CBN HOF Series: Scout Greg Miner on Larry Walker
Baseball fans across Canada are proud of Larry Walker To celebrate Maple Ridge, B.C., native becoming the first Canadian position player to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, we will be running a series of articles from many who have known and been inspired by him - including former teammates, managers, coaches and even his dad - leading up to the Sept. 8 ceremony. We will also be publishing tributes to Walker's fellow 2020 inductees Derek Jeter, Ted Simmons and Marvin Miller.
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Steve Rogers on Marvin Miller ||||| Mario Ziino on Ted Simmons ||||| Buck Showalter on Derek Jeter ||||| “The Legend” Dick Groch signed Jeter, plus scouting report ||||| Captain Jeter was Mr. November
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Larry Walker on Larry Walker, Jr. ||||| Clint Hurdle on Larry Walker IIIII Stubby Clapp on Larry Walker IIIII Gene Glynn on Larry Walker IIIII Allan Simpson on Larry Walker IIIII Coquitlam coach Don Archer on Larry Walker ||||| HOFer La Russa on HOFer Larry Walker IIIII Neil Munro on Larry Walker ||||| Kevin Glew on Larry Walker |||| Former GM Dan Duquette on Larry Walker |||||
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Sept. 5 2021
By Greg Miner
Former Blue Jays Scout
Who is Larry Walker? To put it simply, he is a Canadian baseball legend.
Larry is the most accomplished and decorated Canadian-born baseball player to ever play in the major leagues. When thinking of great Canadian athletes, Larry is in a conversation with names like Steve Nash, Wayne Gretzky and Mike Weir.
As a pro player, Larry checked all the boxes. From his foot speed, to his arm strength, to his hitting and throwing, he was above major league average. What separated Larry from the others was his willingness to compete and his work ethic. He wanted to be the player at bat with two out in the ninth inning and the opportunity to drive in the winning run.
Larry wanted the ball hit to him in the outfield with the chance to throw out the runner at the plate. His desire to win was evident every time he stepped on the field.
Larry was also a complete athlete, excelling at sports beyond baseball. He was signed to the major leagues at a time that valued this versatility. Scouts recognized Larry as a well-rounded and coachable athlete with a broad skill set. This established the foundation for a long and successful baseball career.
I was fortunate enough to scout for the Toronto Blue Jays from 1994 until 2002, looking for the next Larry Walker (Maple Ridge, BC) in the Toronto-area. This proved to be a difficult task because the Larry Walkers of the world are few and far between.
Today, athletic versatility like Larry’s gets lost. In my view, this is happening because we are asking today’s young athletes to specialize and choose one sport over another at too early an age. Larry’s athletic versatility was special then and stands out even more now.
Every young ball player in Canada looks for inspiration and relatable Canadian role models. We’ve always had one in Ferguson Jenkins (Chatham, Ont.) as a pitcher and now we have one in Larry Walker as a position player.
Each year, there are more and more Canadian ball players drafted into the major league organizations. I’d like to think that Larry was an inspiration to those players by showing, first hand, what can be accomplished by Canadians willing to put in the work needed.
This week, Larry will be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. - a true accomplishment. Larry is the first Canadian positional player to be inducted. With the path he has paved for young Canadian players, there will surely be more to follow. Success as a Canadian in the majors has certainly been made smoother because of the accomplishments of Larry Walker.
Larry, thank you for the way you have carried yourself with dignity and class throughout your baseball career. You have made every Canadian ball fan proud.
Congratulations on your well-deserved induction into the Hall of Fame!
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Greg (Chopper) Miner has been involved in the game for 50 years at all levels.
Miner was head coach of the Metro Toronto Baseball Association 18U all stars for four years. He was involved with the Ontario Youth Team (18U) to represent the province at the Canadian Cup championship tournament for 10 years as a coach and evaluator. And he also coached Ontario to a gold medal in the Canada Summer Games (19U).
He was the first head instructor at the Toronto Blue Jays camp for boys aged 12 to 18 years old.
Hired by Bill Byckowski in 1994, Miner scouted for the Toronto Blue Jays until the near the end of the 2002 season when new general manager J. P. Ricciardi eliminated Canadian scouts.
He was asked to set up evaluation camps in Europe for the Toronto Blue Jays.
Jays cross checker Chris Buckley flew in from Tampa to see SS Lee Delfino (Pickering, Ont.) homer over the Kinsmen Stadium in Oshawa. He was drafted in the fifth round in 1998, attended East Carolina and was re-drafted by the Blue Jays three years later in the sixth. Delfino played five seasons in the minors.
Miner also coached and evaluated the likes of RHP Chris Begg (Uxbridge, Ont.), who pitched eight years in the minors, mostly with the San Francisco Giants, RHP Derek Bieniasz (Toronto, Ont.) a 25th rounder selected by the Seattle Mariners in 1992 and INF Terry Adams (Toronto, Ont.), who was drafted three straight years: 21st round in 1992 by the Blue Jays, the 65th round the next year by the San Diego Padres and in the 26th round in the 1994 draft by the Blue Jays.