Jerry Walker

Jerry Allen Walker (February 12, 1939 – July 14, 2024) was an American professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles, Kansas City Athletics, and Cleveland Indians between 1957 and 1964.

Early life Walker was born on February 12, 1939, just south of Ada, Oklahoma, at Pecan Grove. He was raised with two brothers and a sister by his parents Annie Elizabeth (Rhodes) and Oliver Ansel Walker on a farm at Byng, Oklahoma, where he attended Byng High School, graduating in 1957.

Baltimore Orioles pitching coach Harry Brecheen, who was a native Oklahoman who grew up and lived in Ada, had scouted Walker and was impressed by his pitching control. Walker signed with the Orioles as a "bonus baby" out of Ada's Byng High School on June 28, 1957, for a reported signing bonus of $60,000. He continued his education at East Central University. 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. He pitched for the Orioles eight days (or alternatively reported, six weeks) after graduating high school and/or signing with the Orioles.

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. giving Walker an earned run average of infinity coming out of his first MLB game. When Brecheen came out to the mound to ask the 18-year old what was wrong that day, Walker responded that he had never seen that many people in his life. This was the first win by one of Paul Richards bonus babies.

Back with the Orioles in 1959, Walker 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. He 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, 178 pitch (or more), complete game shutout against the eventual league champion Chicago White Sox, winning 1–0. His 2.92 earned run average (ERA) was among the top five that year. Before the 1960 season, he was described as a thinking pitcher, "with good control and plenty of breaking stuff". Teammate Jackie Brandt described him as tricking hitters. Coincidentally, only 22 months later, on February 27, 1963, Kansas City dealt Walker to Cleveland to reacquire outfielder Essegian.

In 1963, Walker became a part of baseball history when he saved Early Wynn's 300th win on July 13, 1963. Wynn and the Indians were leading 5–1 heading to the bottom of the fifth, but when Wynn let up three runs in the bottom of the inning, he was pinch-hit for in the top of the sixth. Walker was tasked with preserving the one-run lead to keep Wynn eligible for the victory, and he threw four scoreless innings to secure the 7–4 victory.

Over his major league career, 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. There is some belief that Richards allowing Walker to pitch the 16-inning shutout began Walker's arm troubles, but Walker himself is not certain this was the case. Walker managed in the Yankees minor league system from 1968–73. In 1978, he scouted future Yankee star pitcher Dave Righetti. He was a pitching coach with the Yankees (1981–82) and Houston Astros (1983–85).

He served as a special assignment scout for the Detroit Tigers starting in 1985, and served one season (1993) as their general manager, before being fired; 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 general manager Walt Jocketty. He then became a vice president and special assistant to Jocketty with the Cincinnati Reds, 2009–14. He retired from the Reds in 2016 or 2019. At the time of his death, he had been married to Janis (Violet) Walker for 64 years, and was survived by two daughters, six grandchildren and six great grandchildren.