WHY I THINK BUCKY WALTERS SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN

WHY I THINK BUCKY WALTERS SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN

By- Damien 

Bucky Walters was an absolutely dominant righthanded pitcher in a hitter friendly era. He had a lifetime total of almost 200 wins and over 40 shutouts, won the NL Triple Crown and MVP Award in 1939, won two ERA titles, and led the NL in wins three times. With his devastating sinkerball, he soon became a prolific winner on a lot of bad teams early in his career, and a prolific winner on some good teams later in his career. Walters, a converted third baseman, was also one of the finest hitting pitchers in the game, as he batted .243 lifetime with 99 doubles, 16 triples, and 23 home runs. He was a six time all-star and a World Series champion in 1940, when he went 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA and also batted .286 with a home run and a double against the Tigers. To top it all off, Walters even won a fielding title in 1944. Bucky Walters started his career with the Boston Braves in 1931, hitting .211 in nine games. He was seldom used until 1934, when he played 80 games at third base and made his debut on the mound. Walters won nine games with a pair of shutouts in 1935, but fell to 11-21 in 1936, albeit with a terrible team. After a 14-15 season Walters split his services in 1938 between the Phillies and the Reds, compiling a 15-14 record. Walters pulled it all together in 1939, when he went 27-11 with a 2.29 ERA and 137 strikeouts, leading the NL in nine pitching categories, and captured the MVP Award. Walters won 22 games with a NL low 2.48 ERA in 1940 and won 19 games in 1941. Walters had another career year in 1942 but slumped to 15-15 in 1943. Walters had one last big season in 1944 (23-8, 2.40 ERA) and pitched very well in 1945 and 1946 before age began to catch up with him. He pitched his final game in 1950. Bucky Walters was a great pitcher and a baseball player who did everything well. Seriously, has there ever been a pitcher with an MVP, two ERA titles, and a Triple Crown who has not been voted into the Hall of Fame other than Walters? 

LIFETIME STATISTICS 

Games Pitched career: 428 season high: 40 in 1936 

Starts career: 398 season high: 36 in 1939 and 1940 led NL: 34 in 1937, 36 in 1939 

Complete Games career: 242 season high: 31 in 1939 led NL: 31 in 1939, 29 in 1940, 27 in 1941 

Shutouts career: 42 season high: 6 in 1944 led NL: 4 in 1936 

Games Finished career: 18 season high: 3 in 1936 and 1938 

Wins career: 198 season high: 27 in 1939 led NL: 27 in 1939, 22 in 1940, 23 in 1944 

Losses career: 160 season high: 21 in 1936 led NL: 21 in 1936 

Winning Percentage career: .553 season high: .742 in 1944 

ERA career: 3.30 season low: 2.29 in 1939 led NL: 2.29 in 1939, 2.48 in 1940 

WHIP career: 1.324 season low: 1.092 in 1940 led NL: 1.125 in 1939, 1.092 in 1940 

Innings Pitched career: 3,104 ⅔ season high: 319 in 1939 led NL: 319 in 1939, 305 in 1940, 302 in 1941 

Strikeouts career: 1,107 season high: 137 in 1939 led NL: 137 in 1939 

Strikeouts Per Nine Innings career: 3.2 season high: 3.9 in 1939 and 1942 

Walks career: 1,121 (0 intentional) season high: 115 in 1936 

Strikeouts Per Walk career: 0.99 season high: 1.47 in 1941 

Saves career: 4 season high: 2 in 1941 

Fielding Percentage career: .960 season high: 1.000 in 1944 led NL P: 1.000 in 1944 

Double Plays career: 119 season high: 18 in 1934 

Putouts career: 364 season high: 107 in 1934 led NL P: 19 in 1943 

Assists career: 1,135 season high: 190 in 1934 led NL P: 96 in 1936 

DID YOU KNOW? 

-started the 1944 all-star game and had a career 2.00 ERA in nine career all-star innings 

-went 1-for-1 with a double and a run scored in the all-star game 

-allowed the fewest hits per nine innings in the NL in 1939 (7.1), 1940 (7.1) and 1944 (7.4) 

-led the NL in batters faced in 1939 (1,283) and 1940 (1,207) 

-finished third in the NL MVP Award voting in 1940, fifth in 1944, 28th in 1941 and 32nd in 1943 

-batted .325 with eight doubles in his 1939 MVP campaign 

-scored 227 runs and drove in 234 

-had a .515 career caught stealing percentage at pitcher 

-ranks 38th in career shutouts 

-also played 17 games at second base, six in the outfield, 72 as a pinch hitter and 14 as a pinch runner 

-went 81-123-2 (.397) as a manager 

-coached with the Braves and the Giants from 1950 through 1957 

-was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 1958