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Harry Walker's River Oaks Ranch to be auctioned off Cook's Corner by BEN COOK A local sports landmark is about to become history. No, I'm not talking about the upper deck at Legion Field, although that is certainly about to be history and hopefully for the safety of everybody who sits under it, that decaying pile of steel will be removed soon. No, I'm talking about River Oaks Ranch in Leeds, the former home of Harry "The Hat" Walker. River Oaks Ranch was Harry's home for over half a century. He built the home with his earnings from the St. Louis Cardinals' victory in the 1946 World Series and was built from hand-hewn rock from the area. It sits on 39½ acres of prime real estate near the Little Cahaba River and will be auctioned off in parcels, combinations of parcels or in its entirety. Walker's home was a showplace with three large bedrooms and three bathrooms. The living room and den both have custom-built stone fireplaces. There is a swimming pool and storage buildings, both near the main house. But the house, though, was never the real treasure. That was Harry Walker himself and the parade of celebrities from both the sports and entertainment worlds that showed up at the ranch off Highway 119. Harry and his brother Dixie had brilliant major league careers and remain to this day as the only brothers to ever win batting titles in the major leagues. Harry won in 1947 while splitting time with Philadelphia and St. Louis. Harry was hitting .200 on June 1 when the Cardinals traded him to the Phillies. He hit a resounding .371 the rest of the season to finish at .363, best in the National League. Walker remains the only player to win a batting title while playing for two different teams in the same year. Harry will always be a part of baseball history for his double in Game Seven of the 1946 World Series that scored Enos Slaughter from first base with the winning run as the Cardinals won the game and the Series, 4-3. Harry Walker played 11 major league seasons and was a career .206 hitter. He later managed both the Cardinals and the Houston Astros. "When you're winning, they say you have aggressive players when they spout off. When you're losing, they call it dissension," Walker once said of managing in the major leagues. "One thing all managers hear that doesn't make any sense at all is for a pitcher to say, 'I ought to have a right to stay in and win or lose my own game.' "He doesn't have that right. It isn't just his game. There are 24 other players who have a stake in it, plus the manager and the coaches, and everybody else in the organization. All have worked to field the team and are affected by what happens," Walker said. River Oaks was always open to anyone, but you never knew when a celebrity might show up. Harry hosted entire St. Louis and Pittsburgh teams when each won the World Series. The list of baseball personalities who have passed through the gate at River Oaks is a virtual who's who of the national pastime. At various times, Stan Musial, Willie Mays, Roberto Clemente, Willie Stargell, Dizzy Dean, Marty Marion, Virgil Trucks, Vern Law, Bobby Bragan, Terry Moore, Ken Boyer, Alex Grammas, Red Schoendist, Tim McCarver, Keith Hernadez, Hal Smith, Bill White, Joe Garagiola, Bob Prince, Jack Buck, Harry Caray and golf legend Charley Boswell were guests at River Oaks. But it was not just baseball legends who enjoyed Harry's southern hospitality. Entertainment legends Harry James, Mickey Rooney, Barbara Hale and Angie Dickinson have all visited. Harry Walker's professional baseball career is a matter of record, but he will always be remembered around this area as well for being the first baseball coach at UAB. Harry passed away on August 8, 1999, at the age of 82. River Oaks will be sold at auction on August 28 at the age of 58. The auction is being conducted by Granger Thagard & Associates. If you have interest in the River Oaks Ranch auction, call Jack Granger at 936-5288 |
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Granger, Thagard & Associates, Inc. |
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