Who is the man: Harry Walker was entering his fourth season as the Astros' manager in 1971. He managed them to a fourth-place finish in 1970 with a 79-83 mark.
Can ya dig it: Nothing says "manager" quite like hands on hips.
Right on: Confession time: I had no idea that Harry Walker and Dixie Walker were brothers until I researched for this post. It's amazing what escapes me.
You see this cat Walker is a bad mother: Walker drove in the winning run in Game 7 of the 1946 World Series, the one in which Enos Slaughter beat the throw by Johnny Pesky to home plate.
Shut your mouth: Walker was known for his ability to talk. In "Ball Four," Jim Bouton defends Walker from teammates who complained about how much Walker talked by pointing out that what Walker said often had substance.
No one understands him but his woman: Walker is the only National League player to win a batting title in a season in which he played for two teams. He was traded from the Cardinals to the Phillies in early May 1947 and proceeded to win the batting crown that year with a .363 average.
(A word about the back): Walker was 5-for-15 in 1955 when he was a player-manager.
Willie McGee won the NL betting title when he was traded. Although he was traded over to the AL, so not exactly the same thing.
ReplyDeleteI think it's all in how it's phrased. Walker is the only National League player to win a batting title while playing for two different teams. I'll adjust.
DeleteSome manager cards in earlier years had the hand cupped to the mouth pose, presumably shouting instructions to players. Now that says 'manager!'
ReplyDeleteHarry Walker consulted with the Pirates in 1979 and worked with some of the lesser known batters. They all improved. The WS victory was partially attributable to the less famous batters doing well in that year's series.
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