1965 Thomas Edison High School graduate, former Twins pitcher, and longtime Pioneer Press sportswriter Charley Walters was born on February 21, 1947 in Minneapolis. The Twins signed Walters out of their annual open tryout at Met Stadium after his senior year of high school.
Walters went 7-2 with a 1.94 ERA for the 1967 Northern League champion St. Cloud Rox. He broke camp with the Twins in 1969 at age 22, and made six appearances between April 11 and May 14. He held opponents scoreless over his first five appearances (5.1 innings) on just three hits and a walk. He struggled in his final major league appearance versus Baltimore, giving up four runs on three hits and a walk over 1.1 innings. The Orioles would go on to sweep the Twins in the 1969 American League Championship Series. Minnesota’s own Jerry Koosman and the “Miracle Mets” beat Baltimore in the World Series four games to one.
Walters pitched in the Senators/Rangers organization from 1970 to ’72. He has been a sportswriter at the Pioneer Press since 1975.
Stew Thornley wrote about Walters for the Halsey Hall SABR book Minnesotans in Baseball (click here).