Wally Whitehurst
Encyclopedia
Walter Richard Whitehurst (born April 11, 1964 in Shreveport
, Louisiana
) is a former right-handed pitcher
in Major League Baseball
who played from to with the New York Mets
, San Diego Padres
and New York Yankees
. Standing 6'3" and weighing 195 pounds, Whitehurst attended the University of New Orleans
.
Originally selected by the Oakland Athletics
in the third round of the draft, Whitehurt became a member of the Mets organization when he was part of a three-team trade that took place on December 11, . He was sent by Oakland, with Kevin Tapani
, to the Mets. The Los Angeles Dodgers
sent Bob Welch and Matt Young
to the Athletics, and Jack Savage
to the Mets. The Athletics then sent Alfredo Griffin
and Jay Howell
to the Dodgers, with the Mets sending Jesse Orosco
to the Dodgers.
He stayed in the minor leagues until July 17, , when he made his big league debut at the age of 25. In one inning
of work, he allowed one hit
and walked
three batters, surrendering two earned run
s. He season did improve though, and he finished with a 4.50 earned run average
in nine games.
He was used entirely as a reliever
in , appearing in 38 games, which was tied for third most on the team. In 65+ innings, he walked only nine batters and posted a 3.29 ERA.
He appeared in 36 games in , starting more than half of them. His 7-12 record was the worst among all the pitchers who had started more than 10 games with the Mets that year, as was his 4.18 ERA. He was limited to the bullpen during the last month of the season.
Although he posted a 3.62 ERA in , his record was 3-9. He was traded to the Padres after the season—he was sent with D. J. Dozier
and Raul Casanova
for Tony Fernández
. He spent two seasons with the Padres, and , posting a record of 4-7 each season. After that season, he was released by the Padres and picked up by the San Francisco Giants
. In April , the Giants released him and he was signed by the Boston Red Sox
. He was released by the Red Sox in July, but picked up by the Toronto Blue Jays
a short time later. After the 1995 season-a year in which he saw no major league action-he was granted free agency and picked up by the Montreal Expos
. In June , he was selected off waivers from the Expos by the New York Yankees
, and he started two games with them, winning one and losing one. In eight innings of big league work in 1996, he struck out
only one batter (José Herrera).
He played his final big league game on August 29, . Overall, he went 20-37 with a 4.02 ERA. He walked 130 batters and struck out 312 batters in 487+ innings of work. He batted
.150 in 107 career at bat
s, and his fielding percentage
was .948. He wore number 47 while with the Mets, 41 with the Padres and 55 with the Yankees. He spent five seasons with Dwight Gooden
and David Cone
-longer than any other teammates.
Since his playing days ended, he has been a pitching coach. He coached the Arizona League Padres in 2004, the Eugene Emeralds
in 2005 and 2006, the Fort Wayne Wizards
in 2007, and the Lake Elsinore Storm
in 2008.
After serving as a substitute teacher at his old high school, Terrebonne High School
in Houma, Louisiana
, he has since become the pitching coach for the Lynchburg Hillcats
of the Carolina League
. However in 2010, the Pirates and Cincinnati Reds
swapped minor league franchises. As a result, the Reds took control of the Hillcats, while the Pirates received Cincinnati's Sarasota Reds. The Pirates then moved Sarasota's operations to nearby Bradenton
, where the club was renamed the Bradenton Marauders
. Whitehurst is now the current pitching coach for the Altoona Curve
.
Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
) is a former right-handed pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
who played from to with the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
, San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
and New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
. Standing 6'3" and weighing 195 pounds, Whitehurst attended the University of New Orleans
University of New Orleans
The University of New Orleans, often referred to locally as UNO, is a medium-sized public urban university located on the New Orleans Lakefront within New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. It is a member of the LSU System and the Urban 13 association. Currently UNO is without a proper chancellor...
.
Originally selected by the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
in the third round of the draft, Whitehurt became a member of the Mets organization when he was part of a three-team trade that took place on December 11, . He was sent by Oakland, with Kevin Tapani
Kevin Tapani
Kevin Ray Tapani is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the New York Mets, Minnesota Twins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago White Sox, and Chicago Cubs from 1989 to 2001.-Early life:...
, to the Mets. The Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
sent Bob Welch and Matt Young
Matt Young
Matthew John Young is a former American Major League baseball player. Young played for a variety of teams over his career, and is best known for his unofficial no-hitter against the Cleveland Indians while a member of the Boston Red Sox....
to the Athletics, and Jack Savage
Jack Savage
John Joseph "Jack" Savage is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1987 and the Minnesota Twins in 1990. He was born on April 22, 1964 in Louisville, Kentucky. He attended St. Xavier High School in Louisville, and he went on to attend the University of...
to the Mets. The Athletics then sent Alfredo Griffin
Alfredo Griffin
Alfredo Claudino Griffin is a former Major League Baseball player, who played shortstop for four teams from 1976 to 1993. He is currently the first base coach for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.-Playing career:...
and Jay Howell
Jay Howell
Jay Canfield Howell is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds , Chicago Cubs , New York Yankees , Oakland Athletics , Los Angeles Dodgers , Atlanta Braves and Texas Rangers .Howell was a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers when they won the 1988 World Series...
to the Dodgers, with the Mets sending Jesse Orosco
Jesse Orosco
Jesse Russell Orosco is a former relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who holds the major league record for career pitching appearances. He pitched most notably for the New York Mets in the 1980s. He won a World Series in 1986 with the Mets and in 1988 with the Dodgers. He threw left-handed,...
to the Dodgers.
He stayed in the minor leagues until July 17, , when he made his big league debut at the age of 25. In one inning
Innings pitched
In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two...
of work, he allowed one hit
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
and walked
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
three batters, surrendering two earned run
Earned run
In baseball, an earned run is any run for which the pitcher is held accountable . Any runner who tags his base and reaches home plate is scored against the pitcher as an earned run...
s. He season did improve though, and he finished with a 4.50 earned run average
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
in nine games.
He was used entirely as a reliever
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
in , appearing in 38 games, which was tied for third most on the team. In 65+ innings, he walked only nine batters and posted a 3.29 ERA.
He appeared in 36 games in , starting more than half of them. His 7-12 record was the worst among all the pitchers who had started more than 10 games with the Mets that year, as was his 4.18 ERA. He was limited to the bullpen during the last month of the season.
Although he posted a 3.62 ERA in , his record was 3-9. He was traded to the Padres after the season—he was sent with D. J. Dozier
D. J. Dozier
William Henry "D.J." Dozier Jr. is a retired American National Football League running back and Major League Baseball outfielder. He played five seasons with the NFL's Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions from 1987 to 1991, and played one season with the MLB's New York Mets in 1992...
and Raul Casanova
Raul Casanova
Raul Casanova was a Major League Baseball catcher from 1996 to 2008 with the exception of 1999 and 2006.-Minor leagues:He was drafted 220th overall, in the eighth round of the draft by the New York Mets....
for Tony Fernández
Tony Fernández
Octavio Antonio Fernández Castro , better known as Tony Fernández, is a former Major League Baseball player most noted for his defensive skills setting a record for shortstops with a .992 fielding percentage in 1989.-Career:...
. He spent two seasons with the Padres, and , posting a record of 4-7 each season. After that season, he was released by the Padres and picked up by the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
. In April , the Giants released him and he was signed by the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
. He was released by the Red Sox in July, but picked up by the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
a short time later. After the 1995 season-a year in which he saw no major league action-he was granted free agency and picked up by the Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
. In June , he was selected off waivers from the Expos by the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
, and he started two games with them, winning one and losing one. In eight innings of big league work in 1996, he struck out
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
only one batter (José Herrera).
He played his final big league game on August 29, . Overall, he went 20-37 with a 4.02 ERA. He walked 130 batters and struck out 312 batters in 487+ innings of work. He batted
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
.150 in 107 career at bat
At bat
In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance...
s, and his fielding percentage
Fielding percentage
In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball...
was .948. He wore number 47 while with the Mets, 41 with the Padres and 55 with the Yankees. He spent five seasons with Dwight Gooden
Dwight Gooden
Dwight Eugene Gooden , nicknamed "Doc Gooden" or "Dr. K", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He was one of the most dominant and feared pitchers in the National League in the middle and late 1980s.-Career:...
and David Cone
David Cone
David Brian Cone is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. During a 17-year baseball career, he pitched from 1986-2003 for six different teams. Cone pitched the sixteenth perfect game in baseball history. He also set the MLB record for most years between 20-win seasons. He was a member of five...
-longer than any other teammates.
Since his playing days ended, he has been a pitching coach. He coached the Arizona League Padres in 2004, the Eugene Emeralds
Eugene Emeralds
The Eugene Emeralds is a minor league baseball team in Eugene, Oregon, United States. They are a short-season Class A team in the Northwest League, and have been a farm team of the San Diego Padres since 2001....
in 2005 and 2006, the Fort Wayne Wizards
Fort Wayne Wizards
The Fort Wayne TinCaps are a Class A minor league baseball team, affiliated with the San Diego Padres, that plays in the Midwest League. They won their first Midwest League Championship in 2009.-History:...
in 2007, and the Lake Elsinore Storm
Lake Elsinore Storm
The Lake Elsinore Storm is a minor league baseball team in Lake Elsinore, California, USA. It is a Class A - Advanced team in the California League, and is a farm team of the San Diego Padres. The Storm plays its home games at Lake Elsinore Diamond...
in 2008.
After serving as a substitute teacher at his old high school, Terrebonne High School
Terrebonne High School
Terrebonne High School is a secondary school in Houma, Louisiana, United States.It is a part of the Terrebonne Parish School District.It has been in existence since 1908, and houses grades 10-12; freshmen attend Houma Junior High School. It is the second oldest accredited high school in the state...
in Houma, Louisiana
Houma, Louisiana
Houma is a city in and the parish seat of Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana, and the largest principal city of the Houma–Bayou Cane–Thibodaux Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's powers of government have been absorbed by the parish, which is now run by the Terrebonne Parish...
, he has since become the pitching coach for the Lynchburg Hillcats
Lynchburg Hillcats
The Lynchburg Hillcats are a minor league baseball team in Lynchburg, Virginia. They are a Class High-A team in the Carolina League, and currently are a farm team of the Atlanta Braves. They had been a farm team of the Pittsburgh Pirates since 1995, with the Cincinnati Reds fulfilling the final...
of the Carolina League
Carolina League
The Carolina League is a minor league baseball affiliation which operates in the South Atlantic Coast of the United States. Before 2002, it was classified as a "High A" league, indicating its status as a Class A league with the highest level of competition within that classification, and the fifth...
. However in 2010, the Pirates and Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
swapped minor league franchises. As a result, the Reds took control of the Hillcats, while the Pirates received Cincinnati's Sarasota Reds. The Pirates then moved Sarasota's operations to nearby Bradenton
Bradenton, Florida
Bradenton is a city in Manatee County, Florida, United States. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's 2007 population to be 53,471. Bradenton is the largest Principal City of the Bradenton-Sarasota-Venice, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had a 2007 estimated population of 682,833...
, where the club was renamed the Bradenton Marauders
Bradenton Marauders
The Bradenton Marauders are a minor league baseball team based in Bradenton, Florida that plays in the Florida State League. The Marauders are the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Their home games are played at McKechnie Field, which also serves as the Pirates' spring training...
. Whitehurst is now the current pitching coach for the Altoona Curve
Altoona Curve
The Altoona Curve are a minor league baseball team based in Altoona, Pennsylvania, named after nearby Horseshoe Curve . The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates major-league club...
.