September 24, 1910

Major League Baseball outfielder Fred “Dixie” Walker was born in Georgia. Walker and his brother, Harry “the Hat” Walker, lived most of their lives in Birmingham and are the only brothers who have won MLB batting championships. The brothers played a combined 23 seasons in the majors and appeared in multiple All-Star Games, with five appearances by Fred and two by Harry, who also won two World Series Championships. Fred Walker is best known, however, for refusing to play on an integrated team with Jackie Robinson in 1947, a decision he later called “the stupidest thing” he’d ever done. Both brothers were inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame.

Read more at Encyclopedia of Alabama.

Fred “Dixie” Walker (1910-1982) was a Major League Baseball player whose career started in Alabama during the late 1920s when he was signed by the minor league Birmingham Barons. Walker went on to play for the Yankees, White Sox, Tigers, Dodgers, and Pirates, retiring in 1948. His lifetime batting average was .306 and he was a five-time All-Star. (From Encyclopedia of Alabama, Courtesy of the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame)

Harry “the Hat” Walker (1916-1999) was a professional baseball player whose playing career spanned more than 20 years. He played for the Phillies, Cardinals, Cubs, Astros, and Reds. Walker began and was the first coach of the baseball program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. (From Encyclopedia of Alabama, Courtesy of the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame)

For more on Alabama’s Bicentennial, visit Alabama 200.