Harry Walker
When Harry Walker won the 1947 National League batting title, he showed the Cardinals what they were missing. St. Louis had traded Walker ten games into the season, and "The Hat" hit .371 the rest of the year to join his brother as a batting champion. Walker, whose father and uncle had also played major league baseball, struggled with sickness and injuries his entire career. After he retired, he managed three teams with moderate success, and was fired by the Astros in 1972 even though they were in second place.
Played For
St. Louis Cardinals (1940-1947)
Philadelphia Phillies (1947-1948)
Chicago Cubs (1949)
Cincinnati Reds (1949)
St. Louis Cardinals (1950-1955)
Managed
St. Louis Cardinals (1955)
Pittsburgh Pirates (1965-1967)
Houston Astros (1968-1972)
Best Season: 1947
He led the National League in triples (16), batting (.363), and on-base percentage (.436). He was hitting .200 in 10 games when Eddie Dyer gave the green-light to trade him to the Phillies for Ron Northey. The Cardinals wanted a power hitter. They tradedaway the batting champion, as Harry hit .371 with Philadelphia. With the batting crown, Harry and his brother became the first brothers to win batting championships.
Factoids
In 1947, Harry Walker became the first man to win the batting title whileplaying for two teams in the same season. Walker began the year with the Cardinals, and finished with the Phillies.
Where He Played
Outfield (mostly center) - 691 games; first base (20), second base (3), and third base for a game.
Born
Harry William Walker was born on October 22, 1916, in Pascagoula, MS.
Died
August 8, 1999, Birmingham, AL
Batted: Left
Threw: Right
Primary Position: OF
Primary Team: SLN
Major League Debut
September 25, 1940
Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1940
Pee Wee Reese
Elmer Valo
Marty Marion
Walker Cooper
Dom DiMaggio
Pete Reiser
Harry Brecheen
Harry Walker
Stan Spence
Nicknames
Harry The Hat, The Mississippi Scarecrow
The Hat nickname came from Harry's habit of tugging at his cap while he was in the batters box. He reportedly went through more than a dozen caps each season.
Family Tree
His older brother was Dixie Walker, father was Dixie Walker, uncle was Ernie Walker... When Harry credited his brother Dixie with his success during the '47 season, his older brother 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 was traded twice for Ron Northey
Post-Season Appearances
1942 World Series
1943 World Series
1946 World Series
Injuries and Explanation for Missed Playing Time
While in the Army during World War II, Harry had spinal meningitis, and was told he'd never play ball again.
Hitting Streaks
29 games (1943)
22 games (1943)
Transactions
Before 1937 Season: Signed by the Philadelphia Phillies as an amateur free agent.
Before 1940 Season: Sent from the Philadelphia Phillies to the St. Louis Cardinals in an unknown transaction.
May 3, 1947: Traded by the St. Louis Cardinals with Freddy Schmidt to the Philadelphia Phillies for Ron Northey.
Cardinals manager Eddie Dyer decided he wanted a power hitter, so they traded to get Northey.
October 4, 1948: Traded by the Philadelphia Phillies to the Chicago Cubs for Bill Nicholson.
June 15, 1949: Traded by the Chicago Cubs with Peanuts Lowrey to the Cincinnati Reds for Frank Baumholtz and Hank Sauer.
December 14, 1949: Traded by the Cincinnati Reds to the St. Louis Cardinals for Lou Klein and Ron Northey.
October 20, 1955: Released by the St. Louis Cardinals.
All-Star Selections
1943 NL
1947 NL
Best Strength as a Player
Harry was very fast, though he never stoled many bases.
Largest Weakness as a Player
He was frail, always getting sick.
Learn More about Harry Walker
Search Amazon.com for Books about Harry Walker ⇒
Search for Harry Walker at Google ⇒
View a map of his hometown at Mapquest ⇒
