“Walks will kill you” (baseball adage)

“Walks will kill you (almost every time)” is a popular baseball adage. A walk doesn’t give the fielders the opportunity to make a play on a ball, but gives the batter a pass to first base. “That old baseball adage — walks will kill you every time” was cited in 1952.
 
“Those two-out walks will kill you” was cited in 1975. “Those leadoff walks will kill you” was cited in 1989.
 
 
25 July 1952, Cedar Rapids (IA) Gazette, “Fulton Edges Dickson, 1-0, in M-J Mound Duel” by Don Sulhoff, pg. 14, col. 5:
That old baseball adage — walks will kill you every time — was brought home to Swab’s Dick Dickson Thursday.
 
19 May 1955, Aberdeen (SD) American-News, “Philbert Pulls Off Triple Play” by Jim Hanson, pg. 18, col. 1:
After those first two innings, Edinger must have been convinced that “walks will kill you.”
 
13 August 1960, Seattle (WA) Times, “Rainiers Evict Solons From 4th” by Hy Zimmerman, pg. 5, col. 2:
But, says the baseball axiom, those walks will kill you, even only one.
 
5 May 1966, Seattle (WA) Times, “‘Sneaky’ Turner Mows Down Mounties” by Hy Zimmerman, pg. 59, col. 1:
The Seattle Angels today had sharpened an old saw (those walks will kill you every time), had delivered a sneak attack and had closed their collective fist a little tighter on the Western Division lead.
 
10 April 1975, Springfield (MA) Union, “Brewers Stagger Sox, 7-4” by Mike Bogen, pg. 49, cols. 5-6:
Broberg, who was terrible with Texas during the first half of last season, and nearly as bad in the minors the second half, cruised through the Bosox’ batting order until he decided to verify that old TV announcers’ bromide—“Those two-out walks will kill you.”
 
1 June 1989, The Times (Trenton, NJ), “Phils,” pg. E10, col. 1:
“Those leadoff walks will kill you,” Phillies manager Nick Leyva said.
 
Google Books
At Home and Away:
33 Years of Baseball Essays
By John Kuenster
Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co.
2003
Pg. 236:
As the time-worn baseball cliche goes, “Those walks will kill you every time.”
 
Twitter
Kevin Thompson
‏@ParkAtThePark
@PadresCentral those lead off walks will kill you every time. Unless they don’t.
3:11 PM - 19 Apr 2015
 
CapeCod.com
Walks Spell Difference in Mass. Maritime Playoff Loss to Framingham State
May 2, 2015
BUZZARDS BAY — There’s an old saying in baseball that walks will kill you every time.