Register now for the 2026 World Baseball Coaches Convention at Mohegan Sun!
The World Baseball Coaches Convention is back for another year and the lineup is loaded once again.
Some of the featured speakers for this year include Pete Walker (Blue Jays pitching coach), Dan Swirka (Murray State head coach), Tracy Smith (Michigan head coach), Hunter Mense (Giants hitting coach), Tucker Frawley (Mets defense & base running coach), Jim Martin (Stony Brook head coach), Jim Penders (UCONN head coach), Brandon Brewer (University of Miami infield coach), Chuck Ristano (Navy head coach), Elliott Glynn (Fordham coach) and many more.
The event is perfect for coaches who are seeking to improve their program. The lineup of top-notch coaches offer a series of wide-ranging thought-provoking presentations as they provide new coaching concepts and game insights through interactive demonstrations.
Co-Founder Pete Walker
Pete Walker was born and raised in Connecticut. He starred for East Lyme HS where he was named Player of the Year during his junior season.
He was recruited to the University of Connecticut. He decided to attend their sister campus for his freshman season, Avery Point. That campus has produced some big leaguers such as Rajai Davis and John McDonald. The decision proved to be a good one as he performed exceptionally well during his two-year career there. As a sophomore, he compiled a stellar 1.75 ERA over 67 innings with 3 CGs.
In 1990, he helped lead the Huskies to the Big East Championship in 1990, he was named to the All-Tournament team and was later drafted by the New York Mets. Despite being drafted in the 7th round, he was their first pitcher selected.
He was in the system during the famed “Generation K” which included Bill Pulsipher, Paul Wilson and Jason Isringhausen. Walker was being groomed to become the next closer in the organization.
Walker made his big league debut in San Francisco on a typical windy and blustery night at Candlestick Park. He had the distinction of facing Barry Bonds, who doubled off Walker but was thrown out at third attempting to stretch it into a triple. He wound up winning one game that season over 13 appearances. He pitched one game in 1996 with the San Diego Padres.
Unfortunately, Walker faced the first of his many injuries when he had shoulder surgery which he stated really “derailed his career.” Through sheer perseverance, he fought his way back to the big leagues after several seasons working his way back in the minor leagues.
He finally got his next chance in 2000 with the Colorado Rockies. He stated this really “rejuvenated his career” as he was turned into a starting pitcher and went 13-4 in Triple-A with the Norfolk Tides the following year and made a few appearances in the big leagues with the Mets.
Remarkably, Walker won 10 games as a starter with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2002. He holds the record of going 7 years in between recording wins.
He would go on to pitch parts of three more seasons with the Blue Jays before making his final big league appearance in 2006. Walker made an attempt to come back in 2007, pitching briefly in the New York Yankees minor league season at age-37 before calling it a career.
Walker would return to the game as a bullpen coach in 2012 for the Blue Jays on John Farrell’s staff. He was promoted to pitching coach where he has been since 2013.
This past season, the Blue Jays had a tremendous season in which they captured the AL East title and defeated the New York Yankees in the ALDS and the Seattle Mariners in the ALCS to return to the World Series for the first time since their back-to-back World Series titles in 1992-’93.
He received much praise for the job he did with their staff, and using the splitter to contain some of the best players in the league.
“For a while there was a misconception about the pitch putting too much stress on your arm. When thrown correctly, it is a really effective pitch. Every pitch can cause tension on the arm. It’s a pitch I threw and I never had an elbow injury in my career. Learning it is trial & error, it’s a very hands-on process.”
Walker began the World Coaching Convention in 2002 when his brother pitched him the idea. It began with roughly 250 coaches attending the event while quickly growing and now features about 2,000 between baseball and softball.
“It’s a great way to start the season,” said Walker. “There’s so many great presenters, it’s an opportunity to grow. Once you think you have it all figured out as a coach, the game can humble you. We have pitching coaches, hitting coaches, infield coaches, from college and pro levels. We have over 40 presenters. It’s a great learning tool.”
