Neil Walker (baseball)

Neil Walker
Pittsburgh Pirates — No. 18
Second baseman
Born: September 10, 1985 (1985-09-10) (age 26) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Bats: Switch	Throws: Right
MLB debut
September 1, 2009 for the Pittsburgh Pirates
Career statistics (through 2011 season)
Batting average	.280
Home runs	24
Runs batted in	149
Runs	138
Teams
Pittsburgh Pirates (2009-present)
Career highlights and awards
Topps All-Star Rookie Second Baseman (2010)

Neil Martin Walker (born September 10, 1985) is an American professional baseball second and third baseman with the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball. He was drafted by his hometown Pirates in the first round of the 2004 MLB Draft.

Early life

Walker, the son of former major league pitcher Tom Walker (1972–77)^[1], was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and attended Pine-Richland High School in nearby Gibsonia, Pennsylvania. He graduated in 2004 as a catcher on the baseball team and a wide receiver for the football team. Walker, who also played on the Rams' basketball team until his senior year, was a two-time Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Male Athlete of the Year.^[2] His baseball jersey, #24, was retired from Pine-Richland during a pre-game ceremony before the Pittsburgh Pirates' July 22, 2010 game.^[3]

Minor leagues

Walker was signed by Pittsburgh Pirates' scout Jon Mercurio. After three minor league seasons,^[4] Neil started 2007 rated No. 74 on Baseball America's list of Top 100 prospects, and No. 3 in the Pirates' organization behind Andrew McCutchen and Brad Lincoln.^[5][6]

Walker was invited to the Pirates' 2007 spring training as a non-roster invitee, where he was converted from his drafted position of catcher to third base. He was sent back to the Pirates Double-A affiliate Altoona Curve where he spent the majority of the season. On May 15, 2007, he became the first Curve player to have a four-hit game, going 4-for-4 with a home run, double and two RBI against the Portland Sea Dogs.^[7] Walker hit a pair of two-run home runs on May 27, 2007, helping the Curve end a 10-game losing streak against the Bowie Baysox.^[8] He hit a grand slam and drove in five runs on June 28, 2007 in the second game of a double-header against the Trenton Thunder.^[9]

Walker was promoted to the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians for the 2008 season, where he played 133 games, compiling a .242 average with 16 home runs, 80 RBI and 10 stolen bases.^[10]

Major leagues

2009

Walker spent the majority of the season again with the Pirates Triple-A affiliate Indianapolis Indians. In 95 games, he hit .264 with 69 RBI and 5 stolen bases. He received his first Major League call-up on September 1, 2009 and served as a pinch-hitter for Pirates starter Charlie Morton that night against the Cincinnati Reds. His first career hit came five days later against Jason Motte of the St. Louis Cardinals, a single to right field. He never became an every day regular player and finished the season hitting .194 in 17 games.

2010

Walker spent most of spring training with the Pirates in Bradenton, Florida before being reassigned back to the Indians. He hit .321 with six home runs, 26 RBI and 10 stolen bases in 43 games with Indianapolis and on May 25, 2010, he was called back up to the Pirates when first baseman Steve Pearce was placed on the disabled list with a sprained ankle.^[11]

He made his first Major League start of the year that night against the Cincinnati Reds, playing at third base. He hit an RBI double in the 8th inning off Reds starter Mike Leake. But his role on the team was initially in question, as Andy LaRoche had been the Pirates every day third baseman. With high-priced free agent signing Akinori Iwamura struggling, Pirates manager John Russell decided to give Walker a try at second base - a position where he had only played 23 career games at any level.^[12]

But the position change stuck and Walker quickly established himself as the new second baseman. He hit his first Major League home run on June 1, 2010 off Chicago Cubs starter Ted Lilly, a two-run shot that propelled the Pirates to a 3-2 victory. "This goes back to being 5 or 6 years old at Three Rivers Stadium, sitting in peanut heaven," Walker said after the game. "Getting drafted by the Pirates, this is just a Cinderella story. It's incredible."^[13]

Walker missed hitting for the cycle by only a triple on June 25, 2010 against the Oakland Athletics. He doubled and scored a run in the first inning, singled in the third and then hit his 3rd home run off Athletics starter Ben Sheets. However, he was forced to leave the game after being nearly knocked unconscious by teammate Ryan Church’s knee when the two accidentally collided going for a fly ball.^[14] He then missed the following seven games with concussion-like symptoms before returning to action on July 3.

Walker scored a career-high three times in a 12-6 win over the Houston Astros on July 17, 2010. He hit 3rd in the Pirates batting order, going 3-for-5 with 3 runs and 2 RBI. He set another career high three days later, recording five hits in one game against the Milwaukee Brewers, finishing the night 5-for-5 with a run scored and an RBI. Walker became the first Pirate rookie since fellow Pittsburgh native John Wehner in 1991 to have a five-hit game.^[15] His hitting tear was finally ended on July 23, 2010 against the San Diego Padres, after recording six straight multi-hit games. He was batting .593 in that time (16-for-27) with four runs scored and eight RBIs.

Walker kicked off August with three hits while driving in a career-high four runs in a 7-6 win over the Cincinnati Reds on August 3, 2010.^[16] Walker played a pivotal role in a series win over the St. Louis Cardinals, driving in three runs against Cy Young hopeful Adam Wainwright on August 24 and then repeating the feat the very next day against Jake Westbrook.^[17] Following his performances against St. Louis, Walker then went on an 18-game hitting streak, from August 23 through September 12. The streak was the longest by any Pirate hitter in 2010 and the longest by any Pirate rookie since Rennie Stennett also recorded an 18-game streak in 1971.^[18]

Walker finished the 2010 season batting .296 with 12 home runs and 66 RBIs. His 54 RBIs after the All-Star Break tied with Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols for the 3rd best mark in the National League.

He was named the second baseman on Baseball America's 2010 All-Rookie Team.^[19] He was also named the second baseman on the 2010 Topps Major League Rookie All-Star Team.^[20]

2011

After playing nearly every position on the diamond from catcher to the outfield, Walker finally settled in as a Major League second-baseman.

New Pirates manager Clint Hurdle was also full of praise for Walker, who reported early to training camp with the pitchers and catchers, saying ""He was really thrown into the fire last season, having to learn the position at the major league level, which is challenging and very difficult, but, to his credit, he pulled it off."^[18]

Walker hit his first career Major League grand slam on opening day, April 1, 2011 in the 5th inning off Chicago Cubs starter Ryan Dempster, joining Roberto Clemente as the only Pirates players to hit a grand slam on opening day.^[21] On May 20, Walker's bobblehead night at PNC Park, he drove in a career-high 5 RBI's against the Detroit Tigers in a 10-1 Pirate win.^[22]

Personal

Walker's batter walk-up songs - 2010: "Shutterbugg" by Big Boi and "Show Me a Good Time" by Drake.^[23]

Walker was one of only two Major League players during the 2010 season, to still live with his parents. The other was Oakland Athletics pitcher Tyson Ross. "He's really not thrilled about that. We try to give him his space," said his mother Carolyn, although Walker himself said he loves life at home.^[24] However, Walker announced at Pirate Camp prior to the 2011 season that his mom finally kicked him out of their North Hills area home.^[18]

Walker idolized Bill Mazeroski as a youth and received instruction from the great Pirates second-baseman during spring training, which provided invaluable help when Walker was called upon to play the position after Akinori Iwamura's struggle.^[25][26]

Walker is a Roman Catholic.^[27] He participates in Baseball Chapel services at PNC Park with other Christian teammates and has lead the effort to provide weekly Mass to fellow Catholics on the Pirates as well has Catholics from the visiting team. Walker states that Mass and chapel services are an important part of his life because they "combat the negative qualities" found in livng the lifestyle of a Major League Baseball player.^[27]

See also

• List of second-generation Major League Baseball players

References

1. ^ Pirates.com bio
2. ^ Mike White (September 1, 2009). "Remembering Neil Walker - the all-around athlete". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. http://blogs.sites.post-gazette.com/index.php/home/archives/19456-remembering-neil-walker-the-all-around-athlete. Retrieved 2010-08-28. 
3. ^ Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
4. ^ baseball-reference.com
5. ^ "Baseball America Top 100 Prospects - 2007". Baseball America. http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/rankings/top-100-prospects/2007/263445.html. 
6. ^ Also on that year's list, though in different MLB organizations, were 2010 Pirates' Delmon Young (#3), Andy LaRoche (#19), Jose Tabata (#27), and Donald Veal (#52) and Jeff Clement (#62), both on IR as of 8/28/2010.
7. ^ "Walker's 4-for-4 night drives Curve". minorleaguebaseball.com. 2007-05-15. http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/gen/articles/printer_friendly/milb/y2007/m05/d15/c244256.jsp. 
8. ^ "Curve snap losing streak in dramatic fashion". Johnstown Tribune-Democrat. 2007-05-27. http://tribune-democrat.com/prosports/x519141270/Curve-snap-losing-streak-in-dramatic-fashion. 
9. ^ AltoonaCurve.com
10. ^ MiLB.com
11. ^ "Pirates summon Walker from minors". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. 2010-05-26. http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/pirates/s_682913.html. 
12. ^ "Pirates bench Akinori Iwamura, move ex-catcher Neil Walker to second base". HardballTalk. 2010-05-31. http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/05/pirates-bench-akinori-iwamura-move-ex-catcher-neil-walker-to-second-base.html.php. 
13. ^ "Walker's first MLB HR lifts Pirates past Cubs". ESPN. 2010-06-01. http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=300601123. 
14. ^ "Crisp's three hits back Sheets as A's dismantle Pirates". ESPN. 2010-06-25. http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=300625111. 
15. ^ "Pirates hold off Brewers after Alvarez's slam leads 9-run first inning". ESPN. 2010-07-20. http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=300720123. 
16. ^ "Rookie Neil Walker powers slumping Pirates past Reds". ESPN. 2010-08-03. http://espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=300803123. 
17. ^ Chuck Finder (2010-08-26). "Pirates beat Cardinals, 5-2, as Walker triggers another win". Pittsburgh Post Gazette. http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10238/1082841-63.stm. 
18. ^ ^{a b c} "Pirates' Walker making himself right at home". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 2011-02-16. http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11047/1125663-63.stm. 
19. ^ Eddy, Matt (October 19, 2010). "Future Big League Stars Highlight All-Rookie Team". Baseball America. http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/majors/awards/rookie-of-the-year/2010/2610794.html. Retrieved October 21, 2010. 
20. ^ "Valencia awarded with rookie honor". Mlb.com. November 29, 2010. http://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20101129&content_id=16225164&vkey=news_min&c_id=min. Retrieved December 11, 2010. 
21. ^ "Walker part of Bucs' grand history in victory". http://pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2011_04_01_pitmlb_chnmlb_1&mode=recap&c_id=pit. 
22. ^ "Neil Walker's career-high five RBIs spark Pirates". ESPN. 2011-05-20. http://espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=310520123. 
23. ^ "Pirates Walk-up/Entrance Music". Raise the Jolly Roger. http://raisethejollyroger.com/pirates-plate-music/. 
24. ^ "Home Games: Big League Players Who Still Live With Mother". The Wall Street Journal. 2010-07-06. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704334604575339201180201996.html. 
25. ^ "Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman linked to Clemente". The Spokesman-Review. 2010-09-05. http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2010/sep/05/direct-link-to-clemente/. 
26. ^ "Pirates unveil Bill Mazeroski statue". ESPN. 2010-09-05. http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=5536653. 
27. ^ ^{a b} Sanserino, Michael (August 14, 2011). "Players' chapel at PNC Park draws faithful". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11226/1167310-63-0.stm. Retrieved August 14, 2011. 

External links

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)
• Pittsburgh Pirates player profile
• Indianapolis Indians player profile

Persondata
Name	Walker, Neil
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	September 10, 1985
Place of birth	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Date of death
Place of death