Nov. 11, 2011
STORRS, Conn. - The Toronto Blue Jays announced earlier this week that former University of Connecticut baseball pitcher Pete Walker will take over responsibilities as the team's bullpen coach, under manager John Farrell.
Walker, who completed a two-year career for the Huskies in 1990, has spent each of the last three seasons as a coach in the Blue Jays organization. Last season, he was the pitching coach for Double A New Hampshire, winner of the Eastern League title.
"It is a thrill to get an opportunity at the major league level," stated Walker on his promotion to Toronto. "The opportunity to comeback as a coach is just thrilling. I'm looking forward to a great season in Toronto."
The call to the big league club came after former Cy Young award winner Pat Hentgen stepped down from the position.
"The [Toronto Blue Jays] organization is poised for a breakout season. They have done a tremendous job putting together a great minor league system and are ready to do great things at the major league level."
In the majors, Walker played eight seasons between 1995 and 2006, four of which were in Toronto, for four different organizations. Primarily used as a reliever, he appeared in 144 career games, but in 2002 he started 20 games for the Blue Jays and achieved a career-high in wins with 10.
Prior to arriving at Storrs, Walker played one season at the UConn-Avery Point branch in Groton. Upon his arrival at Connecticut, he was a regular starter in the rotation for head coach Andy Baylock.
"Pete was the second of two brothers to play for me at UConn. His brother Andy played here first. They were both fantastic athletes from a very athletic family in East Lyme," recalls coach Baylock. "Pete was a key guy in our 1990 BIG EAST championships season. Not only did he pitch, but he hit and played a little first base for us as well."
On the mound Walker posted a career earned run average of 2.27 and as a junior pitched seven complete games, helping the Huskies to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1979. At season's end, he was drafted in the seventh round by the New York Mets, becoming the 35th UConn player in a long line of baseball tradition to be drafted into Major League Baseball. With his big league debut for the Mets in 1995, Walker became the seventh of now 11 Connecticut players to reach the majors.
"Pete is a real class act, a great person, and a very good player," states Baylock of his former pitcher. "In fact he'll be the second of our guys coaching at the big league level along with [Arizona Diamondbacks pitching coach] Charles Nagy."
SportsNet Feature on Pete Walker
