Larry Walker
A seven-time Gold Glove Award-winning right fielder, Canadian-born Larry Walker won the 1997 National League Most Valuable Player Award. With his left-handed swing, Walker launched as many as 49 homers in the lofty Denver air for the Rockies and won three batting titles. A throwback in the mold of George Brett and Robin Yount, Walker's hustling style endeared him to fans in Montreal and Colorado, his primary home cities in his 17-year career.
Played For
Montreal Expos (1989-1994)
Colorado Rockies (1995-2004)
St. Louis Cardinals (2004-2005)
All-Time Rankings
Larry Walker ranks #12 among the Top 50 all-time at RF. Rankings ⇒
Best Season: 1997
Yes, his season was in the context of the offensive explosion of the 1990s, and of course, he played half the year in Coors Field, but it still ranks as one of the best offensive seasons in baseball history. He hit .366 with a .720 OBP, 208 hits, 143 runs, 46 doubles, 49 home runs, 130 RBI, and 33 stolen bases. He was also the best right fielder in baseball.
Factoids
Larry Walker posted a lifetime .300 batting average in every month except March, in which he played just one game and went 1-for-4.
Born
Larry Kenneth Robert Walker was born on December 1, 1966, in Maple Ridge, BC.
Batted: Left
Threw: Right
Primary Position: RF
Primary Team: COL
Major League Debut
August 16, 1989
Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1989
Steve Finley
Todd Zeile
John Olerud
Sammy Sosa
Omar Vizquel
Ken Griffey Jr.
Juan Gonzalez
Albert Belle
Jim Abbott
Similar Players
George Brett, for the intensity, hustle, competitiveness, and sweet left-handed swing... Chuck Klein was another right fielder who played in a hitter's park much of his career. Like Walker, he was a great player, and he didn't need a favorable park to prove he was one of the best hitters in the game.
Post-Season Appearances
1995 National League Divisional Series
2004 National League Championship Series
2004 National League Divisional Series
2004 World Series
2005 National League Championship Series
2005 National League Divisional Series
Post-Season Notes
Walker made the most of his limited post-season chances. He hit seven homers in 19 post-season games, through 2004. In his only World Series, for the Cardinals in 2004, Walker belted two homers in the four-game loss to Boston.
Awards and Honors
1992 NL Gold Glove
1993 NL Gold Glove
1997 NL Gold Glove
1997 NL MVP
1998 NL Gold Glove
1999 NL Gold Glove
2001 NL Gold Glove
2002 NL Gold Glove
Notes
In nearly 600 games, and more than 2,400 plate appearances in Coors Field, Walker batted .381 with an incredible .710 slugging percentage and a .462 on-base percentage.
Hitting Streaks
21 games (1999)
20 games (1998)
Matchup Data
Walker batted .289 (22-for-76) in his career against Greg Maddux... He hit .393 (11-for-28) with one homer off Randy Johnson.
All-Star Selections
1992 NL
1997 NL
1998 NL
1999 NL
2001 NL
Replaced
Hubie Brooks
Replaced By
Most likely it will be So Taguchi, in 2005 with the Cardinals.
Best Strength as a Player
Fundamentals. Walker was an excellent baserunner, he had a very strong arm, he could pull the ball or spray it around the field, he had fine range in the outfield. He just did everything well.
Largest Weakness as a Player
He hit .218 with a .389 SLG average in Shea Stadium. So it seems he didn't like the Big Apple.
Learn More about Larry Walker
Search Amazon.com for Books about Larry Walker ⇒
Search for Larry Walker at Google ⇒
View a map of his hometown at Mapquest ⇒
