Dixie Walker
Popular Brooklyn outfielder Dixie Walker came from a baseball family. His father, the original Dixie Walker, pitched for the Senators, his uncle Ernie Walker was an outfielder with the Browns, and his brother Harry won a batting title. Dixie, who was older than Harry, won a batting title of his own in 1944, batting .357 for the Dodgers. Walker was so immensely popular with Dodger fans that he was dubbed "The People's Cherce." The line-drive hitting left-hander batted .300 or better seven times for the Dodgers, but was traded to the Pirates after the 1947 season. Walker, a Georgia-native, was never excited about having Jackie Robinson as a teammate, and his exile to Pittsburgh was at least partially due to his bigoted views.
| Career Batting Stats |
| G |
AB |
H |
R |
HR |
RBI |
SB |
AVG |
SLG |
OBP |
OPS |
OPS+ |
| 1905 |
6740 |
2064 |
1037 |
105 |
1023 |
59 |
.306 |
.437 |
.383 |
.820 |
112.8 |
|
Best Season: 1944
Walker led the National League with a .357 average and finished third in Most Valuable Player voting. He also finished second in MVP voting in 1946.
Factoids
Starting in the 1940s, when Dixie Walker came to the plate at Ebbets Field, organist Gladys Goodding would play the tune "My Buddy," a tune made popular by Al Jolson and others.
Dixie Walker and Harry Walker are the only brothers to each win a batting title in the major leagues. Dixie won the NL crown in 1944, and Harry won it in 1947.
Description
Walker was always in the middle of things. He loved to talk, and he usually had some nuggets to share with the opposition, which often led to confrontations. He and Phil Cavarretta scrapped once, and he fought Len Merullo before a game even started. In 1945, he tore into Braves' catcher Ewald Pyle when he tripped Eddie Stanky as he crossed the plate with a run. Walker was in the on-deck circle. Walker wasn't afraid to throw his fists in anger.
Where He Played
Right field mostly, though in 1940 the Dodgers played him in center.
Born
Fred Walker was born on September 24, 1910, in Villa Rica, GA.
Died
May 17, 1982, Birmingham, AL
Batted: Left
Threw: Right
Major League Debut
4 28,
Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1931
Billy Herman
Ernie Lombardi
Dixie Walker
Billy Jurges
Red Rolfe
Bucky Walters
Paul Derringer
Van Lingle Mungo
Gee Walker
Nicknames
The Peoples Cherce
Family Tree
His younger brother was Harry Walker, father was Dixie Walker, uncle was Ernie Walker... When Dixie was told that Harry credited him with his success during the '47 season, when the younger Walker won the batting title, he said: "He's just a good brother, that's all. He makes those hits himself. I don't swing his bat, I don't think for him. He's doing all that himself and I am proud of him. So are all the Walkers."
Related Players
Walker formed a hard-hitting outfield with Brooklyn teammates Joe Medwick and Pete Reiser... Jackie Robinson... Harry Walker... Walker roomed with Ben Chapman on the Yankees. The two southerners were good friends.
| Hall of Fame Voting |
| Year |
Election |
Votes |
Pct |
| 1962 |
BBWAA |
1 |
.6% |
1968 |
BBWAA |
6 |
2.1% |
1969 |
BBWAA |
9 |
2.6% |
|
Post-Season Appearances
1941 World Series
1947 World Series
Batting Feats
- September 2, 1944: Cycle...
Transactions
May 1, 1936: Selected off waivers by the Chicago White Sox from the New York Yankees.
The Yankees gave up on Walker because of his shoulder problems.
December 2, 1937: Traded by the Chicago White Sox with Vern Kennedy and Tony Piet to the Detroit Tigers for Marv Owen, Mike Tresh, and Gee Walker.
July 24, 1939: Selected off waivers by the Brooklyn Dodgers from the Detroit Tigers.
December 8, 1947: Traded by the Brooklyn Dodgers with Hal Gregg and Vic Lombardi to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Preacher Roe, Billy Cox, and Gene Mauch.
This swap helped set up the Dodgers for their 1950s dominance in the National League. Roe was a staple in the rotation, and Cox was a fixture at third base.
October 1, 1949: Released by the Pittsburgh Pirates.
All-Star Selections
1943 NL
1944 NL
1945 NL
1946 NL
1947 NL
Best Strength as a Player
One of the reasons the Dodger fans loved Dixie so much was his success against the Giants. He terrorized Giant pitching, batting over .400 against them in two different seasons... Dixie also rarely struck out.
Largest Weakness as a Player
He was never a very good outfielder.
Learn More about Dixie Walker
Search Amazon.com for Books about Dixie Walker ⇒
Search for Dixie Walker at Google ⇒
View a map of his hometown at Mapquest ⇒