In 1982 a young man from Jeffersonville, Indiana made his debut as a major league baseball starting pitcher.
Walt Terrell, quickly became a staple of that New York Met team where he played his early years. After being drafted as a standout at Morehead State College, the Mets had made a trade with the Texas Rangers for Terrell.
During his tenure with New York his biggest highlight didn’t come on the mound ironically enough, but came in a game against the Chicago Cubs when the young pitcher hit two two-run homerun shots against the famed Ferguson Jenkins in back to back innings.
With this performance Terrell proved that he was one of those rare pitchers who could provide not only on the mound but also on offense.
After leaving New York in ’84, Terrell found his place with several other clubs, among those; the San Diego Padres, the New York Yankees, The Pittsburgh Pirates, and the Detroit Tigers where he still has a notable fan base.
Detroit, a blue collar team in a blue collar town, seemed to be the perfect fit for the hardworking Terrell who would end up winning 79 games for the Tigers. Considered by many fans to be a major part of the Mets’ as well as Detroit’s 80’s turn arounds Terrell still has throngs of fans that all seem to love telling the stories about the man and his impact on the game of baseball.
Today, Terrell is a highly active individual in area charities, working extensively with the Alzheimer’s Association of Kentucky among others. He has also been known to participate in events like the Tiger’s Fantasy baseball camp, and has worked as a high school baseball coach in recent years.
Outside Sources
Image courtesy of Topps Archive