George Walker (walkege01)

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George A. Walker

  • Bats Unknown, Throws Right
  • Height 5' 9", Weight 184 lb.

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Biographical Information[edit]

George Walker played in the majors in 1888, appearing in four games for the Baltimore Orioles and going 1-3 during 35 innings of work. The Orioles that year went 57-80 and no pitcher on the team had a winning record.

George, who was born in Hamilton, ON, Canada, also played for Worcester in 1888 and was with London, Hamilton and New Haven in 1889. His whereabouts after baseball were unknown for a long time, although it was suspected he had returned to Hamilton. This seemed to be confirmed after historical issues of the city's newspaper, the Hamilton Spectator became available online, as researcher Justin McKinney was able to trace those who appeared to be his parents, then the family burial plot, and finally Walker's own obituary (which did not mention his baseball career). He had been working as a grocer in his hometown.

Unfortunately, further digging proved this to be a case of mistaken identity worthy of a detective novel. The George who was identified lived at 99 King Street in Hamilton and who was a grocer until his death in 1908 was the son of Janet and William Walker. However, it turned out Janet was not the wife of the merchant William Walker who was clearly identified in his obituary as the ballplayer's father, but of another man of that name, a poultry dealer. The real William was married to Rachel, and their son George, the pitcher, lived at 99 John Street. Unfortunately, the pitcher's trail goes cold around 1893, so he went back into the ranks of the missing when the error was discovered.

Further Reading[edit]

  • "George Walker Found", in Bill Carle, ed.: Biographical Research Committee Report, SABR, January/February 2024, p. 1.
  • "George Walker Lost, in Bill Carle, ed.: Biographical Research Committee Report, SABR, November/December 2024, p. 1.

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