walter february january american professional baseball player baseman played major_league_baseball mlb detroit_tigers new_york_yankees cincinnati reds appearing games tigers playing minor leagues purchased yankees season starting baseman led improved yankee lineup led league home runs led american_league home runs yankees won consecutive american_league won world series lost starting role finished major league career cincinnati considered best power hitters dead ball era best remembered man lost starting role beginning streak consecutive games according popular legend asked sit early life born february chicago illinois née raised roman catholic different sources describe irish german ancestry raised michigan child said hit head hockey resulted life enrolled washington studied architecture played baseball graduated baseball career early career debut professional baseball class southern michigan league games played batting average detroit_tigers american_league purchased contract late season attempted hold tigers demanding portion purchase price threatened return college graduating college ended receiving share purchase price major league debut tigers june playing games detroit batting tigers reassigned providence class international league committed seven errors games providence demoted class new york state league batted played international_league batting average triples led batters league home runs slugging percentage total bases new_york_yankees january agreed purchase new_york_yankees american_league agreement team owners american_league agreed help yankees system prospects deals negotiated purchase purchase completed owners exception owner tigers broke word february tigers sold outfielder hugh high yankees receiving player current dollar terms yankees struggled prior purchase having winning record previous seasons starting baseman time opening day season yankees added formed center yankees batting order led american_league home runs baker finished second hit home runs leading league hit home runs batted missed playing time nation work fight rule world war worked naval aviation cadet batted seven home runs surpassed best power hitter american_league yankees moved strengthen team season adding fellow outfielder baseman average season averages doubles runs scored runs batted rbi season led strong lineup additions pitching staff yankees finished second place cleanup hitter batting order hit yankees won american_league pennant lost world series rival new_york_giants national_league july ball fifth inning game yankees returned criticized fielding attacked separated teammates insisted settle game led yankees victory hitting approached game ready fight opted said resulted reduced tension yankees attributed improved play point forward batted yankees won american_league pennant rematch giants defeated yankees world series scouted playing college baseball columbia_university suggested yankees manager sign personally helped develop signed strong season injured right ankle stepping train boston late year yankees promoted minor leagues play yankees final games initially thought able play world series recovered sufficiently time play yankees won series games giants yankees finished second place american_league led american league rbis triples removal yankees starting lineup yankees began season struggling began replace players lineup response starting shortstop replacing time scott longest streak consecutive games played yankees continued struggle yankees entered play june game losing streak win loss record seventh place teams american_league half game better place team games place standings game replaced yankees lineup second baseman catcher batting home runs rbis batting average previous weeks game record consecutive games played lasted seasons according popular version story showed yankee stadium day severe asked team trainer yankees manager noticed said day try kid today tomorrow played yankees new starting baseman story appeared new york world telegram career interviewed later quoted said took expensive history according pride yankees film life asked game experiencing double vision hit head days prior reported new_york_times taken lineup hit head pitch thrown batting practice hit head pitch hospitalized event occurred july month reported struggles left handed pitchers scheduled starting pitcher senators june sources suggest yankee manager actually veterans order shake lineup according story supported wife game june gambling horse racing race track son tom denied rumor stating father bet horses interviewed sports_illustrated children disagreed reason father believing struggling sons believes told play place knew future yankees likely later career returned yankees lineup june day ward despite return strong play batted home runs rbis yankees finished seventh place hospitalized week hit head july played remainder season ended year average home runs rbis team struggles personnel changes offseason yankees attempted trade american_league team agree terms team acquired cincinnati_reds national_league reportedly paid yankees greater sum price reds strong starting baseman died attempted acquire giants refused transaction acquired instead attempted acquire portion purchase price rebuffed played games reds seasons batting average rbis triples fourth best national_league batted rbis baseman roster reds released season signed international_league season earned year major league career batted newark retired season played games seasons batting average seasons rbi career batting average led american national leagues fielding percentage sacrifices yankee remain team record yankee lead american_league home runs famous replacement players began replaced lineup especially minor injury later life attended day yankee stadium tiger stadium playing old games later hired sports_illustrated magazine writers retiring invested stock market lost wealth authored book titled worked broadcaster baseball tigers wrote radio scripts worked publishing organized baseball programs community spent time unemployed great depression verge bankruptcy managed pay debts going bankrupt world war worked willow run manufacturing complex building bombers following war worked machine parts salesman selling bolts screws automotive companies based detroit personal life wife children sons walter tom daughter brother reverend catholic priest moved michigan suffering number strokes moved nursing home september died january heart attack age interred
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