Wally Bunker
Encyclopedia
Wallace Edward Bunker is a former Major League Baseball
pitcher
. A right-hander, Bunker pitched for the Baltimore Orioles
from to and Kansas City Royals
from to .
varsity baseball team in San Bruno, California
in 1962 and 1963, as the team won the Mid-Peninsula League championships. He also played on the varsity basketball
team. While still a student at Capuchino, Bunker was recruited by the Baltimore Orioles
and joined their organization after graduating from Capuchino.
. He became the ace of a staff that also consisted of Milt Pappas
and Robin Roberts. Bunker finished the season 19-5 (to date, the 19 wins are an Oriole rookie single-season record) with a 2.69 earned-run average and won The Sporting News
American League
Rookie pitcher of the Year Award. He also received the only first-place vote not won by Tony Oliva
for the Rookie of the Year honors. That year, the Orioles fell short of the American League pennant, finishing in third place; the New York Yankees
won their fifth consecutive pennant, finishing one game ahead of the Chicago White Sox
and two games ahead of the Orioles.
So popular had Bunker become in his rookie season that Baltimore Mayor Theodore McKeldin
, prior a June 17 game at Memorial Stadium
, proclaimed the mound "Baltimore's Bunker Hill"—even christening it with a handful of earth from the actual Bunker Hill
. Bunker then defeated the then-first place White Sox 6-1, the victory putting the Orioles in first place. Sixteen days later, he pitched his second one-hitter of the season, defeating the Kansas City Athletics
4-0, the lone hit being Rocky Colavito
's fourth-inning double.
) during the season reduced him to a part-time starter afterwards. He posted a 10-8 record that year and a 10-6 record in . In the latter year, the Orioles won the World Series
in a four-game sweep of the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers
. In Game 3 of that Series, Bunker outdueled Claude Osteen
with a six-hit, 1-0 shutout, which was sandwiched in between shutouts by Jim Palmer
and Dave McNally
as the Orioles set a Series record by not allowing a run for consecutive innings. (Moe Drabowsky
pitched scoreless innings in relief
in Game One to begin the streak.) Following that triumph, Bunker was honored by the San Bruno City Council and served as honorary mayor at a council meeting.
4-3 in 12 innings, with Drabowsky (whom the Royals had also acquired from Baltimore in the expansion draft) gaining the victory in relief.
After the 1969 season, the arm troubles that limited Bunker to a part-time starter shortened his career. After slumping to 2-11 in , he was released in May, . Bunker had pitched his final major-league game at just 26 years of age.
In his career, Bunker won 60 games against 52 losses, with 569 strikeout
s and a 3.51 earned-run average in 1,085⅓ innings pitched
. He was also a weak hitter in those days prior to the designated hitter
, with only 31 hits
in 331 at-bats
for a .094 batting average
.
Bunker's sinker
was his most effective pitch in his short career. Mickey Mantle
once referred to Bunker's sinker as the type of pitch "you could break your back on."
Bunker and his wife Kathy are currently Artists in Residence
at Palm Key Nature Getaway in Ridgeland, South Carolina
. The Bunkers compose children's literature
; two of their latest works were released in Spring 2010.
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...
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...
. A right-hander, Bunker pitched for the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
from to and Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
from to .
Biography
Bunker pitched for the Capuchino High SchoolCapuchino High School
Capuchino High School is a public high school in San Bruno, California, although the school is surrounded by the city of Millbrae on all but one corner...
varsity baseball team in San Bruno, California
San Bruno, California
San Bruno is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States. The population was 41,114 at the 2010 census.The city is adjacent to San Francisco International Airport and Golden Gate National Cemetery.-Geography:San Bruno is located at...
in 1962 and 1963, as the team won the Mid-Peninsula League championships. He also played on the varsity basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
team. While still a student at Capuchino, Bunker was recruited by the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
and joined their organization after graduating from Capuchino.
1964
As a 19-year old in , Bunker won his first six starts of the season, the first of which was a 2-1 one-hitter over the Washington SenatorsTexas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
. He became the ace of a staff that also consisted of Milt Pappas
Milt Pappas
Milton Steven "Milt" Pappas is a former professional baseball pitcher...
and Robin Roberts. Bunker finished the season 19-5 (to date, the 19 wins are an Oriole rookie single-season record) with a 2.69 earned-run average and won The Sporting News
The Sporting News
Sporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
Rookie pitcher of the Year Award. He also received the only first-place vote not won by Tony Oliva
Tony Oliva
Tony Pedro Oliva is a former Major League Baseball right fielder and designated hitter. He played his entire 15-year baseball career for the Minnesota Twins . He batted left-handed and threw right-handed...
for the Rookie of the Year honors. That year, the Orioles fell short of the American League pennant, finishing in third place; 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...
won their fifth consecutive pennant, finishing one game ahead of the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
and two games ahead of the Orioles.
So popular had Bunker become in his rookie season that Baltimore Mayor Theodore McKeldin
Theodore McKeldin
Theodore Roosevelt McKeldin , a member of the United States Republican Party, was the 53rd Governor of Maryland in the United States from 1951 to 1959....
, prior a June 17 game at Memorial Stadium
Memorial Stadium (Baltimore)
Memorial Stadium was a sports stadium in Baltimore, Maryland, that formerly stood on 33rd Street on an over-sized block also bounded by Ellerslie Avenue , 36th Street , and Ednor Road...
, proclaimed the mound "Baltimore's Bunker Hill"—even christening it with a handful of earth from the actual Bunker Hill
Bunker Hill Monument
-External links:****: cultural context**...
. Bunker then defeated the then-first place White Sox 6-1, the victory putting the Orioles in first place. Sixteen days later, he pitched his second one-hitter of the season, defeating the Kansas City 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....
4-0, the lone hit being Rocky Colavito
Rocky Colavito
Rocco Domenico "Rocky" Colavito, Jr. is a former right fielder in Major League Baseball best known for his years with the Cleveland Indians. He wore a #6, #7 or #21 jersey during his MLB career...
's fourth-inning double.
Later Oriole Years
Impressive as Bunker's rookie season was, however, arm ailments — most likely torn tendons or ligaments of some kind, which often went undiagnosed in Bunker's era — in subsequent seasons prevented him from enjoying a 1964 sequel. A "sore arm" (which, according to Bunker, he incurred in late September 1964, on a cold night in ClevelandCleveland Stadium
Cleveland Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium, located in Cleveland, Ohio. In its final years, the stadium seated 74,438, for baseball and 81,000, for football. It was one of the early multi-purpose stadiums, built to accommodate both baseball and football...
) during the season reduced him to a part-time starter afterwards. He posted a 10-8 record that year and a 10-6 record in . In the latter year, the Orioles won the World Series
1966 World Series
The 1966 World Series matched the Baltimore Orioles against the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers, with the Orioles sweeping the Series in four games to capture their first championship in franchise history...
in a four-game sweep of the defending champion 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...
. In Game 3 of that Series, Bunker outdueled Claude Osteen
Claude Osteen
Claude Wilson Osteen , nicknamed "Gomer" because of his resemblance to Gomer Pyle, is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He pitched for six different teams: the Cincinnati Redlegs/Reds , Washington Senators , Los Angeles Dodgers , Houston Astros , St...
with a six-hit, 1-0 shutout, which was sandwiched in between shutouts by Jim Palmer
Jim Palmer
James Alvin "Jim" Palmer , nicknamed "Cakes", is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He played his entire 20-year baseball career for the Baltimore Orioles . He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in .As of 2008, Palmer and his wife Susan have homes in Palm Beach, Florida, and...
and Dave McNally
Dave McNally
David Arthur "Dave" McNally was a Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher from until . He was signed by the Baltimore Orioles and played with them every season except for his final season with the Montreal Expos.McNally has the unique distinction as the only pitcher in Major League...
as the Orioles set a Series record by not allowing a run for consecutive innings. (Moe Drabowsky
Moe Drabowsky
Myron Walter Drabowsky was a Polish-American right-handed relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Chicago Cubs , Milwaukee Braves , Cincinnati Reds , Kansas City Athletics , Baltimore Orioles , Kansas City Royals , St...
pitched scoreless innings in relief
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 Game One to begin the streak.) Following that triumph, Bunker was honored by the San Bruno City Council and served as honorary mayor at a council meeting.
Kansas City Royals
In the Kansas City Royals selected Bunker in the expansion draft, and he was their winningest pitcher in with a 12-11 record. On April 8 of that year, he threw the very first pitch in Kansas City Royals history. The Royals defeated the Minnesota TwinsMinnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
4-3 in 12 innings, with Drabowsky (whom the Royals had also acquired from Baltimore in the expansion draft) gaining the victory in relief.
After the 1969 season, the arm troubles that limited Bunker to a part-time starter shortened his career. After slumping to 2-11 in , he was released in May, . Bunker had pitched his final major-league game at just 26 years of age.
In his career, Bunker won 60 games against 52 losses, with 569 strikeout
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....
s and a 3.51 earned-run average in 1,085⅓ innings pitched
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...
. He was also a weak hitter in those days prior to the designated hitter
Designated hitter
In baseball, the designated hitter rule is the common name for Major League Baseball Rule 6.10, an official position adopted by the American League in 1973 that allows teams to designate a player, known as the designated hitter , to bat in place of the pitcher each time he would otherwise come to...
, with only 31 hits
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....
in 331 at-bats
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...
for a .094 batting average
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 :...
.
Bunker's sinker
Sinker (baseball)
In baseball, a sinker , is a type of fastball pitch which has significant downward and horizontal movement. The sinker is known for inducing a lot of ground balls...
was his most effective pitch in his short career. Mickey Mantle
Mickey Mantle
Mickey Charles Mantle was an American professional baseball player. Mantle is regarded by many to be the greatest switch hitter of all time, and one of the greatest players in baseball history. Mantle was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.Mantle was noted for his hitting...
once referred to Bunker's sinker as the type of pitch "you could break your back on."
Bunker and his wife Kathy are currently Artists in Residence
Artist in residence
Artist-in-residence programs and other residency opportunities allow visiting artists to stay and work so that they may apply singular focus to their art practice....
at Palm Key Nature Getaway in Ridgeland, South Carolina
Ridgeland, South Carolina
Ridgeland is a town in Jasper County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 2,518 at the 2000 census. It has been the county seat of Jasper County since its formation in 1912, prior to which it was in Beaufort County. As defined by the U.S...
. The Bunkers compose children's literature
Children's literature
Children's literature is for readers and listeners up to about age twelve; it is often defined in four different ways: books written by children, books written for children, books chosen by children, or books chosen for children. It is often illustrated. The term is used in senses which sometimes...
; two of their latest works were released in Spring 2010.