Dan Walters Obituary - Page 2
“I thought, ‘What in the world do they want me for?'” he later said. “Benito Santiago was coming off two great years where he was all-world. They had [Sandy] Alomar, who everyone knew would be a star. Mark Parent was already their backup. With all those guys around, why would they want me?”
In his first season with the new team in 1989, he batted .273 for the AA Wichita Wranglers, hit 6 home runs and drove in 45 runs. He split 1990 between Wichita and the AAA Las Vegas Stars, and he hit well in both places. He was part of one memorable game where the Wranglers pounded out 28 hits in a 33-17 win over Midland. Walters hit a grand slam in a 10-run third inning and contributed 8 RBIs to the final score.
Through his minor-league travels, Walters constantly worked to improve whatever aspect of his game needed improving. Bob Nightengale, then writing for the Los Angeles Times, wrote about his dedication in 1992, after Walters made it to the big leagues. When he was told he was too skinny to catch, Walters began lifting weights and gained 60 pounds. When he was told he wasn’t a good enough hitter, he spent a couple of offseasons playing in Mexico to work on his swing. When he was told his throwing technique was awkward, he worked with Padres coach Bruce Kimm to improve his mechanics. He also worked with his pitchers to improve his pitch-framing abilities.
Walters spent all of 1991 with the Stars and hit a career best .317 in 96 games. Of his 93 hits, 22 were doubles, and he homered 4 times as well, driving in 44 runs. By then, Alomar and Parent were out of the Padres organization. Santiago was still a star for the Padres, but Walters was knocking on the door to the major leagues.
Through 35 games in Vegas in 1992, Walters was flirting with a .400 batting average. He was brought to the major leagues after Santiago broke his finger and was expected to miss a month. Walters made his major-league debut on June 1 in Chicago, and he picked up his first hit the next day by drilling an RBI single off the Cubs’ Mike Morgan. His entire family was in the stands at Jack Murphy Stadium when Walters played his first game in San Diego. Reggie Waller, the Padres scouting director who drafted Walters when he worked for the Astros, was there as well. “It has taken a long, long time, and the odds have been against him, but he has made it,” Waller said. “I’m as proud of him as any player I’ve ever had. Most people never thought he’d spend a day in the majors, but he had this fight in him. This toughness. This determination.”
Walters did the majority of the catching while Santiago recovered from his injury. By June 14, he was jutting just .161, but a 7-game hitting streak brought him up to a respectable .259. He eventually reached the .280s before Santiago returned. Walters stuck on the roster, though, and served as the backup catcher after Dann Bilardello was sidelined with a neck injury.
Continued on Page 3.