Luke Walker
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James Luke Walker (born September 2, 1943 in DeKalb, Texas) is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball who played between 1965 and 1974 for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1965-66, 1968-73) and Detroit Tigers (1974). He batted and threw left handed.
Walker did almost everything a pitcher is asked to do. He started and filled various relief roles coming out from the bullpen as a closer, middle reliever, and set-up man as well. His most productive season came in 1970 with Pittsburgh, when he finished 15-6 (3-1, three saves in relief), while his 3.04 ERA, .714 winning percentage, and 7.1 hits per nine innings all ranked him third among National League pitchers. He also fired a pair of two-hit shutouts. The next year he went 10-8 with a 3.54 ERA for the 1971 World Champion Pirates, and started in Game 4 -the first night game en World Series history-, but did not have a decision.
In a nine-season career, Walker posted a 45-47 record with a 3.65 ERA and 558 strikeouts in 243 appearances, including 100 starts, 16 complete games, seven shutouts, nine saves, and 824 ⅔ innings pitched.
[edit] Highlight
- On July 18, 1971, Walker had a no-hitter through the ninth inning of the second game of a doubleheader, until Joe Ferguson hit a home run for the Dodgers.
