Walt Masterson

Walter Edward Masterson III (June 22, 1920 - April 5, 2008) was an American right-handed pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1939 to 1956. Discovered playing semi-pro ball by scout Joe Cambria, he debuted with the Washington Senators as an 18-year-old in 1939. Masterson pitched for the Senators, Boston Red Sox, and Detroit Tigers over his career, spending the bulk of it across eleven seasons with Washington, where he posted a 3.98 earned run average while pitching for a series of losing teams. He missed the 1943 and 1944 seasons while serving in the United States Navy from September 1942 to July 1945 during World War II, serving aboard submarines in the Pacific. He was named the American League's starting pitcher for the 1948 All-Star Game. Over a career spanning from 1939 to 1956, Masterson worked in 399 games with 184 starts, finishing with a 78-100 win-loss record and a 4.15 earned run average. He pitched during the 1940s and 1950s.