Summary
Robert Vernon Walk (born November 26, 1956), nicknamed "The Whirly Bird", is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies (1980), Atlanta Braves (1981–1983), and Pittsburgh Pirates (1984–1993).
| Bob Walk | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: November 26, 1956 Van Nuys, California, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| May 26, 1980, for the Philadelphia Phillies | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 29, 1993, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 105–81 |
| Earned run average | 4.03 |
| Strikeouts | 848 |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Philadelphia Phillies edit
During his rookie season in Philadelphia, Walk won his first six decisions, finished with an 11–7 record and was the winning pitcher in Game One of the 1980 World Series, his Phillies defeating the Kansas City Royals in six games.
Atlanta Braves edit
Walk was traded from the Phillies to the Braves for Gary Matthews on March 25, 1981.[1] He bounced between the main club and Triple-A, until being released in March 1984.
Pittsburgh Pirates edit
Walk was signed to a minor league contract by the Pirates and led the Pacific Coast League (PCL) in earned run average (ERA) and wins in 1985, earning a trip back to the majors. He was named to the All-Star team in 1988 when he won 12 games and posted a 2.71 ERA.
In his waning years, Walk served as a spot starter and swingman for the Pirates' teams that won three straight NL East titles from 1990–1992. His most memorable outing being when manager Jim Leyland removed him from the bullpen and named him a surprise starter in Game Five of the 1992 NLCS against Atlanta. Walk tossed a complete game three-hitter to stave off elimination in a series which the Pirates would eventually lose in seven games. He was also the pitcher who was warming up in the bullpen when Francisco Cabrera hit the two-run, game-winning single against Stan Belinda, which won the series for Atlanta. Despite both Walk and Cabrera being right-handers, Leyland opted to keep Belinda (despite having walked Damon Berryhill to load the bases and giving up a deep fly ball to Ron Gant) to pitch to Cabrera.
In 1993, Walk recorded an NL-worst 5.68 ERA and retired after the season.
Post-career edit
Walk is currently an announcer for the Pittsburgh Pirates on AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh and radio. He is also a fill-in game analyst for MLB on FOX as well as a game analyst for Peacock’s MLB Sunday Leadoff during Pirates games.
Personal edit
Walk is the father of three children, Tommy, Johnny, and Ronnie.[2]
When Walk was a teenager, he attended a game at Dodger Stadium and threw a tennis ball from the stands at Houston Astros centerfielder César Cedeño. He was charged with battery but ultimately released after promising to the judge that he would not go to Dodger Stadium again.[3]
References edit
- ^ "Phillies Trade for Matthews," The Associated Press (AP), Wednesday, March 25, 1981. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
- ^ "1992 Topps baseball card # 486".
- ^ Meyer, Paul (9 August 1998). "Memory loss". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 46. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
External links edit
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet
- Bob Walk at Baseball Almanac