Pete Walker is a former professional baseball player who played as a pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) for several teams during his career. He was born on April 8, 1969, in Beverly, Massachusetts, and attended the University of Connecticut, where he played college baseball.
Walker was drafted by the New York Mets in the third round of the 1990 MLB draft and made his MLB debut with the team in 1995. He played for the Mets for three seasons before being traded to the San Diego Padres in 1998. He also played for the Toronto Blue Jays and the Oakland Athletics during his career.
Walker was primarily used as a relief pitcher during his career, although he did make some starts as well. He had a career record of 20-14 with a 4.95 earned run average (ERA) and 251 strikeouts in 319 innings pitched. He also recorded four saves during his career.
One of Walker's most memorable moments came in 1999 when he hit a home run in his first career at-bat. He became the first pitcher in Mets history to hit a home run in his first at-bat and just the 11th pitcher in MLB history to accomplish the feat.
After retiring from playing, Walker became a coach and manager in the minor leagues. He served as a pitching coach for the Blue Jays' Triple-A affiliate, the Buffalo Bisons, from 2009 to 2012 before being promoted to the Blue Jays' major league coaching staff in 2013. He served as the team's bullpen coach for two seasons before being named the team's pitching coach in 2015.
Under Walker's guidance, the Blue Jays' pitching staff had some success, including a trip to the American League Championship Series in 2015. However, the team struggled in 2016, and Walker was let go at the end of the season.
Walker then joined the Atlanta Braves organization as a minor league pitching coordinator in 2017 before being named the team's bullpen coach in 2018. He served in that role for two seasons before being promoted to the team's pitching coach in 2020.
Overall, Pete Walker had a solid career as a pitcher in MLB and has continued to have success as a coach. He is known for his ability to work with pitchers and help them improve their performance on the mound.
⚾