| Jim Walewander | |
|---|---|
| Second baseman | |
| Born: May 2, 1962 Chicago, Illinois | |
Batted: Both Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| May 31, 1987, for the Detroit Tigers | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| October 3, 1993, for the California Angels | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .215 |
| Home runs | 1 |
| Runs batted in | 14 |
| Teams | |
Jim "Wales" Walewander (born May 2, 1962 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American former professional baseball infielder. Walewander was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 9th round of the 1983 Major League Baseball draft. During his professional career, he played for the Tigers, New York Yankees and California Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB).[1] He attended Iowa State University and is an alumnus of Arizona State University and UCLA.
As an infielder, Walewander's advancement to the majors was delayed by shortstop Alan Trammell and second baseman Lou Whitaker. "Wales" was finally summoned to Detroit on May 31, 1987, going 1 for 2 against the Minnesota Twins. Walewander primarily appeared as a defensive substitute or pinch-runner in the late innings. He was a key figure as the Tigers battled the Toronto Blue Jays for the division crown. In the 12th inning of the season's penultimate game against Toronto, pinch-hitter Walewander scooted home with the game-winning run after Trammell drilled a game-winning single through Toronto shortstop Manuel Lee's legs.[2] Detroit won the division title the next day via a Frank Tanana 1–0 shutout. Walewander was not on the playoff roster, and Minnesota defeated Tigers in the ALCS.
Walewander had his own quirky style that endeared him to the fans of Detroit,[3] who felt compelled to start The Jimmy Walewander Fan Club. His behavior was often interpreted as unconventional. He played 18 holes of golf wearing combat boots, but that was because he left his spikes at home. He used tin foil as curtains to cover the window in his Minor League apartment, because that was the only thing that kept sun out. When asked how he found Mark Langston, one of the first pitchers Walewander faced in the Major Leagues, Walewander responded, "I walked from the on-deck circle to the batter's box and there he was on the mound."[4] Walewander was also a fan of the Philadelphia punk band The Dead Milkmen. The punk rockers were guests in the dugout when Walewander hit his only major-league home run.[5]
A local Tigers fan, named "Eastside Billee" aka William Speelman, wrote a "theme song" for Walewander, called "The Jim Walewander Blues", and recorded it with his band The Ten Speeds. The song got radio airplay in the Lakeland, Florida area during spring training one year. Broadcaster Ernie Harwell even gave a Detroit newspaper review of the song in an article written by Shelby Strother. The song, and its lyrics, were also mentioned in a Sports Illustrated article regarding Walewander.
Wales played one more year with the Tigers before his release. He played with the New York Yankees and then in Italy before his last game, in a California Angels uniform in 1993.
For his Major League career, Walewander batted .215 with a home run and 14 RBI in 242 at-bats. Walewander's 24 runs scored on only 13 hits during the 1987 season represents the all-time record for the highest 'runs to hits' ratio (1.846) for a major league season for players with 10 or more hits.
After leaving baseball, Walewander earned his undergraduate degree from Arizona State University and an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management.
The Detroit Tigers signed Walewander in the 9th round of the 1983 MLB amateur draft.