Former Major League Baseball Player pleads guilty

By Mindy Gould on Friday, March 24th, 2023 in Eastern/Southeast Oregon News More Top Stories

Harney County-Former Major League Baseball second baseman Walter (Wally) Wayne Backman has pleaded guilty to taking, angling, hunting or trapping, a class a misdemeanor which was committed on or about September 29.2022.

Backman has had placed on a 12 month bench probation, his hunting license suspended for 3 years and must pay fees and fines of $1,999.99 according to Harney County Court Documents.

Wally Backman is best known for his time with the New York Mets from 1980-1988 and was a member of the 1986 World Series-winning team. He was also a former manager for the Las Vegas 51s, and the Mets’ AAA minor league team 2013-2016. He served as the bench coach for a Mexican Baseball League in 2017 and is currently the manager of the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball