Canadians celebrate Walker being elected to the Hall of Fame
Canadian slugger Larry Walker (Maple Ridge, B.C.) has been elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Photo: Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame
January 21, 2020
By Kevin Glew
Canadian Baseball Network
Canadian slugger Larry Walker (Maple Ridge, B.C.) has been elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.
The announcement was made by Hall of Fame president Tim Mead on the MLB Network just after 6 p.m. E.T. today.
Walker, whose name was checked on 76.6% of baseball writers’ ballots (75% was required to be elected) will be inducted, alongside New York Yankees legendary shortstop Derek Jeter (99.7% in voting) and Modern Era Committee electee Ted Simmons in a ceremony in Cooperstown on July 26. Ex-Major League Players Association president Marvin Miller will also be inducted posthumously.
With his induction in his 10th and final year on the ballot, Walker becomes the second Canadian player - and first Canadian position player - to be honoured in Cooperstown. Pitcher Fergie Jenkins (Chatham, Ont.) was inducted in 1991.
It hasn’t been an easy road to enshrinement for the Maple Ridge, B.C., native who belted 383 home runs in parts of 17 major league seasons with the Montreal Expos, Colorado Rockies and St. Louis Cardinals. After debuting on the ballot in 2011, he saw his support dip as low as 10.2% in 2014 before a huge social media push emphasizing his advanced statistics dramatically increased his support.
In 2019, he received 54.6% support and his 22% jump this year represents the highest by a candidate in their final year of eligibility.
Being elected to that National Baseball Hall of Fame is a tremendous accomplishment for the Canuck outfielder when you consider that when Walker signed his first professional baseball contract in 1984, he preferred the Montreal Canadiens to the Montreal Expos. But after the longtime hockey goalie decided to focus on the diamond, he evolved into the greatest position player Canada has ever produced.
Signed by Expos executive Jim Fanning, Walker toiled for parts of four seasons in the minors, before making his big league debut on August 16, 1989. A five-tool threat, Walker blossomed into an all-star outfielder in his six seasons with the Expos.
After the strike-shortened, 1994 campaign, Walker inked a multi-year deal with the Rockies, where he enjoyed his greatest big league success. His MVP award-winning 1997 campaign was one of the best single seasons in history. In that storied year, Walker belted 49 homers, drove in 130 runs and hit .366, to earn his first of three batting titles. He would hit .379 with 37 home runs and 115 RBIs for an encore in 1999.
After more than nine seasons with the Rockies, the five-time all-star was dealt to St. Louis in August 2004. He played his final season with the Cardinals the following year.
In all, Walker suited up for 17 big league seasons and leads Canadian major leaguers in virtually every career offensive category, amassing 2,160 hits, 383 home runs, 471 doubles and 230 stolen bases. The seven-time Gold Glove winner also compiled a .313 career batting average, .565 slugging percentage and won the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame’s Tip O’Neill Award nine times.
For his efforts, Walker was inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame in 2007, the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame in 2009 and the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in 2011.
Walker was overwhelmed when he received today’s call to Cooperstown.
Canadians across the country, including prime minister Justin Trudeau, are celebrating Walker’s election, with some holding watch parties.
Here’s a sampling of the congratulatory messages from Canadians that his election has sparked: