Lee Walls
From BR Bullpen
Raymond Lee Walls Jr.
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 3", Weight 205 lb.
- Debut April 21, 1952
- Final Game October 4, 1964
- Born January 6, 1933 in San Diego, CA USA
- Died October 11, 1993 in Los Angeles, CA USA
[edit] Biographical Information
"Lee Walls is 25 years old, stands several inches over 6 feet and is lean and hard. He wears black horn-rimmed glasses, which make him look more like a science major than a home-run hitter." - from a Sports Illustrated article in 1958
Lee Walls played ten years in the majors, most notably with the 1958 Cubs for whom he hit 24 home runs with a .304 batting average. He was on the 1958 All-Star team.
He still holds the Chicago Cubs' all-time record for home runs in the month of April, with 8 in 1958 (tied with Sammy Sosa and Derrek Lee).
Walls said that he had heard Ted Williams say that working with weights was a good idea, so he worked with 30-pound bar bells in the 1957-58 off-season.
He was also a backup infielder/outfielder and pinch-hitter for the 1963 Dodgers who won the pennant, but he did not appear in the 1963 World Series with them.
After his playing career ended, Walls was a coach for the Oakland Athletics and New York Yankees.
He had gone to high school in Pasadena, CA and had the opportunity to go to college on a football scholarship but chose baseball instead.
He played for Hollywood in 1953-55. In 1955 he was a teammate of Bill Mazeroski there, and the two would become regulars with the 1956 Pirates.
During the 1955-56 off-season he worked as the maitre-d' in a restaurant in Palm Springs, CA.
One source: Sports Illustrated article from June 2, 1958.
[edit] Notable Achievements
- NL All-Star (1958)
- 20-Home Run Seasons: 1 (1958)
- Won a World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1963 (he did not play in the World Series)
