Dan Walters

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name=Dan Walters

|position=Catcher

|image=Dan Walters - Columbus Astros - 1988.jpg

|caption=Walters in 1988

|bats=Right

|throws=Right

|birth_date={{Birth date|1966|8|15}}

|birth_place=Brunswick, Maine, U.S.

|death_date={{Death date and age|2020|4|23|1966|8|15}}

|death_place=Santee, California, U.S.

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate=June 1

|debutyear=1992

|debutteam=San Diego Padres

|finalleague = MLB

|finaldate=May 23

|finalyear=1993

|finalteam=San Diego Padres

|statleague = MLB

|stat1label=Batting average

|stat1value=.234

|stat2label=Home runs

|stat2value=5

|stat3label=Runs batted in

|stat3value=32

|teams=

San Diego Padres ({{mlby|1992}}–{{mlby|1993}})

}}

Daniel Gene Walters (August 15, 1966 – April 23, 2020) was an American professional baseball player. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres in the 1992 and 1993 seasons.

Career

Born in Brunswick, Maine, Walters attended Santana High School in Santee, California.{{cite news |title=Paralyzed cop doesn't want to be forgotten |url=http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/nov/11/dickey-cop/ |first=Fred |last=Dickey |publisher=U-T San Diego |date=November 11, 2013 |accessdate=October 16, 2014}} In 84 career games, he had 64 hits in 273 at-bats, with a .234 batting average.

After his playing days were over, Walters remained in San Diego and became a police officer with the San Diego Police Department. He became paralyzed from the neck down after he was shot in the neck and hit by a car in 2003. Later he regained some movement in his left hand.{{cite web |url=http://www.thescizone.com/news/1699/paralyzed-policeman-former-padre-returns-to-sd |title=Paralyzed policeman, former Padre, returns to S.D. |website=SpinalCordInjuryZone.com |date=March 11, 2004 |accessdate=January 15, 2011}}

Walters died due to complications from his injuries on April 23, 2020.{{cite web |title=Dan Walters, former Padre and San Diego police officer, dies at 53 |url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sports/story/2020-04-23/dan-walters-padres-catcher-san-diego-police-dies |website=San Diego Union-Tribune |first1=John |last1=Maffei |accessdate=24 April 2020 |date=23 April 2020}} He was 53.