Walker enjoyed Coors Field, but don't ignore his road impact
Maple Ridge, B.C., native Larry Walker is in his ninth year of eligibility on the National Baseball Hall of Fame ballot.
By Tracy Ringolsby
Inside the Seams
Yes, Larry Walker enjoyed his time hitting in Coors Field.
But it was not like he was a failure on the road.
In a three-year stretch in his prime — when he averaged 137 games a year — he led the major leagues in home average, hitting .418 combined from 1997-99, tops in MLB, 54 points ahead of teammate Todd Helton, who was second in MLB in that stretch at home. Fellow Rockies player Dante Bichette was third at .351.
Walker, however, also hit .314 on the road in that stretch, which ranked 12th in MLB. Among Rockies hitters who had qualifying at-bats over that three-year stretch, Walker was the only one who hit .300. Vinny Castilla was No. 2 on the road at .275 followed by Bichette (.272), Helton (.262) and Neifi Perez (.247).
For more on Walker’s impressive road numbers, follow this link.