Harry ‘The Hat’ Walker Dies

Harry “The Hat” Walker, who led the National League in hitting in 1947 and got the deciding hit for the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1946 World Series, died Sunday in Birmingham, Ala., from complications of a stroke.

Walker had been hospitalized since July 16. A funeral was scheduled for Tuesday.

Walker, a left-handed batter nicknamed for his habit of adjusting his cap between pitches, had a .296 average in a 22-year pro career, including 11 seasons in the majors.

He spent eight years with the Cardinals and also played for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds, mostly as an outfielder. He appeared in three World Series (1942, 1943 and 1946) and two All-Star Games (1943 and 1947).

He spent 20 years as a manager, including major league stints with the Cardinals (1955), Pittsburgh Pirates (1965-67) and Houston Astros (1968-72).

For the next six years, he worked in various capacities for the Cardinal organization and later became the first baseball coach at the University of Alabama Birmingham.

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Tampa Bay left-hander Wilson Alvarez was activated from the disabled list and started Sunday against the Cleveland Indians.

The Devil Rays also recalled outfielder Jose Guillen from triple-A Durham and optioned right-handed relief pitcher Bryan Rekar and outfielder Rich Butler to the minor league club.