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| Bob Walk | |
|---|---|
 Walk with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1980 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: (1956-11-26)November 26, 1956 (age 68) Van Nuys, California, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| May 26, 1980, for the Philadelphia Phillies | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 29, 1993, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 105–81 |
| Earned run average | 4.03 |
| Strikeouts | 848 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Robert Vernon Walk (born November 26, 1956), nicknamed "The Whirly Bird", is an American former professionalbaseballpitcher who played inMajor League Baseball (MLB) for thePhiladelphia Phillies (1980),Atlanta Braves (1981–1983), andPittsburgh Pirates (1984–1993).
During his rookie season in Philadelphia, Walk won his first six decisions, finished with an 11–7 record and was the winning pitcher in Game One of the1980 World Series, his Phillies defeating theKansas City Royals in six games.
Walk was traded from thePhillies to theBraves forGary Matthews on March 25, 1981.[1] He bounced between the main club andTriple-A, until being released in March 1984.
Walk was signed to a minor league contract by the Pirates and led thePacific Coast League (PCL) inearned run average (ERA) and wins in1985, earning a trip back to the majors. He was named to the All-Star team in1988 when he won 12 games and posted a 2.71 ERA.
In his waning years, Walk served as aspot starter andswingman for the Pirates' teams that won three straight NL East titles from1990–1992. His most memorable outing being when managerJim Leyland removed him from the bullpen and named him a surprise starter in Game Five of the1992 NLCS against Atlanta. Walk tossed a complete game three-hitter to stave off elimination in a series which the Pirates would eventually lose in seven games. He was also the pitcher who was warming up in the bullpen whenFrancisco Cabrera hit the two-run, game-winning single againstStan Belinda, which won the series for Atlanta. Despite both Walk and Cabrera being right-handers, Leyland opted to keep Belinda (despite having walkedDamon Berryhill to load the bases and giving up a deep fly ball toRon Gant) to pitch to Cabrera.
In 1993, Walk recorded an NL-worst 5.68 ERA and retired after the season.
Walk is currently an announcer for the Pittsburgh Pirates onAT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh and radio. He is also a fill-in game analyst forMLB on FOX as well as a game analyst for Peacock’sMLB Sunday Leadoff during Pirates games.
Walk is the father of three children, Tommy, Johnny, and Ronnie.[2]
When Walk was a teenager, he attended a game atDodger Stadium and threw atennis ball from the stands atHouston Astros centerfielderCésar Cedeño. He was charged withbattery but ultimately released after promising to the judge that he would not go to Dodger Stadium again.[3]