Walt Linden

{{short description|American baseball player}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}

{{Infobox baseball biography

| name =Walt Linden

| image =Walt Linden.jpeg

| alt =

| caption =

| position =Catcher

| birth_date ={{birth date|1924|3|27}}

| birth_place =Chicago, Illinois, U.S.

| death_date ={{death date and age|2013|9|20|1924|3|27}}

| death_place =La Grange Park, Illinois, U.S.

| bats =Right

| throws =Right

|debutleague = MLB

| debutdate =April 30

| debutyear =1950

| debutteam =Boston Braves

|finalleague = MLB

| finaldate =May 8

| finalyear =1950

| finalteam =Boston Braves

|statleague = MLB

| stat1label =Batting average

| stat1value =.400

| stat2label =Home runs

| stat2value =0

| stat3label =Runs batted in

| stat3value =0

| stat4label =

| stat4value =

| awards =

| teams =

• Boston Braves (1950)

}}

Walter Charles Linden (March 27, 1924 – September 20, 2013){{Cite web|url=http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/baseball_deaths.php?order=FinalYear&y=2013|title = Major League Baseball Players Who Died in 2013 | Baseball Almanac}} was an American professional baseball player. Although the catcher's pro career lasted for eight seasons (1946–51; 1953–54), he appeared in only three games at the Major League level for the {{baseball year|1950}} Boston Braves. In six plate appearances, he collected two hits and a base on balls.[https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/lindewa01.shtml Career statistics and history] at [https://www.baseball-reference.com Baseball-Reference.com] He threw and batted right-handed, stood {{convert|6|ft|1|in}} tall and weighed {{convert|190|lb}}.

Born in Chicago, Linden graduated from high school in Berwyn and attended the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. He served in the United States Army during World War II[http://baseballinwartime.com/those_who_served/those_who_served_atoz.htm Baseball in Wartime.com] and broke into baseball in the Braves' farm system in 1946.

In 1949, Linden batted .325 in 121 games and was named to the Western League all-star team. He then made the Braves' 1950 roster coming out of spring training and doubled in his first MLB at bat in a pinch hitting role against eventual Baseball Hall of Famer Robin Roberts on April 30.[http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1950/B04302PHI1950.htm 1950-4-30 (2) box score] from Retrosheet Linden was Boston's starting catcher on May 8, and had a single in three at bats against Gerry Staley of the St. Louis Cardinals in a 10–3 defeat.[http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1950/B05080SLN1950.htm 1950-5-8 box score] from Retrosheet He was then sent to the Triple-A Milwaukee Brewers at the May cutdown, and spent the remainder of his baseball career in the minors.