Mike Walker | |
---|---|
Pitcher | |
Born: Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | October 4, 1966|
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
MLB debut | |
September 9, 1988, for the Cleveland Indians | |
Last MLB appearance | |
July 11, 1996, for the Detroit Tigers | |
MLB statistics | |
Win–loss record | 3–11 |
Earned run average | 5.09 |
Strikeouts | 76 |
Teams | |
Michael Charles Walker (born October 4,1966) is an American former professional baseball player. Walker played in Major League Baseball with the Cleveland Indians (1988,1990,1991),Chicago Cubs (1995),and Detroit Tigers (1996). Walker last played professional baseball in 1999 with the minor league Buffalo Bisons.
Walker was born to Joan Robinett in Chicago and raised there. He was a fan of the Chicago Cubs and Chicago Bulls as a child. [1] Walker graduated from Hernando High School in Brooksville,Florida,in 1984 and played college baseball at Seminole State College of Florida. He was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in 1986. [2]
He was assigned to the Burlington Indians to begin his professional career. [3] In 1988,the Indians called Walker up to pitch in the exhibition Baseball Hall of Fame Game. [4] [5] At the time,he was described in The Morning Call as "the Eastern League's top pitcher." [5] He made his regular season debut on September 9 of that year. [6] He pitched 2.1 scoreless innings in relief of Rich Yett at Fenway Park against the Boston Red Sox. [7] He made two more appearances in the Major Leagues that year and spent the entirety of the following season in Triple-A Colorado Springs despite remaining on the 40-man roster. [8] Walker was assigned to Triple-A to start the 1990 season. [9] After struggling early in the season,Walker was demoted to Double-A Canton-Akron. He made only one appearance for Canton-Akron before being promoted directly to the Major Leagues following the demotion of Charles Nagy. [8] In 1991,the Indians converted Walker to a full-time relief pitcher and assigned him to Double-A to start the season. Walker,who by that point was pessimistic about his career prospects,was added to the big league roster in June. [10] He would appear in five games for the Indians that year and allow only one earned run. [6]
The Indians released Walker following the 1991 season. In December,he signed a minor league contract with the Detroit Tigers. [11] After Walker failed to make the team out of spring training,the Tigers assigned him to Triple-A Toledo to start the season [12] but released him in the middle of the 1992 season. He stayed in shape after his release be working out with his former high school team. The Indians re-signed him before the 1993 season but released him before spring training concluded. He then landed with the Chicago Cubs who assigned him to their Double-A affiliate. [13] Following the season,Walker told the Cubs that he was considering retirement. [14] Nonetheless,he returned for 1995 and the Cubs assigned him to Triple-A to begin the following season. [15] Walker had improved his control by studying his pitching mechanics on video during the offseason and cut his walks in half. [1] Walker made his debut with the Cubs on April 27,1995. [6] [16] Walker described pitching for the Cubs as a dream come true,telling the Tampa Bay Times "I always wanted to be with the Cubs. One of my dreams was to be in the big leagues,and the other was to pitch with the Cubs." [1] After retirement,he described pitching at Wrigley Field as the high point of his career. [17] To his surprise,Walker was demoted to the minor leagues in late July despite leading the bullpen in earned run average and innings pitched. He was recalled to the bigs when rosters expanded in September and finished the season there. [18] [16]
During the 1995–96 offseason,Walker worked out with Mike Marshall,a former Cy Young Award winner who also had a doctorate in kinesiology. Shortly before the start of spring training,he signed a minor league contract with the Philadelphia Phillies [19] but was released before the start of the season. [20] On April 26,he signed with the Detroit Tigers and began the season at Triple-A Toledo. He was called up to the majors on May 24 along with Bob Scanlan and Raúl Casanova. The Tigers had the worst record in Major League Baseball at the time. [21] He appeared in twenty games in relief for the Tigers that season and was demoted to the minors for the final time on July 13,1996. [6] [22]
Walker pitched a strong enough season in 1997 with the Indianapolis Indians,Triple-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds, [20] that the Reds brought him back for the 1998 season on a minor league contract. [23] In 1998,while still pitching in Indianapolis,Walker broke a 43-year-old record by appearing in 78 games as a pitcher. [20] His success in Indianapolis inspired him not to retire following the 1998 season. [17]
Prior to the 1999 season,the Cleveland Indians signed Walker to a free agent contract and invited him to spring training. [2] In July 1999,he was playing in Cleveland's farm system for the Buffalo Bisons when he was released and opted to retire from professional baseball. [17]
In 1988,while playing for the Williamsport Bills,Walker met his future wife,Justine. They were married in or about January 1990. [8] As of June 1995 [update] ,Justine had a 14-year-old daughter and they had two sons together,Michael Jr.,age three,and Jordan,age two. [1]
In 1997,he and his wife bought a sporting goods store off Florida State Road 50 in Brooksville,Florida. [24]
Walker was working as the Director of Parks and Recreation for Brooksville in 2016. [25] He was replaced in that role in 2019. [26]
Geremis Segundo González Acosta was a Venezuelan right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Chicago Cubs (1997–1998),Tampa Bay Devil Rays (2003–2004),Boston Red Sox (2005),New York Mets (2006) and Milwaukee Brewers (2006). In his rookie season he led the Cubs with 11 wins,but he was unable to continue that success in later seasons. He was known as Jeremi González until he was traded to the Brewers in 2006,at which time he informed the team of the proper spelling.
Fernando Rodney is a Dominican–American professional baseball pitcher for the Leones de Yucatán of the Mexican League. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers,Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim,Tampa Bay Rays,Seattle Mariners,Chicago Cubs,San Diego Padres,Miami Marlins,Arizona Diamondbacks,Minnesota Twins,Oakland Athletics and Washington Nationals.
John Gary Glover is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He had a career major league ERA of 5.03 over eight seasons,including time spent with the Anaheim Angels,Chicago White Sox,Detroit Tigers,Milwaukee Brewers,Tampa Bay Devil Rays/Rays and Toronto Blue Jays,who selected Glover in the 15th round of the 1994 Major League Baseball draft. He also played for the Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball and the Sydney Storm of the Australian Baseball League.
Michael Brooks Kieschnick is an American former professional baseball left fielder and pitcher. The only player to win the Dick Howser Trophy twice,he is a College Baseball Hall of Fame inductee. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) during six seasons between 1996 and 2004,primarily with the Chicago Cubs and the Milwaukee Brewers. He batted left-handed but threw right-handed. During the initial part of his major league career,he was exclusively a position player;for his final two seasons in the big leagues,he was used primarily as a relief pitcher who also occasionally served as an outfielder and pinch hitter.
Lawrence Lee Rothschild is an American professional baseball pitcher,coach,and manager.
James Joseph Hickey is an American professional baseball pitching coach for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball (MLB). Hickey was the previously the pitching coach for the Tampa Bay Rays,Chicago Cubs,and Houston Astros.
Edwin Jackson Jr. is a German-born American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Dodgers,Tampa Bay Devil Rays / Rays,Detroit Tigers,Arizona Diamondbacks,Chicago White Sox,St. Louis Cardinals,Washington Nationals,Chicago Cubs,Atlanta Braves,Miami Marlins,San Diego Padres,Baltimore Orioles,Oakland Athletics,and Toronto Blue Jays. Jackson was an All-Star in 2009,threw a no-hitter on June 25,2010,and was a member of the 2011 World Series champion Cardinals.
Michael Eugene Fontenot Jr. is an American former professional baseball infielder who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs,San Francisco Giants,and Philadelphia Phillies. He batted left-handed and threw right-handed. Fontenot was commonly used at second base,shortstop,or third base during his career. He won a World Series with the Giants in 2010.
Matthew Scott Garza is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut in 2006 with the Minnesota Twins,and also played in MLB for the Tampa Bay Rays,Chicago Cubs,Texas Rangers and Milwaukee Brewers. With the Rays,Garza was named the American League Championship Series Most Valuable Player in 2008,and threw a no-hitter on July 26,2010.
Jerry Carl Spradlin is an American former professional baseball player who pitched in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1993 to 2000.
Kevin Michael McGlinchy is an American former professional baseball player who pitched in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1999 to 2000 with the Atlanta Braves.
Robert Louis Wilson is an American former professional baseball catcher and current coach. He is the catching coordinator for the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played in MLB for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim,Arizona Diamondbacks,Tampa Bay Rays,Texas Rangers,Minnesota Twins,and Detroit Tigers.
Christopher Paul Gimenez is an American former professional baseball catcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland Indians,Seattle Mariners,Tampa Bay Rays,Texas Rangers,Chicago Cubs and Minnesota Twins.
Christopher Alan Archer is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Rays,Pittsburgh Pirates and Minnesota Twins.
Brandon Eric Guyer is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Indians. His knack for getting hit by pitches earned him the nickname,"La Piñata."
Michael Paul Montgomery is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization. He was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the first round of the 2008 MLB draft,and made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut with the Seattle Mariners in 2015. The Mariners traded him to the Chicago Cubs in 2016. Montgomery recorded the final out in Game 7 of the 2016 World Series,earning the save and sealing the Cubs' first World Series title since 1908.
Darin Burton Downs is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. His professional career began when he was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in 2003. He also played in the Tampa Bay Rays' minor league system and during that time,survived a very serious concussion. After spending the 2011 season in the minors for the Florida Marlins organization,Downs joined the Tigers. He was called up to the majors for the first time on July 3,2012. Downs was claimed off waivers by the Houston Astros after the 2013 season.
Brooks Lee Raley is an American professional baseball pitcher for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Chicago Cubs,Cincinnati Reds,Houston Astros,and Tampa Bay Rays,and in the KBO League for the Lotte Giants. Raley played college baseball for the Texas A&M Aggies. The Cubs selected Raley in the sixth round of the 2009 MLB draft and he made his MLB debut with them in 2012.
Ryan Joseph Borucki is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners.
Chih-Wei Hu is a Taiwanese professional baseball pitcher for the Uni-President Lions of the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL). He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Rays.