Alfred Bluford “Rube” Walker was born on May 16, 1926, in Lenoir North Carolina. He was the son of Alfred and Buelah Walker, the oldest of three boys. He was raised in a typical middle-class family of the era. His father was a semi-pro catcher in his younger days. He would bring string home from his job at the cotton mill to wrap around golf balls until they were as large as a baseball. Once they were wrapped in black tape, the boys would have balls to play with.
He got his nickname while he was a batboy for the Lenoir team of the Class-D Carolina League. The star player was Rube Robinson. Walker and his brothers had to work on his grandparents’ farm to help support the family. He learned how to cure meat as well as many other farm chores. He enjoyed sports, but baseball was his favorite and that is the one he excelled at.
When he graduated from High School in 1944, he signed with Erwin, a Class-D Cubs affiliate in the Appalachian League. He hit .264 there. In 1945 he started the season with Nashville, but after hitting only 216 he was demoted to Portsmouth, a Class-B team. In 1946 he played with Davenport, a Class-B team in the Three-I League. He had a spectacular year, hitting .354 with 13 HRs and 85 driven in. In 1947 he was back in Nashville and had another great year hitting .331 with 22 HRs and 105 RBIs. The Cubs were impressed and signed him for the 1948 season.
In his rookie year, he showed promise in 79 games, he hit .275. But both those marks would end up being career highs as Rube was destined to become a career back-up. He appeared in just 56 games in 49, and 74 in 1950. On June 15, 1951, he was part of an 8 player trade with the Dodgers that sent him, Andy Pafko, Johnny Schmitz, and Wayne Terwilliger to Brooklyn for Bruce Edwards, Gene Hermanski, Eddie Miksis, and Joe Hatten.
As a member of the Dodgers, he became Roy Campanella’s caddy. When Campy was injured, Walker started games 2 and 3 of the 51 playoffs with the Giants and was behind the plate when Thompson hit the HR to win the pennant. He said later that the pitch to Thompson was supposed to be a brush-back pitch, but Branca did not get it far enough inside.
He met and married his wife in 1951. He was very devoted to his family which consisted of three daughters. Debbie was born in 1952, Barbara in 1955, and Janet in 1963. Just like his dad, Rube was laid back and left the disciplining of the children to his wife. He would play out the rest of his career with the Dodgers, a total of 8 years as a backup catcher. His stats were typical of that kind of player, 362 games, a .214 BA with 19 HRs, and 123 driven in. He was part of the 1955 Champs, but in 4 World Series appearances with the team, he got only 2 at bats in the 1956 series.
After the 1958 season, he was replaced as the backup by Joe Pignatano, who became the backup to Johnny Roseboro, who had taken over for Campy after his tragic accident. He had been released by the Dodgers in June of 1958 because his bat was pretty anemic at the time. Roseboro on the other hand was hitting over .290. The Dodger pitchers were pretty upset at his release. Big D moaned why does it have to be Rube. He was known as a great handler of pitchers and they loved pitching to him. A comparison to today’s team would be Austin Barnes.
In 1959 he embarked on a minor league managerial career. He was a player manager for the Houston team in the American Association. But he was fired in June with the team in last place. He was picked up as a catcher by St. Paul in the same league and hit a combined .268 playing with St. Paul and the Houston franchise. In 1960, he would manage Atlanta, which was the Dodgers affiliate in the Southern Association to a pennant. It was also his last season as an active player. One of the players on his team, Pete Richert, was named Minor League player of the year.
He moved on to the Yankee system in 1962 and managed 3 different teams for them in the next 3 years. It would be his last season as a minor league manager. He was slated to manage the Met’s Greenville team in 1965, when old friend, Gil Hodges, was named manager of the Washington Senators and asked Walker to become his pitching coach. He was released from his obligation by the Mets and joined Gil’s staff in DC.
When Hodges moved on to the Mets in 1968, Walker went with him. The move could not have been more fortuitous for both. Despite their record of futility, the Mets had some fine young arms in the system. Walker believed there were only so many pitches in an arm and watched over his staff like a mother hen.
He instituted what was called, “Walkers Law”. No pitcher was allowed to throw without Rube’s knowing about it. There was some criticism that he babied the Mets pitchers and that may have been true. But to many of the young pitchers on the staff, he was a father figure and treated them like the sons he never had.
Maybe because he was a catcher, Walker was not strong on mechanics. He stressed conditioning and the mental aspect of the game. And it seemed to work. The 68 staff knocked about a run off of the team ERA from the prior season and managed to finish ahead of the Houston team in the standings. Avoiding the cellar for only the second time in their checkered history. Another thing Walker did was institute a 5 man rotation. The young star of the staff, Tom Seaver, grumbled about this at first having been accustomed to the 4 man rotation. But Walker felt the 162 game schedule dictated the need for this change.
In 1969 it all came together. It was the pitching of the Mets, Seaver, Koosman, Ryan, that overcame a 10 game deficit in August to overcome the Cubs and win the division. The Cubs 4 man rotation was gassed by September. In September the Mets won 23 games and had a team ERA of 2.15. They had 10 shutouts. Even Don Caldwell, the old man of the rotation at 33 won 5 consecutive games before losing a meaningless game to the Cubs on the last day of the season.
The staff got roughed up in the first NLCS but the bats put the lumber to the Braves and they swept them. Then it was on to the World Series against the Orioles. The Mets were definitely the underdog. But Met pitching silenced the big Baltimore bats. Some timely hitting a great fielding plays contributed and the Mets were Champions.
Although he was not great on mechanics, Walker had a knack for spotting flaws in a pitcher’s delivery. He had the trust of his staff. What he did demand and teach was how to think like a major league pitcher. He made Jerry Koosman ditch his slider, and it made his curve a more effective pitch. But the kids enjoyed playing pranks on their laid-back leader. One of their favorites was reminding Walker he was behind the plate for the Thompson homer.
The Mets did not repeat in 1970, dropping to 83 wins. Seaver was fatigued down the stretch and Koosman had a bout of shoulder woes. They repeated that record in 71. Walker had suffered some personal losses. His mom died in April of 1969, his brother Vernon died of Leukemia in 1971, his father died in April 1972. And to top it all off, his boss, Gil Hodges, died of a heart attack on April 2nd, 1972 after a round of golf in which Rube was one of the players.
Yogi Berra took over as manager, and he let Rube run the staff as he saw fit. The team roared out of the gate and had a 30-11 record. But then the injuries began to pile up and they fell to their third straight third place finish. Two bright spots were Seaver, who won 21 games, and lefty Jon Matlack, who won 16 games and was named Rookie of the Year. In 1973, injuries affected the team again.
In August, they were in last place, 6 1/2 games behind the Cardinals. Then they came to life. Thier top reliever, Tug McGraw, was struggling, so they gave him a start. He was cuffed around by the Braves for 7 runs. But the next start he gave up only 1. Back in the pen, he became a force. In a furious September charge to the pennant, in one 10 game stretch, McGraw saved 6 games and won 3 others.
Then in the NLCS, they beat a superior team, the Big Red Machine. They then lost to the Orioles in 7 games. Some questioned them starting Seaver in game 6 since he had battled shoulder issues in September. Most felt they should have started George Stone, 12-3, instead and pitched Seaver in game 7 on full rest.
The Mets fell to 5th place in 1974. Walker’s young pitching staff had been broken up in some questionable moves by management. Ryan was dealt to the Angels after the 71 season for Jim Fregosi. Some doubted the young fireballer could ever harness his control. But Walker understood the need for a third baseman who could hit. Fregosi was well past his best days as a SS.
Gentry was the next to go, but it panned out since they got Felix Millan, who would man 2nd base for the next 5 seasons and 3 years of the lefty Stone. Seaver had his last great season in 75, winning the Cy Young Award. Koosman won 20 for the only time in his career in 76. Seaver was traded to the Reds after a feud with management and columnist Dick Young ran him out of town. In a June 77 trade, he was sent to the Reds for Doug Flynn, Steve Henderson, Dan Norman, and Pat Zachry. Koosman would leave in a trade in December of 78, and Matlack was traded in December of 77 as part of a 4 team trade heading to the Rangers.
Joe Torre was named manager in 77, and Walker stayed on. Walker and Torre were both fired after the 81 season. Torre was quickly hired by the Braves and he took Walker and former Dodger teammate, Joe Pignatano, to the Braves. The Braves were a surprise division winner in 82. But fell to second the next two seasons. Walker and Torre were let go. It ended 40 years in uniform for Walker. He spent the rest of his career scouting for the Braves and Cardinals. He was diagnosed with cancer in the summer of 1992. When Seaver was inducted to the Hall of Fame, he invited Rube to the ceremony, but he was too weak to attend. He died in December of that year.
He was a pitcher’s pitching coach Seaver said. That may well best sum up best the laid-back character who helped lead the Mets pitching staff in 1969 to baseball glory.
Discussion (16)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Tony Gonsolin allowed four runs on seven hits in his 2⅓ innings against Oakland, throwing 51 pitches. Gonsolin told Kirsten Watson on the SportsNet LA that he threw 10 more pitches in the bullpen before heading to the clubhouse. That’s after 23 pitches and three scoreless frames in last Thursday’s game.
Tyler Anderson pitched four scoreless innings in relief, allowing four singles and a walk, with four strikeouts, He threw 56 pitches, after 51 pitches in three frames Thursday. “We see him as a major league starter, but he’s open to coming out of the pen and pitching valuable innings for us,” Roberts told Watson on SportsNet LA after the game. “How that lines up, I don’t know right now.”
Anderson’s last inning was thrown to Dodgers top prospect Diego Cartaya, the 20-year-old who caught the final two innings. Diego struck out in his only at bat.
Julio Urías starts Wednesday for the Dodgers, another 6:05 p.m. PT start,
I sure hope Sean Manaea is a future Dodger…. Or old pal Frankie Montaz, who as a prospect went to the A’s in the deal for Rich Hill and Reddick.
Gonsolin roughed up today, and Belli another two Ks in two ABs… … Just spring, but geez….
On the plus side, another dinger for Rios. (Perhaps AF can include Lamb in a deal with the A’s…)
No doubt a lot of it is hype, but there are a lot of bullish reports on the Dodgers’ pitching prospects. Although Julio was only 19 when he debuted, the Dodgers seem very patient with prospects, perhaps overly so. Is it really better to put Heaney out there when Bobby Miller is reportedly throwing 100 mph? I hope he gets his chance sooner rather than later.
Watford, et al,
I never set foot in LA unless the Dodgers are in town. I will probably be there in late May, but the schedule means everything.
I may have not mentioned this, but we are buying a new building for our World Headquarters and I am meeting with a supplier of ours in Valencia about moving part of their manufacturing to Indy. .. the part that benefits us.
Well I do know it’s time already for Manfred to make a decision on Bauer!
Dodgerpatch nailed it: Trevor Bauer just fired a shot across the bow. It will not be the last, but it was not his first. He first sued Deadspin. I am certain his legal team will use this as a tool to bludgeon the joke (hey it rhymes) into STFU!
I dare Manfred to suspend him and I dare him not to have his ruling ready by the next Drop Dead Date!
I do not care for Bauer, much the same as I did not care for Michael Jordon, LaBron James, and Pete Rose, and while he is not in their category as an athlete, he is good.
But, no one in this country should be denied Due Process of Law… except maybe that guy who kidnapped and buried 26 kids, who is now getting parole at 70. I’d have to think real hard on that one…
Bickford had arm soreness before camp and won’t be ready by Opening Day as a result. He’s apparently healthy, but behind.
Too bad. He was such a good pitcher down the stretch for us.
Gonsolin, Anderson, Hudson and Bruhil all slated to pitch tonight against an A’s lineup that will be featuring Billy McKinny and Sheldon Nuese.
Future Dodger Sean Manaea is auditioning for the Dodgers as the A’s starting pitcher tonight.
Damn, I knew some crap like this was going to happen. The Jackie Robinson game is going to be carried by Apple TV and only Apple TV. The good news is, it’s gonna be free. The bad news, gotta install an app that maybe you didn’t intend on using. I may just pass on the game. F-Manfred!
Good news, the Dodgers aren’t going to have to wear those stupid “City Connect” uniforms. I’m starting to feel like this game is starting to be overrun with gimmicks.
Joe Davis is in the lead to get the lead broadcasting job for Fox Sports replacing Joe Buck. It doesn’t look like he’s going to be the Vin Scully for the Dodgers afterall. “If Davis does take the lead job at Fox, it seems unlikely he would be able to continue as the voice of the Dodgers, or at least not on a full time basis.” Say it ain’t so, Joe!
Sad to see Matt Beaty go. But, now he’s with the Padres and will probably do something to piss me off this year unless Bob Melvin can get that circus of a team and clubhouse under control. No more spinning gangsa clock please!
I’m really not looking forward to that nonsense of a schedule that they’re implementing next year. Does anyone like it? This basically kills all rivalries. I can’t believe MLB is doing this. What’s the point in having divisions or leagues or conferences at that point? Just lump them all together and seed them 1-12 and have a tournament as the post season. Why stop there? Just go ahead and finish destroying the sport and have a 100 game regular season for seeding and a 100 game post season with all teams making the post season. What a joke! Fire Manfred already!
Juan Toribio
@juanctoribio
#Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Phil Bickford dealt with arm soreness before camp. He won’t be ready for Opening Day.
Confirmed Lineup
SS Trea Turner R
1B F. Freeman L
3B J. Turner R
DH Max Muncy L
C Will Smith R
LF Chris Taylor R
CF C. Bellinger L
2B Gavin Lux L
RF Kevin Pillar R
SP Tony Gonsolin
Dodgers Ranked As the Second Most Valuable Team in MLB
by Brook Smith
When Frank McCourts’ Dodgers went up for sale back in 2011, Forbes valued them right around $800 million. They ended up selling to the Guggenheim Group for roughly $2 billion in what might have been the best thing to ever happen to the team in terms of ownership.
It’s wild how far the team has come since then. The new ownership group has taken the Dodgers to new levels, winning a World Series in 2020 and proving that they are there to compete every single year. That included completely revamping the minor league system and setting them up for decades of success.
The latest report from Forbes has the Dodgers valued much higher this year. They are the second-most valuable franchise in baseball, just being the New York Yankees. Forbes has them right around $4.075 billion, with the Yankees valued at slightly over $6 billion.
Giants will not have Longoria or Lamont Wade to start the season. Both will be on the IL. Jackson and Martin sent to the minor league camp.
https://www.dreamsnseams.com/blog/the-end-of-an-era
Heart warming read.
Bauer has filed a lawsuit against the Athletic and one of their reporters. I haven’t read the document yet. But he’s obviously on the offensive.
https://www.zuckerman.com/sites/default/files/2022-03/032922_The_Athletic.pdf
It’s Spring Training, a time of the year I generally love. Games on during the day while I’m working away in my “garoffice” featuring a mix of vets, youngsters and the next generation. Talks of newcomers and those that have departed.
Unfortunately, Spring has barely sprung and we’re just a week and a half away of real games that count in the standings. No, Spring ties, just wins and losses. Mookie says he just needs a couple of weeks to get ready. I hope he’s right because his .125 Batting Average isn’t awe inspiring. Speaking of hitting below the Mendoza line, Belli is outhitting Betts with a .136 Batting Average. If Belli finishes the season batting 11 points higher than Betts, I’ll take it!
There’s so many players hitting at or below the Mendoza line, I wouldn’t want to list them all here. Instead, how about the projected regulars hitting above 300? Freddie Freeman! That’s it! Ouch. That’s a little something for all the people that said we didn’t need him. I say, you make room for elite players especially when they fall into your lap. The Dodgers did that and thank goodness they did.
Starting pitching scares me a little. Not because of ERA or WHIP, but because none of the starters have pitched much except for Kershaw and apparently Heaney.
Maybe a little better luck with the pen? V-Gone 3 games no runs, Bruihl, 2 games no runs, Graterol 3 games no runs, Hudson 1IP 0 runs, Nunez and the others with 0 runs won’t be on the Opening Day roster. Cleavinger had 3 great outings and 1 bad inning. Treinen gave up a run in two innings. Versia is giving up a run every time out it seems. It looks kike everyone else has an ERA over 9! SSS, of course, but not instilling a ton of confidence.
I know, Spring Stats are as useful as an A-Hole on your Elbow to quote a Tarantino movie. But, I would like to see something along the lines of decent statistics somewhere with this powerhouse team. I don’t want to be throwing away games early because no one is ready.
It seems like every year the Dodgers slow roll Spring Training. I understand. I’m sure there’s not a team that’s played more games than the Dodgers in the last 5 – 10 years by virtue of being in the playoffs each year and having deep runs in most years.
I’m a little concerned because the Spring Stats are making it that way. But, I know this team is loaded and will be fine when we look up at the standings throughout the course of the marathon season. I just can’t help but wonder if everyone is going to be ready once the season starts.
Only two day games remain on the cactus league schedule. 6PM starts for today and tomorrow a night game on Thursday an off day on Friday and the getaway game at noon on Saturday against the Giants. Sunday, Monday and Tuesday will be freeway series games against the Angels. The regular season begins 2 days later in Colorado for a Friday 1PM start time.
The season is upon us. Let’s get some results.
Houston Mitchell of the times on Heaney, Bellinger and Bauer:
“What has happened so far is a spring training era of 16.88, giving up 10 runs and 12 hits in 5 1/3 innings. Which is not ideal for your fourth starter. Well, unless the Dodgers can score 17 runs every time Heaney starts.”
That’s all they need to do!
“The hope was that he couldn’t possibly be as bad as last season. And, if spring training is indication, he’s not. He’s worse. Through Sunday, Bellinger is three for 22 with no extra-base hits and 15 strikeouts. He has drawn a walk, so he’s got that going for him.”
Finally, he ran a poll about whether the Dodgers should have Bauer back:
“You were asked “Do you think Trevor Bauer should pitch again for the Dodgers?” Here are the results, after 23,112 votes:
No, 58.9%
Yes, 41.1%”
Bear, your sister is a lucky girl to have a brother like you to go to California and take care of your brother’s health needs. God bless you!
Bluford Walker. He sure was a guy in need of a nickname! Another”home run” Bear. Had no idea he was the pitching coach for the Mets with Seaver, Ryan and Koosman. Another catcher coach. Love the string and black tape story.