Rube Walker
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1948-1958)
Rube Walker was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1948 to 1958 for the Chicago Cubs, the Brooklyn Dodgers, and the Los Angeles Dodgers, a span of 11 seasons. In 608 career games, he hit .227 with 360 hits, 35 home runs, and 192 RBI.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
- Position
- Catcher
- Bats / Throws
- L / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'0" / 175 lb
- Died
- 12/12/1992 in Morganton, NC, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1948-04-20
- Last Game
- 1958-06-15
Full name: Albert Bluford Walker
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 608 | 1,585 | 114 | 360 | 69 | 3 | 35 | 192 | 3 | 150 | 213 | .227 | .294 | .341 | .635 | -3,277 |
Career AVG .227 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — 12.8% below league average.
Career OBP .294 vs. league average .334 across their career seasons — 12.0% below league average.
Career SLG .341 vs. league average .389 across their career seasons — 12.5% below league average.
Career OPS .635 vs. league average .723 across their career seasons — 12.3% below league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 | CHN | NL | 79 | 171 | 17 | 47 | 8 | 0 | 5 | 26 | 0 | 24 | 17 | .275 | .263 (+4%) | .340 (+9%) | .379 (+8%) | .719 (+8%) | 317.9 |
| 1949 | CHN | NL | 56 | 172 | 11 | 42 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 22 | 0 | 9 | 18 | .244 | .262 (-7%) | .343 (-18%) | .384 (-14%) | .727 (-16%) | -473.0 |
| 1950 | CHN | NL | 74 | 213 | 19 | 49 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 16 | 0 | 18 | 34 | .230 | .265 (-14%) | .346 (-16%) | .401 (-11%) | .747 (-14%) | -511.8 |
| 1951 | CHN | NL | 37 | 107 | 9 | 25 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 12 | 13 | .234 | .260 (-10%) | .336 (-8%) | .385 (-15%) | .721 (-12%) | -192.9 |
| 1951 | BRO | NL | 36 | 74 | 6 | 18 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 6 | 14 | .243 | .260 (-7%) | .336 (-11%) | .385 (-2%) | .721 (-6%) | -192.9 |
| 1952 | BRO | NL | 46 | 139 | 9 | 36 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 19 | 0 | 8 | 17 | .259 | .252 (+3%) | .326 (-7%) | .369 (-9%) | .696 (-8%) | -183.9 |
| 1953 | BRO | NL | 43 | 95 | 5 | 23 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 7 | 11 | .242 | .264 (-8%) | .335 (-10%) | .397 (+1%) | .733 (-4%) | -84.9 |
| 1954 | BRO | NL | 50 | 155 | 12 | 28 | 7 | 0 | 5 | 23 | 0 | 24 | 17 | .181 | .261 (-31%) | .333 (-13%) | .390 (-17%) | .723 (-15%) | -369.5 |
| 1955 | BRO | NL | 48 | 103 | 6 | 26 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 13 | 1 | 15 | 11 | .252 | .258 (-2%) | .332 (+3%) | .393 (-9%) | .726 (-3%) | -42.6 |
| 1956 | BRO | NL | 54 | 146 | 5 | 31 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 20 | 0 | 7 | 18 | .212 | .258 (-18%) | .331 (-26%) | .397 (-17%) | .728 (-21%) | -551.2 |
| 1957 | BRO | NL | 60 | 166 | 12 | 30 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 23 | 2 | 15 | 33 | .181 | .257 (-30%) | .323 (-25%) | .391 (-32%) | .715 (-29%) | -799.6 |
| 1958 | LAN | NL | 25 | 44 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 5 | 10 | .114 | — | — | — | — | -299.6 |
| Career · 12 seasons | 608 | 1,585 | 114 | 360 | 69 | 3 | 35 | 192 | 3 | 150 | 213 | .227 | — | — | — | — | -3,384 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (606 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 304 | 771 | 54 | 167 | 13 | 83 | .217 |
| Away | 302 | 805 | 59 | 189 | 21 | 107 | .235 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958-06-15 | LAD | PIT | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1958-06-14 | LAD | PIT | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1958-06-13 | LAD | PIT | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1958-06-06 | LAD | ATL | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1958-06-04 | LAD | CIN | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1958-05-31 | LAD | CHC | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1958-05-30 | LAD | CHC | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1958-05-28 | LAD | PIT | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1958-05-23 | LAD | CIN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1958-05-18 | LAD | STL | L | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 | CHN | C | 44 | 0 | 178 | 22 | 4 | 3 |
| 1949 | CHN | C | 43 | 0 | 166 | 23 | 7 | 2 |
| 1950 | CHN | C | 62 | 0 | 240 | 34 | 7 | 6 |
| 1951 | CHN | C | 31 | 0 | 111 | 15 | 4 | 2 |
| 1951 | BRO | C | 23 | 0 | 62 | 8 | 2 | 0 |
| 1952 | BRO | C | 40 | 0 | 217 | 16 | 3 | 2 |
| 1953 | BRO | C | 28 | 0 | 120 | 12 | 3 | 2 |
| 1954 | BRO | C | 47 | 46 | 259 | 19 | 1 | 4 |
| 1955 | BRO | C | 35 | 27 | 147 | 10 | 2 | 3 |
| 1956 | BRO | C | 43 | 37 | 184 | 20 | 3 | 4 |
| 1957 | BRO | C | 50 | 42 | 230 | 20 | 2 | 3 |
| 1958 | LAN | C | 20 | 12 | 62 | 5 | 1 | 1 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 465 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Rube Walker (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Rube Walker: the record in brief
The profile opens with Rube Walker's first major league game on April 20, 1948; the last one listed came on June 15, 1958. The season rows list, in order, the Chicago Cubs (1948 through 1951), the Brooklyn Dodgers (1951 through 1957), and the Los Angeles Dodgers (1958). Born on May 16, 1926, in Lenoir, NC, USA, Walker is listed as a catcher and threw right-handed and batted left-handed. Size on record: 175 pounds on a 6-foot-0 frame. Walker died on December 12, 1992, in Morganton, NC, USA. The bio lists the given name Albert Bluford.
In 608 games and 1,585 at bats, Walker batted .227 with 360 hits, along with 35 homers and 192 RBI. Walker's career OPS of .635 combines a .294 on-base mark with .341 slugging. The league as a whole hit .260 across Walker's seasons, which puts the .227 career mark 12.8% below average. In OPS terms, Walker's .635 stands 12.3% below the league's .723. 1950 produced Walker's most hits, 49 of them for the Chicago Cubs. Walker drove in a season-high 26 runs in 1948.
Frequently Asked Questions about Rube Walker
- What years did Rube Walker play?
- Rube Walker played in Major League Baseball from 1948 to 1958.
- Was Rube Walker a pitcher?
- No. Rube Walker was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did Rube Walker hit?
- Rube Walker hit 35 career home runs with 360 hits.
- What was Rube Walker's career batting average?
- Rube Walker batted .227 over his career, with 360 hits in 1,585 at bats.
- How many RBI did Rube Walker have?
- Rube Walker drove in 192 runs in his career.
- Is Rube Walker in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Rube Walker has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.