playing career, he served as manager for three major league teams between 1955 and 1972.

Walker served in the65th Infantry Divisionin 1944 and 1945, earning aBronze Starfor valor and thePurple Heart.^[1]

Early life and family

Born inPascagoula, Mississippi,Walker was a member of a baseball family. He was the son of formerWashington Senators pitcher Ewart "Dixie" Walkerand the brother ofFred "Dixie" Walker,also anoutfielderandNational League batting champion.He was also the nephew of fellow major league outfielderErnie Walker.^[2]Walker batted left-handed and threw right-handed; he stood 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m) tall and weighed 175 pounds (79 kg).^[3]

World Series star, NL batting champ

"Harry the Hat" got his nickname from his habit during at-bats of continually adjusting his cap between pitches^[2]—there were no batting helmets in his day. His batting title came in 1947, when hehit.363 in a season during which he was traded from his original team, theSt. Louis Cardinals,to thePhiladelphia Phillies.^[3]^[2]The previous year he played for the Cardinals’1946 World Serieschampionship team. In the decisive seventh game against theBoston Red Sox,withEnos Slaughteron first base, Walker doubled to left center and Slaughter, running on the pitch and taking advantage of a slow relay from the Red Sox'Johnny Pesky,scored from first base in a "mad dash"with the winning run.^[2]He knocked in six runs during that Series, and batted.412.^[3]

Walker lacked his brother Dixie's power—he hit only 10home runsin 807games playedover all or parts of 11 seasons in the National League—but he compiled a.296 lifetime batting average and 786hitswith the Cardinals, Phillies,Chicago CubsandCincinnati Reds.^[3]Harry and Dixie Walker are the only brothers in MLB history to win batting titles, Dixie having captured the National League batting title with a.357 average in1944while playing for theBrooklyn Dodgers.^[4]^[2]

After prepping as a skipper in the Cardinals’ minor league system beginning in 1951, Walker was called up fromRochesterin theTriple-A International Leagueon May 28, 1955, to replaceEddie Stankyas Cardinals’ manager.^[5]Walker, then 36, was still a playing manager; he hit.357 (5-for-14) in 11 games—10 of which were as apinch hitter—during July and August.^[6]However, the change backfired: the Cardinals fell two places in the standings under Walker, losing 67 of 118 games for a.432winning percentage.^[3]Walker was replaced byFred Hutchinsonat the end of the 1955 season, and it would be another decade before he would again manage in the majors.

Manager in Pittsburgh and Houston

During that exile, he returned to the Cardinal farm system to manage (1956–58; 1963–64), and served four years (1959–62) as a St. Louis coach. After piloting theJacksonville Sunsto the 1964 International League pennant, Walker was hired^[7]by thePittsburgh Piratesas manager, replacingDanny Murtaugh,who stepped down for health reasons. The Pirates battled for the pennant until the closing days of the1965and1966seasons—each year finishing third behind the championLos Angeles Dodgersand the runner-upSan Francisco Giants.But when the1967Pirates—further strengthened by an off-season trade for standoutshortstop Maury Wills—stumbled to a disappointing.500 mark in mid-season, Walker was let go on July 18 in favor of his predecessor, Murtaugh.^[8]Less than a week later, Walker was hired to be the organizational batting coach for theHouston Astros.^[9]

Eleven months later, on June 18,1968,the Astros replaced skipperGrady Hatton^[10]with "Harry the Hat". The last-place1968Astros were only 23–38 under Hatton, but, featuring players likeJoe Morgan,Jimmy Wynn,andDon Wilson,their record under Walker improved to 49–52. In1969,they contended for theNational League West Divisiontitle before fading to finish 12 games behind theAtlanta Braves.After back-to-back 79–83 marks in1970and1971,Walker was sacked August 26,1972,in favor ofLeo Durocher;with the Astros at 67–54 and in third place at the time of the firing, it was Walker's best season in Houston. Over his managing career, he won 630 games, losing 604 (.511). After his firing, Walker returned to the Cardinals as a hitting instructor.^[11]

College head baseball coach

Walker served as the head coach for theUAB Blazers baseballteam at theUniversity of Alabama at Birminghamfrom 1979 to 1986, as the program's first coach.^[12]In eight seasons, he compiled a record of 211–171, a.552 winning percentage.^[12]In 1980, the Blazers finished first in theSun Belt Conference's North Division in the program's second season, and repeated as division champions in 1981 and 1982.^[12]He led them to the NCAA Tournament in 1983, the first time the program reached it in history.

Legacy and death

Walker was profiled inJim Bouton's memoir of the 1969 season,Ball Four.Bouton mentioned that other players warned him about Walker as a guy who was going to scream at him and that he can adjust to him just like they had. Upon meeting him, Bouton felt that he would get along with Walker, and he credited him as the reason the team was doing as well as it was, one who managed to "keep everybody agitated and playing better baseball."^[13]

Walker's uniform number 32 has beenretiredby the UAB baseball program, and he was inducted to theAlabama Sports Hall of Famein 1978.^[12]

Walker died inBirmingham, Alabama,in 1999 at the age of 80.^[14]His interment was at Cedar Grove Cemetery inLeeds, Alabama.^[3]He was survived by his wife, Dot, and three daughters.^[2]

References

^"Harry Walker".Baseball in Wartime.2010.RetrievedDecember 17,2020.
^^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^fGoldstein, Richard (August 10, 1999)."Harry Walker, 80, Is Dead; A Fidgeter With a Purpose".The New York Times.p. C-20.RetrievedDecember 17,2020– via nytimes.
^^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f"Harry Walker".Retrosheet.RetrievedDecember 17,2020.
^Amman, Larry; Davids, L. Robert."Baseball Brothers".SABR.RetrievedDecember 17,2020.
^Cards fire Stanky; hire Harry Walker
^"Harry Walker 1955 Batting Game Logs".Baseball-Reference.RetrievedDecember 17,2020.
^Harry Walker named Manager at Pittsburgh
^Murtaugh back as Pirates Manager- Harry Walker axed
^Walker Astro Batting Coach
^Astros fire Hatton, hire Harry Walker
^Walker Cards hitting aide^{[permanent dead link]}
^^a ^b ^c ^d"2020 UAB Baseball Media Guide"(PDF).UAB Baseball. p. 73.RetrievedDecember 17,2020– via uabsports.
^Bouton, Jim (2000).Ball Four: The Final Pitch.Sports Publishing. pp. 334, 354.ISBN 1-58261-310-9.
^Harry Walker dies

External links

Career statistics and player information fromMLB,orBaseball Reference,orBaseball Reference (Minors),orRetrosheet
Harry Walker managerial career statisticsatBaseball-Reference
Harry WalkeratFind a Grave
UAB Baseball Records Archived2012-11-12 at theWayback Machine

Sporting positions
Preceded by Rollie Hemsley	Columbus Red Birds manager 1951	Succeeded by Johnny Keane
Preceded by Johnny Keane	Rochester Red Wings manager 1952–1955	Succeeded by Lou Kahn
Preceded by Mike Ryba	Houston Buffaloes manager 1956–1958	Succeeded by Rube Walker
Preceded by Terry Moore	St. Louis Cardinals first-base coach 1959–1962	Succeeded by Joe Schultz
Preceded by Joe Schultz	Atlanta Crackers manager 1963	Succeeded by Jack McKeon
Preceded by Casey Wise	Jacksonville Suns manager 1964	Succeeded by Grover Resinger

[1] "Harry Walker".Baseball in Wartime.2010.RetrievedDecember 17,2020.

[NYT-2] Goldstein, Richard (August 10, 1999)."Harry Walker, 80, Is Dead; A Fidgeter With a Purpose".The New York Times.p. C-20.RetrievedDecember 17,2020– via nytimes.

[retro-3] "Harry Walker".Retrosheet.RetrievedDecember 17,2020.

[4] Amman, Larry; Davids, L. Robert."Baseball Brothers".SABR.RetrievedDecember 17,2020.

[5] Cards fire Stanky; hire Harry Walker

[6] "Harry Walker 1955 Batting Game Logs".Baseball-Reference.RetrievedDecember 17,2020.

[7] Harry Walker named Manager at Pittsburgh

[8] Murtaugh back as Pirates Manager- Harry Walker axed

[9] Walker Astro Batting Coach

[10] Astros fire Hatton, hire Harry Walker

[11] Walker Cards hitting aide^{[permanent dead link]}

[UABmg-12] "2020 UAB Baseball Media Guide"(PDF).UAB Baseball. p. 73.RetrievedDecember 17,2020– via uabsports.

[13] Bouton, Jim (2000).Ball Four: The Final Pitch.Sports Publishing. pp. 334, 354.ISBN 1-58261-310-9.

[14] Harry Walker dies

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v t e St. Louis Cardinals 1942 World Serieschampions
1Whitey Kurowski 3Jimmy Brown 4Marty Marion 5Ray Sanders 6Stan Musial 7Creepy Crespi 8Terry Moore 9Enos Slaughter 10Harry Walker 12Johnny Hopp 13Mort Cooper(NL MVP) 14Gus Mancuso 15Walker Cooper 16Ken O'Dea 17Erv Dusak 18Lon Warneke 19Harry Gumbert 20Coaker Triplett 21Johnny Beazley 22Murry Dickson 23Max Lanier 24Clyde Shoun 27Howie Pollet 28Ernie White 29Howie Krist 32Sam Narron 34Bill Lohrman 35Whitey Moore
Manager 30Billy Southworth Coaches 25Mike González 26Buzzy Wares
Regular season

v t e St. Louis Cardinals 1946 World Serieschampions
1Whitey Kurowski 2Red Schoendienst 4Marty Marion 5Harry Walker 6Stan Musial(NL MVP) 7Nippy Jones 8Terry Moore 9Enos Slaughter 11Howie Pollet 15Dick Sisler 17Joe Garagiola 18Del Rice 19Erv Dusak 20Red Munger 22Murry Dickson 27Johnny Beazley 28Ted Wilks 29Howie Krist 31Harry Brecheen 36Al Brazle
Manager 30Eddie Dyer Coaches 25Mike González 26Buzzy Wares
Regular season