Walt Masterson

Infobox MLB retired
bgcolor1=#c6011f
bgcolor2=#072764
textcolor1=white
textcolor2=white
name=Walt Masterson
position=Pitcher
bats=Right
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date|1920|6|22
deathdate=death date and age|2008|4|5|1920|6|22
debutdate=May 8
debutyear=by|1939
debutteam=Washington Senators
finaldate=September 24
finalyear=by|1956
finalteam=Detroit Tigers
stat1label=Win-Loss Record
stat1value=78-100
stat2label=ERA
stat2value=4.15
stat3label=Strikeouts
stat3value=815
teams=
*Washington Senators (by|1939-by|1942, by|1945-by|1949, by|1952-by|1953)
*Boston Red Sox (by|1949-by|1952)
*Detroit Tigers (by|1956)
highlights=
*All-Star in 1947 and 1948

Walter Edward Masterson III (June 22 1920 - April 5 2008) was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Washington Senators (1939-42, 1945-49 and 1952-53), Boston Red Sox (1949-52) and Detroit Tigers (1956). He started the by|1948 All-Star Game for the American League.

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Masterson attended Northeast Catholic High School and signed with the Senators at age 17. In 14 seasons he had a 78-100 win-loss record, 399 games (184 started), 70 complete games, 15 shutouts, 115 games finished, 20 saves, 1,649⅔ innings pitched, 1,613 hits allowed, 888 runs allowed, 760 earned runs allowed, 101 home runs allowed, 886 walks allowed, 815 strikeouts, 28 hit batsmen, 33 wild pitches, 7,281 batters faced, 1 balk, a 4.15 earned run average and a 1.515 WHIP. He missed the 1943 and 1944 seasons while serving in the Navy from September 1942 to July 1945 during World War II, serving on submarines in the Pacific. He later served as a pitching coach for the Texas Rangers in 1972 under manager Ted Williams, who had developed a friendship with him while they were teammates in Boston. Masterson later served as baseball coach at George Mason University in 1980-81. He died of a stroke at age 87 at Duke University Hospital in Durham, North Carolina.

External links

*baseball-reference|id=m/mastewa02
* [http://www.baseballlibrary.com/ballplayers/player.php?name=Walt_Masterson_1920 BaseballLibrary] - profile and career highlights
* [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/08/AR2008040803097.html "Washington Post" obituary]