Gene Walter

Gene Walter
Walter with the New York Mets c. 1987
Relief pitcher
Born: (1960-11-22) November 22, 1960 (age 65)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Batted: Left
Threw: Left
MLB debut
August 9, 1985, for the San Diego Padres
Last MLB appearance
September 30, 1988, for the Seattle Mariners
MLB statistics
Win–loss record4–7
Earned run average3.74
Strikeouts140
Stats at Baseball Reference Edit this at Wikidata
Teams

Gene Winston Walter (born November 22, 1960) is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher for the San Diego Padres (1985–1986), New York Mets (1987–1988), and Seattle Mariners (1988) of Major League Baseball (MLB).

On July 18, 1988, Walter set a Mariners record and tied an American League record for most balks in a game with 4.

Playing career

Walter attended Kennedy High School in Chicago, Illinois. He played college baseball at Morton Junior College then Eastern Kentucky University. The Padres selected him in the 29th round of the 1982 MLB draft. He made his MLB debut in 1985, replacing an injured Goose Gossage. and earning a three-innings save. He relied primarily on his slider. Walter had three saves in his first season and his only other MLB save in 1986.

San Diego traded Walter to the Mets in an eight-player trade that sent Kevin McReynolds to the Mets and Kevin Mitchell to the Padres in December 1986. Walter was demoted to the minors in 1987 due to control issues. He pitched in 40 games for the Mets before they traded him to the Mariners for Edwin Núñez in July 1988.

Walter underwent arthroscopic surgery on his shoulder in April 1989 after suffering an injury in spring training, missing the entire season and ending his MLB career. He threw a no-hitter for the Triple-A Omaha Royals in July 1990. He continued to pitch in the minors through 1993.

References

  1. ↑ "Single-Game Records | Seattle Mariners". MLB.com. Retrieved November 28, 2025.
  2. ↑ "MLB Balk Records". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved November 28, 2025.
  3. ↑ Jenks, Jayson (November 19, 2018). "We couldn't pick the Mariners' worst game ever, so you have to". The Athletic. Retrieved November 28, 2025.
  4. 1 2 3 "Gene Walter Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 1, 2026.
  5. 1 2 New York Mets 1987 Media Guide. pp. 157, 158.
  6. ↑ Montalbano, Jim (June 15, 1986). "Morton's Horatio Alger". The Life. p. 10. Retrieved May 1, 2026.
  7. ↑ Durso, Joseph (December 12, 1986). "METS TRADE FIVE FOR McREYNOLDS IN EIGHT-MAN DEAL". The New York Times. Retrieved May 1, 2026.
  8. ↑ Blatt, Howard (May 25, 1987). "Sad tidings for Walter". New York Daily News. p. 92. Retrieved May 1, 2026.
  9. ↑ "SPORTS PEOPLE: BASEBALL; Nunez Agrees to Terms". The New York Times. January 18, 1989. Retrieved May 1, 2026.
  10. ↑ Florida Marlins 1993 Media Guide. pp. 121, 122.
  11. ↑ Pivovar, Steve (July 15, 1990). "No-Hitter Big Boost to Walter In Quest for Big Return". Omaha World-Herald. p. 46. Retrieved May 1, 2026.
  12. ↑ "Gene Walter - MLB, Minor League Baseball Statistics". The Baseball Cube. Retrieved May 1, 2026.