Gee Walker
Encyclopedia
Gerald Holmes "Gee" Walker (March 19, 1908 – March 20, 1981) was a Major League Baseball
outfielder
. During his fifteen year career, he played with the Detroit Tigers
, Chicago White Sox
, Washington Senators
, Cleveland Indians
, and Cincinnati Reds
. He played in 1,784 Major League games over 15 seasons with a career batting average of .294, 1,991 hits, 223 stolen bases, and 124 home runs.
Born in Gulfport, Mississippi
, Walker attended the University of Mississippi
and was a member of the Class of 1930. Walker played both football and baseball at Ole Miss and has been inducted into both the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame
and the Ole Miss Sports Hall of Fame. In the major leagues, he was known for stealing bases
, finishing nine times among the top ten in the category. He accompanied the Tigers to two World Series
, in 1934 and 1935.
Gee - a fiery competitor and a clown - became a favorite in Detroit. His antics earned him the nickname the "The Madman from Mississippi." He batted .300 or better in five of his first seven seasons. Though he was regularly among the league leaders in stolen bases, he also developed a reputation for being inattentive and overzealous on the basepaths. He once tried to steal a base while the batter was being given an intentional walk. During the 1934 World Series, he was picked off first while arguing with the Cardinal bench. On June 30, 1934, Walker was picked off base twice in the same inning. After Hank Greenberg
singled, Walker reached base on an error, but was caught off base when the catcher threw to first base. Greenberg tried to draw a throw by running to third base and was thrown out, with Walker taking second base. Moments later, with Walker standing six feet off the bag, the pitcher threw to second base and Walker was tagged out. Detroit manager Mickey Cochrane
was so angered by Walker's inattention that he suspended Walker for 10 days and fined him $20.
In 1936, Walker hit .353—the highest batting average of his career and 6th highest in the American League. He also hit 55 doubles—2nd only to his teammate Charlie Gehringer
.
In 1937, Walker began the season on fire. On Opening Day, he hit for the cycle -- the only player to accomplish that feat on Opening Day. Walker hit the cycle in reverse order—starting with a home run, followed by triple, then a double, and a single. Walker continued his hot hitting in the spring of 1937 with a 27-game hit streak in April and May 1937. Walker's fast start earned him a place in the 1937 All-Star Game
. He went on to reach career highs in 1937 with 18 HR, 113 RBIs, and a .335 average. His Power/Speed Number in 1937 was 20.2 -- tops in both leagues.
Despite Walker's strong performance in 1937, the Tigers (reportedly unhappy with Walker's antics) traded him after the 1937 season. The Tigers sent two of their most popular players, Gee Walker and Marv Owen
to the White Sox for Vern Kennedy
, Tony Piet
, and Dixie Walker
. The trade caused an uproar with Tiger fans, and owner Walter Briggs was forced to issue an announcement from his Miami home that "the deal was made with my approval."
After leaving the Bob, Walker continued to hit well for several years but was traded four more times. In December 1939, Walker was traded to the Washington Senators for Pete Appleton
and Taffy Wright
. In December 1940, Walker was traded to the Boston Red Sox
for Doc Cramer
and then sent to the Cleveland Indians
.
While playing for the Cincinnati Reds
in 1942, Walker collided in the outfield with fellow Mississippi native, Harry Craft
, with both players being knocked unconscious.
After his playing career ended, Walker was a coach with the Cincinnati Reds
in 1946.
Walker died in 1981 at the Mississippi State Hospital in Whitfield, Mississippi at age 73 after a long illness. He was survived by four sons, a daughter, and two brothers, one of whom Hub Walker
, was also a former major league outfielder, with Detroit and Cincinnati.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
. During his fifteen year career, he played with the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
, Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
, Washington Senators
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
, Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
, and Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
. He played in 1,784 Major League games over 15 seasons with a career batting average of .294, 1,991 hits, 223 stolen bases, and 124 home runs.
Born in Gulfport, Mississippi
Gulfport, Mississippi
Gulfport is the second largest city in Mississippi after the state capital Jackson. It is the larger of the two principal cities of the Gulfport-Biloxi, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, Mississippi Combined Statistical Area. As of the...
, Walker attended the University of Mississippi
University of Mississippi
The University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, is a public, coeducational research university located in Oxford, Mississippi. Founded in 1844, the school is composed of the main campus in Oxford, four branch campuses located in Booneville, Grenada, Tupelo, and Southaven as well as the...
and was a member of the Class of 1930. Walker played both football and baseball at Ole Miss and has been inducted into both the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame
Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame
The Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum is located in Jackson, Mississippi. The hall of fame was established in 1961 and is currently located in a museum that displays the achievements of Mississippi athletes. The museum opened on July 4, 1996...
and the Ole Miss Sports Hall of Fame. In the major leagues, he was known for stealing bases
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
, finishing nine times among the top ten in the category. He accompanied the Tigers to two World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
, in 1934 and 1935.
Gee - a fiery competitor and a clown - became a favorite in Detroit. His antics earned him the nickname the "The Madman from Mississippi." He batted .300 or better in five of his first seven seasons. Though he was regularly among the league leaders in stolen bases, he also developed a reputation for being inattentive and overzealous on the basepaths. He once tried to steal a base while the batter was being given an intentional walk. During the 1934 World Series, he was picked off first while arguing with the Cardinal bench. On June 30, 1934, Walker was picked off base twice in the same inning. After Hank Greenberg
Hank Greenberg
Henry Benjamin "Hank" Greenberg , nicknamed "Hammerin' Hank" or "The Hebrew Hammer," was an American professional baseball player in the 1930s and 1940s. A first baseman primarily for the Detroit Tigers, Greenberg was one of the premier power hitters of his generation...
singled, Walker reached base on an error, but was caught off base when the catcher threw to first base. Greenberg tried to draw a throw by running to third base and was thrown out, with Walker taking second base. Moments later, with Walker standing six feet off the bag, the pitcher threw to second base and Walker was tagged out. Detroit manager Mickey Cochrane
Mickey Cochrane
Gordon Stanley "Mickey" Cochrane was a professional baseball player and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the Philadelphia Athletics and Detroit Tigers...
was so angered by Walker's inattention that he suspended Walker for 10 days and fined him $20.
In 1936, Walker hit .353—the highest batting average of his career and 6th highest in the American League. He also hit 55 doubles—2nd only to his teammate Charlie Gehringer
Charlie Gehringer
Charles Leonard Gehringer , nicknamed “The Mechanical Man,” was a German-American Major League Baseball second baseman who played 19 seasons for the Detroit Tigers...
.
In 1937, Walker began the season on fire. On Opening Day, he hit for the cycle -- the only player to accomplish that feat on Opening Day. Walker hit the cycle in reverse order—starting with a home run, followed by triple, then a double, and a single. Walker continued his hot hitting in the spring of 1937 with a 27-game hit streak in April and May 1937. Walker's fast start earned him a place in the 1937 All-Star Game
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
. He went on to reach career highs in 1937 with 18 HR, 113 RBIs, and a .335 average. His Power/Speed Number in 1937 was 20.2 -- tops in both leagues.
Despite Walker's strong performance in 1937, the Tigers (reportedly unhappy with Walker's antics) traded him after the 1937 season. The Tigers sent two of their most popular players, Gee Walker and Marv Owen
Marv Owen
Marvin James Owen was an American third baseman in Major League Baseball. He played nine seasons in the American League with the Detroit Tigers , Chicago White Sox , and Boston Red Sox ....
to the White Sox for Vern Kennedy
Vern Kennedy
Lloyd Vernon Kennedy was a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. From 1934 through 1945, he played for the Chicago White Sox , Detroit Tigers , St. Louis Browns , Washington Senators , Cleveland Indians , Philadelphia Phillies and Cincinnati Reds...
, Tony Piet
Tony Piet
Anthony Francis Piet was an infielder in Major League Baseball from 1931 to 1938...
, and Dixie Walker
Dixie Walker
Fred E. "Dixie" Walker was a right fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the New York Yankees , Chicago White Sox , Detroit Tigers , Brooklyn Dodgers and Pittsburgh Pirates...
. The trade caused an uproar with Tiger fans, and owner Walter Briggs was forced to issue an announcement from his Miami home that "the deal was made with my approval."
After leaving the Bob, Walker continued to hit well for several years but was traded four more times. In December 1939, Walker was traded to the Washington Senators for Pete Appleton
Pete Appleton
Peter William Appleton [Jake] was a right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from through for the Cincinnati Reds , Cleveland Indians 1930-32), Boston Red Sox , New York Yankees , Washington Senators , Chicago White Sox and St. Louis Browns...
and Taffy Wright
Taffy Wright
Taft Shedron "Taffy" Wright was an outfielder in professional baseball from 1938 to 1949. Wright made a splash in his rookie season, leading the American League in batting with a .350 average...
. In December 1940, Walker was traded to the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
for Doc Cramer
Doc Cramer
Roger Maxwell Cramer [Doc] was an American center fielder and left-handed batter in Major League Baseball who played for four American League teams from 1929 to 1948.-Career:...
and then sent to the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
.
While playing for the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
in 1942, Walker collided in the outfield with fellow Mississippi native, Harry Craft
Harry Craft
Harry Francis Craft was an American Major League Baseball player and manager. Born in Ellisville, Mississippi, he was an center fielder for the Cincinnati Reds from 1937–1942...
, with both players being knocked unconscious.
After his playing career ended, Walker was a coach with the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
in 1946.
Walker died in 1981 at the Mississippi State Hospital in Whitfield, Mississippi at age 73 after a long illness. He was survived by four sons, a daughter, and two brothers, one of whom Hub Walker
Hub Walker
Harvey Willos "Hub" Walker was a Major League Baseball outfielder who played five seasons with the Detroit Tigers and Cincinnati Reds . Born in Gulfport, Mississippi, Walker was the brother of Major League player, Gee Walker...
, was also a former major league outfielder, with Detroit and Cincinnati.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball leaders in career stolen bases
- Hitting for the cycleHitting for the cycleIn baseball, hitting for the cycle is the accomplishment of one batter hitting a single, a double, a triple, and a home run in the same game. Collecting the hits in that order is known as a "natural cycle". Cycles are uncommon in Major League Baseball , occurring 293 times since the first by Curry...