Walter Young (baseball) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Walter Young |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| First baseman | |||
| Born: February 18, 1980 Hattiesburg, Mississippi |
|||
| Died: September 19, 2015 (aged 35) Purvis, Mississippi |
|||
|
|||
| debut | |||
| September 6, 2005, for the Baltimore Orioles | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| October 2, 2005, for the Baltimore Orioles | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .303 | ||
| Runs batted in | 3 | ||
| Home runs | 1 | ||
| Teams | |||
|
|||
Walter Earnest Young, Jr. (born February 18, 1980 – died September 19, 2015) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles in 2005. Walter was a first baseman and a designated hitter.
He was known for being very tall and strong. He could hit amazing home runs. Walter was 6 feet 5 inches (1.96 m) tall and weighed 322 pounds (146 kg). For a long time, he was the heaviest player ever in Major League Baseball.
Contents
Walter Young's Baseball Journey
Walter Young was born in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. He played football in high school at Purvis High School. In 1999, the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team chose him in the MLB draft. Walter decided to sign with the Pirates instead of going to Louisiana State University for college.
Walter played for different minor league teams as he got better. Before the 2004 season, the Pirates let him go. The Baltimore Orioles then picked him up. He played for their minor league team, the Bowie Baysox. That year, he hit 33 home runs and became an All-Star.
In 2005, Walter started the season with the Orioles' top minor league team, the Ottawa Lynx. He played very well there, hitting .288 with 13 home runs.
Playing in Major League Baseball
Because he was playing so well, the Orioles called Walter up to the Major Leagues on September 1, 2005. He played 10 games for the Orioles that year. He had a batting average of .303, hit 1 home run, and had 3 RBIs. After the MLB season, he played baseball in Venezuela.
In 2006, the Orioles traded Walter to the San Diego Padres. He tried to earn a spot on their main team but was sent to their minor league team instead. Later that year, the Padres let him go.
Walter then signed with the Houston Astros. He played for their minor league team, the Corpus Christi Hooks. He helped them win a championship in the Texas League.
Independent League Baseball
After playing for the Astros, Walter joined independent baseball teams. These teams are not part of Major League Baseball. In 2007, he played for the Winnipeg Goldeyes. He had a great season, hitting .313 with 21 home runs.
He later played for the Sussex Skyhawks and the Sioux City Explorers. With the Explorers, he helped them reach the playoffs in 2008. He continued playing independent baseball until 2009. After that, he played semi-pro baseball in his hometown.
Life After Baseball
After his baseball career, Walter Young decided to work in law enforcement. He joined the Forrest County Sheriff's Department. He worked as a sergeant at the county jail. He also studied online to get a degree in criminal justice.
Walter Young passed away on September 19, 2015, from a heart attack.
