Home  News Bucky Walters Baseball Hall of Fame Vets Finalist
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Bucky Walters Baseball Hall of Fame Vets Finalist
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Infielder Turned Hurler a Veterans Committee Finalist at Hall of Fame
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
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COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. – Bucky Walters didn’t become a full-time big league pitcher until he was 27 years old. But he quickly made up for the lost time.
Now, Walters could take his place with baseball’s all-time greats at the Hall of Fame.
Walters (April 19, 1909-April 20, 1991) was an All-Star pitcher who played for the Boston Braves (1931-32, 1950), Boston Red Sox (1933-1934), Philadelphia Phillies (1934-1938) and Cincinnati Reds (1938-1948). Known for his durability and good hitting, Walters spent five years as an infielder before making the change to pitching.
Walters was a six-time All-Star, and the 1939 National League MVP and Triple Crown Winner. During that season, he led the National League with 27 wins, a 2.29 ERA and 137 strikeouts.
Walters pitched 300 innings three years in a row (1939-41) and pitched in 39 games in back-to-back seasons in 1938 and 1939. He also led the league in complete games and innings pitched from 1939-1941.
Walters was the workhorse for two pennant-winning Reds teams in 1939 and 1940. In the 1940 World Series, Walters threw two complete games in two appearances with a 1.50 ERA, including a shutout in Game Six to force a Game Seven. The Reds beat the Tigers for the World Series Championship.
Walters finished his career with a 198-160 record and an ERA of 3.30. He started 398 games and had 242 complete games. He threw 3,104.7 innings in 16 seasons. He maintained a career batting average of .243.
Walters is one of 10 finalists on the pre-1943 Veterans Committee ballot at the Baseball Hall of Fame. Other members of the pre-1943 Veterans Committee final ballot (for players who began their big league career before 1943) include Bill Dahlen, Wes Ferrell, Joe Gordon, Sherry Magee, Carl Mays, Allie Reynolds, Vern Stephens, Mickey Vernon and Deacon White. Any player receiving at least 75 percent of the vote from the Veterans Committee will be enshrined at the Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2009.
Results from the Veterans Committee vote will be announced Dec. 8 at baseball’s Winter Meetings.
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