Matt Walbeck

[William Malone]

Matthew Lovick Walbeck was born on October 2, 1969 in Sacramento California.

The Chicago Cubs selected him in round eight of the 1987 MLB Draft. He made his Major League debut for them in 1993. Walbeck played 11 games for the Cubs, going 6-for-30 (.200) with one home run and six RBI. The Minnesota Twins acquired him via trade during the off-season.

Minnesota allowed Walbeck to get regular playing time at the big league level, starting him 89 times behind the plate in 1994. He hit .204 with five home runs and 35 RBI, catching a no-hitter thrown by Scott Erickson on April 27th and leading the American League by catching 42 potential base stealers. Walbeck continued at the Twins primary catcher in 1995, batting .257 with one home run and 44 RBI over 115 games. His role got smaller in 1996 after Minnesota signed veteran catcher Greg Myers. Minnesota traded him to the Detroit Tigers on December 11, 1996.

Walbeck played seven more big league seasons after leaving the Twins. He played for the Tigers (1997, 2002-03), the Anaheim Angels (1998-00) and Philadelphia Phillies (2001). His career slash line was .233/.280/.315 with 28 home runs and 208 RBI.

The Tigers hired Walbeck to manage in their minor league system immediately after he retired. He won two Midwest League championships in three years at the Class-A level, and was then moved up to manage in Double-A. The Texas Rangers hired him as their Major League third base coach in 2008, but he was let go after just one season. Walbeck has since managed in the Pittsburgh Pirates and Atlanta Braves farm systems.

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