Rube Walker

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Albert Bluford "Rube" Walker (May 16, 1926 – December 12, 1992) was an American Major League Baseball catcher and longtime pitching coach.

A native of Lenoir, North Carolina, Walker was signed by the Chicago Cubs as an amateur free agent in 1944, Walker would make his Major League Baseball debut with the Cubs on April 20, 1948, and appeared in his final game on June 15, 1958. As a Brookyn Dodger, he was behind the plate when Bobby Thomson hit the "Shot Heard 'Round the World" in 1951.

After retiring as a player, he was a pitching coach for the Washington Senators, New York Mets, and the Atlanta Braves, working closely with managers Gil Hodges, Yogi Berra and Joe Torre, among others. Walker was the Mets pitching coach for 14 seasons from 1968 through 1981 including the 1969 World Champion "Amazin'" Mets. As Mets pitching coach, he worked with Hall of Famers Tom Seaver and Nolan Ryan.

The book Carl Erskine's Tales from the Dodgers Dugout: Extra Innings (2004) includes short stories from former Dodger pitcher Carl Erskine. Walker is prominent in many of these stories.

Walker scouted for the Braves and St. Louis Cardinals after his coaching career ended. He died, from lung cancer, at age 66 in Morganton, North Carolina. His younger brother, Verlon "Rube" Walker, was nicknamed after him; Verlon was a longtime minor league catcher and manager, and served for 10 years (from 1961 until his death in March 1971) as a coach for the Cubs.

[edit] External links

• Rube Walker at Baseball Reference.com
• BaseballLibrary.com
• The Deadball Era obituary

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