Walker combined speed, power that even HOFers struggle to match
Now in his ninth year on the National Baseball Hall of Fame ballot, Larry Walker (Maple Ridge, B.C.) will need significantly more support from the voters to be elected.
*This article was originally published on Tracy Ringolsby’s Inside the Seams website. You can read it here.
By Tracy Ringolsby
Inside the Seams
In Larry Walker’s career he didn’t merely hit 383 home runs. But he also stole 230 bases. He succeeded on 75.2 percent of his stolen base opportunities. Oh, and he had a .567 slugging percentage.
Impressed?
Well, Among Hall of Famers with 300 or more home runs, only three stole more than the 230 bases of Walker — Willie Mays (338), Andre Dawson (314) and Hank Aaron (240). Walker’s 75.2 success ratio on stolen bases ranks behind only Aaron (76.7) and Mays (76.6). Oh, and his .565 slugging percentage is higher than any of the Hall of Famers in the elite group.
It underscores how complete a player Walker was — speed and power. And he was an intelligent base runner.
Just a few more numbers that add up to why Walker should be enshrined in the Hall of Fame.