Wally Bunker, baseball player, 1963-1971

Wally Bunker

Born: 1/25/1945 in Seattle, WA, USA

MLB Debut: 1963-09-29 | Final Game: 1971-05-26

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'2" | Weight: 197 lbs

Full name: Wallace Edward Bunker

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Biography

Wally Bunker was a talented pitcher who made his mark in Major League Baseball during the 1960s and early 1970s. Born in 1945, Bunker began his professional career in 1963 and played until May 26, 1971. Over the course of his career, he compiled a record of 60 wins and 52 losses, showcasing a solid performance on the mound. With an earned run average (ERA) of 3.51, he established himself as a reliable starter, contributing significantly to his teams' pitching rotations. Bunker struck out 569 batters throughout his career and recorded 5 saves, demonstrating both his ability to miss bats and his versatility in various pitching roles. Bunker’s career unfolded during a transformative era in baseball, marked by the rise of powerful hitters and the increasing importance of pitching depth. His approach on the mound was characterized by a mix of control and determination, attributes that made him a formidable opponent. Despite facing the challenges of a competitive league, Bunker remained a notable figure among his contemporaries, leaving a lasting legacy as a skilled pitcher in the annals of baseball history.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
60 52 206 152 34 5 5 1085.3 976 423 113 334 569 3.51 0

Career ERA 3.51 vs. league average 3.49 across their career seasons — near league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1963 BAL AL 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 4.0 10 6 3 1 13.50 — 0.0
1964 BAL AL 19 5 29 29 12 1 0 214.0 161 64 62 96 2.69 3.58 (+25%) -397.4
1965 BAL AL 10 8 34 27 4 1 2 189.0 170 71 58 84 3.38 3.50 (+3%) -1051.2
1966 BAL AL 10 6 29 24 3 0 0 142.7 151 68 48 89 4.29 3.52 (-22%) -1085.6
1967 BAL AL 3 7 29 9 1 0 1 88.0 83 40 31 51 4.09 3.30 (-24%) -527.7
1968 BAL AL 2 0 18 10 2 1 0 71.0 59 19 14 44 2.41 2.98 (+19%) 846.8
1969 KCR AL 12 11 35 31 10 1 2 222.7 198 80 62 130 3.23 3.61 (+11%) -
1970 KCR AL 2 11 24 15 2 1 0 121.7 109 57 50 59 4.22 3.89 (-9%) -
1971 KCR AL 2 3 7 6 0 0 0 32.3 35 18 6 15 5.01 3.47 (-44%) -

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
207 331 20 31 8 0 0 17 1 36 145 0.094 0.183 0.118 0.300 -2121.6

Career AVG .094 vs. league average .247 across their career seasons — 62.1% below league average.

Career OBP .183 vs. league average .313 across their career seasons — 41.6% below league average.

Career SLG .118 vs. league average .369 across their career seasons — 68.0% below league average.

Career OPS 0.300 vs. league average 0.682 across their career seasons — 55.9% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1963 BAL AL 1 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.500 — — — — 0.0
1964 BAL AL 29 72 6 5 2 0 0 2 0 10 32 0.069 .250 (-72%) .312 (-41%) .377 (-74%) .690 (-59%) -677.0
1965 BAL AL 34 55 4 4 0 0 0 5 0 7 27 0.073 .245 (-70%) .310 (-43%) .371 (-80%) .682 (-63%) -546.3
1966 BAL AL 30 48 4 5 3 0 0 2 0 4 22 0.104 — — — — -391.6
1967 BAL AL 29 26 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 13 0.077 — — — — 0.0
1968 BAL AL 18 18 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 10 0.111 — — — — 0.0
1969 KCR AL 35 70 1 10 3 0 0 7 1 5 23 0.143 .248 (-42%) .320 (-38%) .369 (-50%) .689 (-44%) -506.8
1970 KCR AL 24 31 3 2 0 0 0 1 0 7 13 0.065 — — — — 0.0
1971 KCR AL 7 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 0.000 — — — — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1966 WS BAL 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000

Playoff Career Pitching

W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1 0 1 1 0 9.0 6 0 1 6 0.00

Playoff Pitching by Year

Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1966 WS BAL 1 0 1 1 0 9.0 6 0 1 6 0.00

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 206 152 70 179 8 13

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1963 BAL P 1 1 0 0 0 0
1964 BAL P 29 29 20 34 1 3
1965 BAL P 34 27 8 32 1 0
1966 BAL P 29 24 8 19 0 3
1967 BAL P 29 9 4 20 0 1
1968 BAL P 18 10 5 9 1 0
1969 KCA P 35 31 19 43 2 6
1970 KCA P 24 15 5 17 3 0
1971 KCA P 7 6 1 5 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 206

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1964 TSN Rookie Pitcher of the Year

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1964 Most Valuable Player AL 12th 23.0 280 0
1964 Rookie of the Year AL 2nd 1.0 20 1