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124-565: Baseball Hall of Fame member Casey Stengel and Fritz Maisel were two league players who reached Major League Baseball after playing in the Northern Association. 1910 Northern Association The league disbanded July 19. Baseball Hall of Fame The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York , operated by private interests. It serves as

248-400: A pinch hitter in the fourth inning for Greg Maddux and producing a single . Walker was also selected to his first Home Run Derby , hitting four home runs. For the 1992 season, Walker batted .301/.353/.506 and rated 10 runs above average while fielding, with 16 outfield assists, for a total value of 5.4 WAR. He won his first both of a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger Award , and became

372-615: A .326 OBP and .434 SLG for a 112 OPS+ in his first full season. He also hit 19 home runs with 21 stolen bases and produced 3.4 Wins Above Replacement (WAR). He placed seventh in the National League (NL) Rookie of the Year balloting. As the top native Canadians to ever play for the Expos, Walker became a role model for thousands of young Canadian baseball players. Over the next four seasons, Walker combined to hit .293/.366/.501 for

496-401: A .700 slugging percentage (SLG) and 30 stolen bases in the same season, on his way to winning the National League (NL) Most Valuable Player Award (MVP). The first player in more than 60 years to record a batting average of .360 in three consecutive seasons from 1997 to 1999, Walker also won three NL batting championships . He was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 2007, and

620-459: A 134 OPS+, with an average of 20 home runs, 19 stolen bases, excellent defense (+10 runs per year) and 4.5 WAR. He became another in the succession of Montreal's great outfielders. He never appeared in more than 143 games, spending significant time on the disabled list (DL) in 1991 and 1993 while playing on Olympic Stadium 's notorious artificial turf , a product perceived to create excessive stress on knees , accelerating injuries to players like

744-412: A ball when there are three outs instead of two. Everybody around him was laughing." Where Offerman was stationed made little difference as Tim Wallach homered on the next pitch from Martínez for two runs. True to his word, when the Expos assumed the field in the bottom half of the fourth inning, Walker gave Napier a signed ball, inducing a standing ovation. From June 1 forward, Montreal transformed into

868-560: A car." Walker also attained the Lionel Conacher Award as the top male Canadian athlete, the ESPY Award for Best Major League Player , and a Tip O'Neill Award. He also received his fourth Gold Glove. Plagued by injuries for the last several years of his career, Walker nevertheless continued to produce. He missed the first week of the 1999 season with a strained rib cage. On April 28, he hit three home runs against

992-645: A collision with an outfield fence. He hit .393 at Coors Field and .142 on the road. The Rockies commenced the 1997 season on the road, and thus Walker started a reversal of his poor fortunes away from Coors. He hit two home runs in the season-opening series against the Reds in Cincinnati , and, on April 5, hit three more versus the Expos in Montreal for his first career three home run game. The second landed near

1116-474: A few cases, like umpires, they wear caps without logos. (Executives are not depicted wearing caps.) Additionally, as of 2015, inductee biographies on the Hall's website for all players and managers, and executives who were associated with specific teams, list a "primary team", which does not necessarily match the cap logo. The Hall selects the logo "based on where that player makes his most indelible mark." Although

1240-491: A group of boys in the backyard and driveway of another boy named Rick Herbert. In that group was future Hockey Hall of Famer Cam Neely , who became one of Walker's close friends. Walker dreamed of a career in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a goaltender , only casually playing an occasional baseball game during the summer. He played hockey and volleyball at Maple Ridge Secondary School ; baseball

1364-710: A guest instructor for the Cardinals, and, since 2009, has coached the Canadian national team . In that time, Team Canada has competed in three World Baseball Classic (WBC) tournaments, and twice at the Pan American Games , winning consecutive gold medals in 2011 and 2015. I'm just thrilled to have kids come up to me and tell me my son is their idol. He deserves everything he's got. —Larry Walker Sr., on Walker's baseball success, per his Canadian Sports Hall of Fame profile Larry Kenneth Robert Walker Jr.

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1488-770: A home-made sign reading "Boogerville." After the third, fans cheered Walker for the hat-trick in recognition of his former dream of playing hockey professionally. His first week accomplishments included a .440 batting average with six home runs in 25 at bats and the NL Player of the Week Award for the second time on April 6. He concluded the month of April batting .456 with 41 hits, 29 runs scored, 11 home runs, 29 RBI, seven stolen bases, .538 OBP, .911 SLG, and 1.449 OPS. He set major league records for March–April for both OPS—until surpassed by Barry Bonds in 2004 —and runs scored—until surpassed by Bryce Harper in 2017 . Walker

1612-471: A major league batting title in the 20th century, the first to do so in the National League, and broke Gwynn's streak of four consecutive National League batting championships. Walker won the prestigious Lou Marsh Trophy in 1998 as Canadian athlete of the year, one year after finishing runner-up to Formula One champion Jacques Villeneuve , of which he remarked at the time that he lost "to

1736-415: A manager and sportswriter) had first approached the idea of making a memorial to the great players of the past in what was believed to have been the birthplace of baseball: Cooperstown, New York , but the idea did not muster much momentum until after his death in 1925. In 1934, the idea for establishing a Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum was devised by several individuals, such as Ford C. Frick (president of

1860-465: A pair of two-run home runs to drive in a career-best six runs in a 12–10 win. He set a club record with 13 total bases in one game. The next day, also against the Pirates, he set an MLB record with six consecutive extra base hits. On May 26, Walker was selected for his first MLB Player of the Week Award . He missed more than two months of the 1996 season due to a fractured clavicle that occurred in

1984-631: A pinch hit grand slam on May 6 versus Jerry Spradlin of the Philadelphia Philles . The Rockies placed Walker on the DL for two weeks in June due to the elbow soreness, and he managed to hit .331 through the first half of the season. Walker started in the All-Star Game for the second consecutive season, playing center field and batting seventh. He drew a walk and scored a run. One of

2108-572: A season shortened by the strike that had begun the year before. His rate numbers were .306/.381/.607, and as the average club scored 5.4 runs per game, his OPS+ fell about 20 percent from the year before to 131. Walker ranked second in the NL in home runs (tied with Sammy Sosa ), slugging, extra base hits (72), total bases (300), at bats per home run (13.7) and hits by pitch (14), third in OPS (.988), and seventh in runs scored (96) and RBI. He placed seventh in

2232-399: A shoulder injury in late June that confined him to first base for the remainder of the season. He easily accelerated past his previous career highs set in 1992 with a .322 batting average, .394 OBP, and .587 SLG, including an immanency of his first 100-RBI year. He finished with 86 RBI, 151 OPS+, and a league-leading 44 doubles; the latter two figures were also new career-highs. He was sixth in

2356-482: A six-year, $ 75 million (USD, $ 137.2 million today) contract extension after the 1999 season. He was named as the ninth top male athlete of Canada's Athletes of the 20th Century list compiled in 1999, trailing only Ferguson Jenkins (number seven) among baseball players. Sports Illustrated listed Walker as the 13th greatest sporting figure in Canadian history in 1999. While missing a major portion of 2000 with

2480-470: A special election at the 1939 Winter Meetings in Cincinnati, specifically to elect Gehrig (most likely because it was known that he was terminally ill , making it uncertain that he would live long enough to see another election). Nobody else was on that ballot, and the numerical results have never been made public. Since no elections were held in 1940 or 1941, the special election permitted Gehrig to enter

2604-470: A stress fracture in the right elbow, Walker spent two stints on the DL. He recorded an outfield fielder's choice on April 16 versus St. Louis , leading to a forceout at second base. On April 19 versus the Arizona Diamondbacks , he collected his 1,448th career hit to pass Jeff Heath as the major's all-time hits leader for Canadian-born players. Walker completed his longest hitting streak of

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2728-585: A stroke that was pain-free. It was different every night for two years. —former Rockies manager and hitting coach Clint Hurdle Immediately following the All-Star break, Walker collected six hits in his first 32 at bats (.188), bringing his average to .314, its lowest since April 5. During a seven-game homestand spanning July 23−28, he produced 15 hits in 27 at bats (.556) with three doubles, two triples, four home runs and nine RBI, raising his average from .319 to .340. He surged from tenth to second place for

2852-560: A thing they'd call a spinner, but nothing like this. Baseball just wasn't big. The weather was against it. Nobody ever played baseball thinking about making the major leagues." He was also unaware of many of the rules, attesting to his lack of experience playing when he turned a professional. In 1984, Walker played for the Coquitlam Reds of the British Columbia Premier Baseball League . He

2976-435: A very studious hitter, elaborated with what he later termed a "complete dissertation." Walker responded, "I don't know anything about that stuff. I just hit the ball." While neither player wound up achieving the statistic over any full season, Gwynn won that year's National League batting championship and Walker was second. Continuing his remarkable season, Walker was batting .402 as late as July 17. On September 12, Walker

3100-416: A young fan, six-year-old Sebastian Napier, thinking it was the third out of the inning. He then quickly noticed that José Offerman , already on base, was running at full speed. Walker managed to retrieve the ball from Napier and throw it back in, but Offerman was held at third base because the ball had gone out of play. Embarrassed, Walker admitted that he "told the little kid that maybe next time I'll give him

3224-542: Is listed as the Angels despite playing one fewer season for that team than for the Astros. In 2001, the Hall of Fame decided to change the policy on cap logo selection, as a result of rumors that some teams were offering compensation, such as number retirement, money, or organizational jobs, in exchange for the cap designation. (For example, though Wade Boggs denied the claims, some media reports had said that his contract with

3348-584: Is one of only three players in history to rank within the top 100 of each of batting runs, base-running runs, and defensive runs saved ; the others are Barry Bonds and Willie Mays . Raised in the Greater Vancouver area of British Columbia , Walker spent his youth playing street hockey with consuming NHL goaltender aspirations. That dream never materialized; however, the Expos saw his baseball potential and signed him in 1984. By 1990, Walker became their starting right fielder, propelling them to

3472-573: Is the current chairman of the board of directors.) The erroneous claim that Civil War hero Abner Doubleday invented baseball in Cooperstown was instrumental in the early marketing of the Hall. An expanded library and research facility opened in 1994. Dale Petroskey became the organization's president in 1999. In 2002, the Hall launched Baseball as America , a traveling exhibit that toured ten American museums over six years. The Hall of Fame has since also sponsored educational programming on

3596-423: Is the highest home batting average since ESB began tracking home/road splits in 1974, and 43 points higher than any other player's in that span. In 66 games at Coors, Walker also hit .531 OBP, .879 SLG, 26 home runs, 70 RBI, 107 hits, 72 runs, nine stolen bases, 31 walks, and 17 strikeouts in 273 plate appearances. On the road, he batted .286, .894 OPS, 11 home runs and 35 strikeouts. He won his fifth Gold Glove and

3720-459: Is tied with Lou Gehrig and Rogers Hornsby for the 18th-highest in MLB history. Walker's season marked the 23rd occasion in MLB history a batter reached 400 total bases and the first time in the National League since Hank Aaron 's 400 in 1959 . Combined with 12 outfield assists, and a league-leading of both a .992 fielding percentage and four double plays turned, Walker's 1997 season remains one of

3844-403: The 2009 election process ; the main committee did not select a player, while the panel for pre–World War II players elected Joe Gordon in its first and ultimately only vote. The main committee voted as part of the election process for inductions in odd-numbered years, while the pre-World War II panel would vote every five years, and the panel for umpires, managers, and executives voted as part of

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3968-505: The Burlington Expos and West Palm Beach Expos . His combined totals in 133 games included a .288 average, .397 on-base percentage (OBP), .602 slugging percentage (SLG), 87 runs scored , 19 doubles , 11 triples , 33 home runs, 90 runs batted in (RBI) and 18 stolen bases. Walker caught the eye of his fellow Canadians, and, as a 19-year-old minor leaguer, had acquired an entourage of Canadian reporters. "I know now I can hit

4092-618: The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in the Class of 2009, and was named the 13th-greatest sporting figure from Canada by Sports Illustrated in 1999. In 2020 , Walker was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame . Widely considered a five-tool player of prodigious athleticism and instincts, Walker hit for both average and power , combined with well-above-average speed , defense and throwing strength and accuracy. He

4216-657: The Cincinnati Reds when he was their manager in the 1980s. (Baseball's Rule 21, prominently posted in every clubhouse locker room, mandates permanent banishment from MLB for having a gambling interest of any sort on a game in which a player or manager is directly involved.) Rose later admitted that he bet on the Reds in his 2004 autobiography . Baseball fans are deeply split on the issue of whether these two should remain banned or have their punishment revoked. Writer Bill James , though he advocates Rose eventually making it into

4340-561: The Dodgers . Walker batted .326 in July with 15 walks and 10 home runs. Carrying a .382 first-half average, Walker had batted .390 (189 hits in 484 at bats) from the 1998 All-Star break to the same point in 1999, the equivalent of a full season. He was named to his third consecutive All-Star team. Played at Fenway Park in Boston , he started in right field and batted second. He was one of

4464-589: The Florida Instructional League (FIL). With further tutelage, relentless preparation, and sheer hard work, Walker soon developed into one of the Expos' best young prospects. He continued to make annual off-season returns to FIL in West Palm Beach to calibrate and refine his approach, and eventually made his home there. In his second professional season in 1986 , Walker achieved his breakthrough while playing for two A-level clubs,

4588-562: The Fort Lauderdale Yankees . After promotion to Jacksonville Expos of the Southern League in 1987 , Walker totaled a .287 average, .383 OBP, .534 SLG, 91 runs, 26 home runs, 24 stolen bases and three times caught stealing . He won his first Tip O'Neill Award that year as the top Canadian baseball player. He missed the 1988 season after undergoing reconstructive knee surgery for an injury while playing in

4712-553: The Major League Baseball draft . While the Expos perceived Walker to be very athletic, they decided that he was very raw, and that he did not initially warrant rating as a top prospect. Walker attended Expos minor league spring training camp in 1985 and it was clear from the outset that pitching was a complete mystery to him. He swung indiscriminately, expecting every pitch to be a fastball, including at ones that bounced 10 feet in front of, or on, home plate. When

4836-658: The Mexican Pacific League . The Expos moved him up to Indianapolis Indians of the Triple-A International League in 1989 . There, he played in 114 games and batted .270 with 68 runs scored, 12 home runs, 36 stolen bases and six times caught stealing. Walker made his debut with the Montreal Expos on August 16, 1989. He walked twice in the game while recording a single in his first official at bat, off Mike LaCoss of

4960-576: The National League ) and Alexander Cleland, a Scottish immigrant who decided to serve as the first executive secretary for the Museum for the next seven years that worked with the interests of the Village and Major League Baseball . Stephen Carlton Clark (a Cooperstown native) paid for the construction of the museum, which was planned to open in 1939 to mark the "Centennial of Baseball", which included renovations to Doubleday Field. William Beattie served as

5084-733: The National League Division Series (NLDS) versus the Atlanta Braves . He hit his first career postseason home run off Tom Glavine in the sixth inning of a 7−4 Game 2 loss. The Braves defeated the Rockies in four games. Walker primarily played center field in 1996 —54 of 83 total games—in a season cut short by injury. In the May 21 game against the Pittsburgh Pirates , he doubled, tripled and hit

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5208-583: The Negro leagues have also been considered at various times, beginning in 1971. In 2005, the Hall completed a study on African American players between the late 19th century and the integration of the major leagues in 1947, and conducted a special election for such players in February 2006; seventeen figures from the Negro leagues were chosen in that election, in addition to the eighteen previously selected. Following

5332-474: The New York Mets , Walker doubled three times, including one that tied the score with two outs in the ninth resulting in an 11−9 extra innings win. On May 7, 1995, he hit his 100th career home run versus Hideo Nomo of Los Angeles . Walker attained new career-highs with 36 home runs and 101 RBI − reaching both 30 home runs and 100 RBI for the first time in his career − in spite of missing 13 games of

5456-689: The San Francisco Giants . Walker's first season totals included a .170 batting average, .264 OBP, and .170 SLG in 56 plate appearances . Montreal fans gave him the nickname "Booger." Ranked No. 42 on Baseball America ' s list of top prospects in advance of the 1990 season, the Expos never optioned Walker back to the minor leagues, instead, he became their regular right fielder following Hubie Brooks ' departure via free agency , patrolling an outfield which at times featured Tim Raines and Marquis Grissom , both ultra-fleet basestealers and well-accomplished hitters. Walker batted .241 with

5580-451: The St. Louis Cardinals for his second career three home run game while contributing eight RBI in a 9–7 win. Walker hit safely in 21 consecutive games from April 25−May 19, making that the second occasion since 1987 a reigning batting champion had achieved a hit streak of at least 20 games. On May 19, Walker collected four hits versus the Cincinnati Reds to raise his season average to .431, but

5704-480: The Tampa Bay Devil Rays required him to request depiction in the Hall of Fame as a Devil Ray.) The Hall decided that it would no longer defer to the inductee, though the player's wishes would be considered, when deciding on the logo to appear on the plaque. Newly elected members affected by the change include the following: Sam Crane (who had played a decade in 19th century baseball before becoming

5828-665: The United States House of Representatives by Rep. Richard Hanna , a Republican from New York, and passed the House on October 26, 2011. The coins, which depict baseball gloves and balls, are the first concave designs produced by the Mint. The mintage included 50,000 gold coins, 400,000 silver coins, and 750,000 clad (nickel-copper) coins. The Mint released them on March 27, 2014, and the gold and silver editions quickly sold out. The Hall receives money from surcharges included in

5952-540: The Veterans Committee , which now consists of four subcommittees, each of which considers and votes for candidates from a separate era of baseball. Five years after retirement, any player with 10 years of major league experience who passes a screening committee (which removes from consideration players of clearly lesser qualification) is eligible to be elected by BBWAA members with 10 years' membership or more who also have been actively covering MLB at any time in

6076-500: The $ 4,025,000 ($ 8.3 million today) the Expos had paid him the year prior. From Olympic Stadium to Coors Field , Walker transitioned into the most benevolent hitting environment since World War II . Nonetheless, even after mathematically adjusting for stadium and altitude advantages, his production during his Rockie years consistently rivaled other hitters whose accomplishments came in settings of greater difficulty. In his Rockies debut and inaugural game of Coors Field on April 26 versus

6200-449: The 10 years preceding the election (the latter requirement was added for the 2016 election). From a final ballot typically including 25–40 candidates, each writer may vote for up to 10 players; until the late 1950s, voters were advised to cast votes for the maximum 10 candidates. Any player named on 75% or more of all ballots cast is elected. A player who is named on fewer than 5% of ballots is dropped from future elections. In some instances,

6324-406: The 2010 changes, Negro leagues figures were primarily considered for induction alongside other figures from the 1871–1946 era, called the "Pre-Integration Era" by the Hall; since 2016, Negro leagues figures are primarily considered alongside other figures from what the Hall calls the "Early Baseball" era (1871–1949). Predictably, the selection process catalyzes endless debate among baseball fans over

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6448-544: The Commissioner's Office made reparations, but the negative publicity damaged the Hall of Fame's reputation, and made it more difficult for it to solicit donations. In 2012, Congress passed and President Barack Obama signed a law ordering the United States Mint to produce and sell commemorative, non-circulating coins to benefit the private, non-profit Hall. The bill, H.R. 2527 , was introduced in

6572-413: The Hall always made the final decision on which logo was shown, until 2001 the Hall deferred to the wishes of players or managers whose careers were linked with multiple teams. Some examples of inductees associated with multiple teams are the following: In all of the above cases, the "primary team" is the team for which the inductee spent the largest portion of his career except for Ryan, whose primary team

6696-570: The Hall had been sold on the collectibles market. The items had been lent to the Baseball Commissioner 's office, gotten mixed up with other property owned by the Commissioner's office and employees of the office, and moved to the garage of Joe Reichler , an assistant to Commissioner Bowie Kuhn , who sold the items to resolve his personal financial difficulties. Under pressure from the New York Attorney General,

6820-532: The Hall of Fame have been inducted posthumously, including four who died after their selection was announced. Of the 39 members primarily recognized for their contributions to Negro league baseball , 31 were inducted posthumously, including all 26 selected since the 1990s. The Hall of Fame includes one female member, Effa Manley . The newest members of the Hall of Fame, inducted on July 21, 2024 , are Adrián Beltré , Todd Helton , Jim Leyland , and Joe Mauer . In 2019, former Yankees closer Mariano Rivera became

6944-487: The Hall of Fame, compared the people who want to put Jackson in the Hall of Fame to "those women who show up at murder trials wanting to marry the cute murderer ". The actions and composition of the Veterans Committee have been at times controversial, with occasional selections of contemporaries and teammates of the committee members over seemingly more worthy candidates. In 2001, the Veterans Committee

7068-606: The Hall while still alive. If a player fails to be elected by the BBWAA within 10 years of his eligibility for election, he may be selected by the Veterans Committee. Following changes to the election process for that body made in 2010 and 2016, the Veterans Committee is now responsible for electing all otherwise eligible candidates who are not eligible for the BBWAA ballot — both long-retired players and non-playing personnel (managers, umpires, and executives). From 2011 to 2016, each candidate could be considered once every three years; now,

7192-567: The Hall, and voted on a reduced number of candidates from among players whose careers began in 1943 or later. Separate committees, including sportswriters and broadcasters, would select umpires, managers and executives, as well as players from earlier eras. In the first election to be held under the 2007 revisions, two managers and three executives were elected in December 2007 as part of the 2008 election process . The next Veterans Committee elections for players were held in December 2008 as part of

7316-437: The Hall. The first five men elected were Ty Cobb , Babe Ruth , Honus Wagner , Christy Mathewson and Walter Johnson , chosen in 1936; roughly 20 more were selected before the entire group was inducted at the Hall's 1939 opening. As of January 2024 , 346 people had been elected to the Hall of Fame, including 274 former professional players, 23 managers, 10 umpires, and 39 pioneers, executives, and organizers. 118 members of

7440-608: The Internet to bring the Hall of Fame to schoolchildren who might not visit. The Hall and Museum completed a series of renovations in spring 2005. The Hall of Fame also presents an annual exhibit at FanFest at the Major League Baseball All-Star Game . Among baseball fans, "Hall of Fame" means not only the museum and facility in Cooperstown, New York, but the pantheon of players, managers , umpires , executives, and pioneers who have been inducted into

7564-533: The MVP award among the nation's most iconic sports moments. The 49 home runs set a single-season club record for Colorado. Walker's production held up well on the road, including nine more home runs than at Coors Field: .346 average, 29 home runs and 62 RBI in 75 games. Other single-season franchise records Walker set in 1997 were WAR, slugging percentage, OPS, runs scored, total bases, adjusted OPS+, offensive win percentage, and at bats per home run. Although he rested

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7688-493: The NL MVP Award that year. Desiring a trade to a contending team, Walker was sent by the Rockies to St. Louis in the middle of their 105-win season of 2004 where he made his first World Series appearance while tying or setting three Cardinals postseason records. He announced his retirement from playing baseball after Game 6 of the 2005 National League Championship Series . Following his playing career, Walker has served as

7812-569: The NL MVP voting, his second time in the top ten. One of a quartet of Rockies players who became known as The Blake Street Bombers, Walker, Dante Bichette , Vinny Castilla and former Expos teammate Andrés Galarraga each contributed at least 30 home runs in 1995. The Rockies simultaneously won the first-ever National League wild card berth under the new postseason format and first playoff appearance in franchise history in just their third season of play. Walker collected three hits in 14 at bats in

7936-621: The Rockies were on the losing end of a 24−12 final, tied for the fourth-highest run-scoring output in MLB history. For the month of May, Walker batted .392, .647 slugging, and 40 hits in 102 at bats. From June 18−23, Walker tied Bichette's club record by homering in five consecutive games. The following day, Walker tied another club record, held by Galarraga, with his sixth consecutive multi-hit game. In June, Walker played in 25 games, and batted .385, .813 SLG, 10 home runs, 30 RBI, 25 scored, 35 hits, 10 walks, and nine strikeouts. On July 8, Walker hit his 250th career home run versus Chan Ho Park of

8060-424: The Rockies' 160th game, forcing him out of the last two games. In spite of Walker's magnificent season, the Rockies were unable to capitalize, missing the playoffs with an 83–79 record. The career season for Walker was 1997, when he hit .366 with 49 home runs, 130 RBI, 208 hits, 143 runs scored, 33 stolen bases, .720 slugging percentage, 1.172 OPS, 409 total bases and 9.8 WAR. He won the NL MVP Award, thus becoming

8184-533: The ball. I have a lot of confidence even though I still strike out a lot. I swing at too many bad pitches," he contemplated. Asserted West Palm Beach manager Felipe Alou , "If he keeps improving the way he has the last 12 months, there's no telling what he could do. You have a kid with his kind of potential, they don't last long in the minor leagues." Meanwhile, the club clinched the Florida State League South division, winning by two games over

8308-416: The ballot at the first election at least six months after his death. Roberto Clemente set the precedent: the writers put him up for consideration after his death on New Year's Eve, 1972, and he was inducted in 1973. The five-year waiting period was established in 1954 after an evolutionary process. In 1936 all players were eligible, including active ones. From the 1937 election until the 1945 election, there

8432-465: The batters' box to stand right-handed for one pitch. He ended the at bat by drawing a walk. The incident momentarily drew mirth and laughter from players in both dugouts , fans and announcers, and comparisons to Johnson pitching against John Kruk in the 1993 All-Star Game , in which he also threw over his head. In spite of garnering a reputation of avoiding Johnson, Walker batted .393 (11 hits in 28 at bats) against him in his career, nearly double

8556-407: The batting crown. From August 19 to the end of the season, he hit .440 (78-for-177). He endured back spasms toward the end of the season, starting in nine of the team's final 17 games. Walker produced a .402 second-half batting average. After 1997, he never reached 500 at bats again as various injuries cut short each season. With a .363 batting average, he became the first Canadian-born player to win

8680-688: The camp ended, there was still about one and a half months remaining until the start of the season, so he returned home, seeking additional preparation. He joined a fast-pitch softball team sponsored by a bowling alley , but this brought little relief. The Expos assigned Walker to the Utica Blue Sox of the New York–Penn League , a Class A Short Season league, for his first season of professional baseball . He played third base and first base . Although he could hit fastballs well, he continued to have difficulties with strike zone judgment and

8804-556: The central point of the history of baseball in the United States and displays baseball-related artifacts and exhibits, honoring those who have excelled in playing , managing , and serving the sport. The Hall's motto is "Preserving History, Honoring Excellence, Connecting Generations". Cooperstown is often used as shorthand (or a metonym ) for the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. The Hall of Fame

8928-500: The club with 10 outfield assists, eight from right field and two from left field. He ended the season as Canada's all-time leader in hits, doubles, home runs, RBI, and runs scored in the major leagues. First baseman Todd Helton , Walker's teammate on the Rockies from 1998 until his trade to the Cardinals in 2004, won the MLB Slash Stat Triple Crown in 2000, making them the first teammates in history to accomplish

9052-466: The dominant club in the National League, going 46−18 until the players' strike halted the season on August 11. In turn, they produced the most successful season in franchise history in terms of winning percentage (.649) as they attained a major league-best 74−40 record. Walker was suspended four games starting June 24 for inciting a bench-clearing brawl by charging the mound in a game against Pittsburgh. He paced for new levels production in spite of

9176-449: The election process for inductions in even-numbered years. Further changes to the Veterans Committee process were announced by the Hall in July 2010, July 2016, and April 2022. Per the latest changes, announced on April 22, 2022, the multiple eras previously utilized were collapsed to three, to be voted on in an annual rotation (one per year): A one-year waiting period beyond potential BBWAA eligibility (which had been abolished in 2016)

9300-682: The finest all-around performances in recent baseball history. Further, he won a series of other awards, including the Players Choice Award for National League Outstanding Player, the Baseball Digest Player of the Year Award , his seventh Tip O'Neill Award, third Gold Glove, second Silver Slugger, and first Rockies Player of the Year Award. In honor of Canada's 150th anniversary of Confederation on July 1, 2017, The Sports Network named Walker's achievement of

9424-633: The first Canadian player to win the MVP in Major League Baseball. The home run and stolen base totals placed him in the 30–30 club . He became and remains the only player to have reached at least 30 stolen bases and a slugging percentage of .700 in the same season, the second with at least 45 home runs and 30 stolen bases, and the fifth with 40−30. The 9.8 WAR produced is tied for the 64th-highest single-season total among position players in MLB history, per Baseball-Reference.com. Walker's production slotted within four hits and 10 RBI of winning

9548-561: The first and only Canadian to win the Expos Player of the Year award. Walker received consideration for the Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) for the first time in 1992, finishing fifth in the National League. The 1993 Expos reached a rare watermark, winning 94 games. A core of immense young talent propelled the club, including Grissom and a rising Moisés Alou (son of manager Felipe) complementing Walker in

9672-475: The first batting Triple Crown in 60 years. He led the major leagues in WAR, slugging, OPS, total bases, runs created (187), adjusted batting runs (71), adjusted batting wins (6.7), extra base hits (99), and offensive win % (.857); and the NL in on-base percentage (.452), and at bats per home run (11.6). Also, Walker's 409 total bases were the most in an NL season since Stan Musial gained 429 in 1948 , and

9796-403: The first curator of the museum. According to the Hall of Fame, approximately 260,000 visitors enter the museum each year, and the running total has surpassed 17 million. These visitors see only a fraction of its 40,000 artifacts, 3 million library items (such as newspaper clippings and photos) and 140,000 baseball cards. The Hall has seen a noticeable decrease in attendance since

9920-628: The first player to be elected unanimously. Derek Jeter , Marvin Miller , Ted Simmons , and Larry Walker were to be inducted in 2020, but their induction ceremony was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic until September 8, 2021. The ceremony was open to the public, as COVID restrictions had been lifted. Players are currently inducted into the Hall of Fame through election by either the Baseball Writers' Association of America (or BBWAA), or

10044-551: The former Expos star outfielder Andre Dawson . In 1991, Walker appeared in 39 games at first base, including Dennis Martínez's perfect game on July 28, a 2−0 victory versus the Los Angeles Dodgers . In that contest, Walker hit the only RBI, driving in Dave Martinez on a triple, and scored the second run on an error. He was involved in 17 of 27 outs: 16 putouts and one assist. Approximately one-quarter of

10168-450: The frequency depends on the era in which an individual made his greatest contributions. A more complete discussion of the new process is available below . From 2008 to 2010, following changes made by the Hall in July 2007, the main Veterans Committee, then made up of living Hall of Famers, voted only on players whose careers began in 1943 or later. These changes also established three separate committees to select other figures: Players of

10292-464: The game-winning home run August 18 versus John Rocker of Atlanta for his 1,400th career hit. Walker closed his season by hitting safely in 12 consecutive starts, including multiple hits in the final six. Limited to 15 games and 49 plate appearances in September, Walker batted .513 with 20 hits in 39 at bats, 10 runs scored, five doubles, four home runs, 13 RBI, nine walks and two strikeouts. For

10416-420: The game. — Ogden Nash , Sport magazine (January 1949) Contrary to popular belief, no formal exception was made for Lou Gehrig (other than to hold a special one-man election for him): there was no waiting period at that time, and Gehrig met all other qualifications, so he would have been eligible for the next regular election after he retired during the 1939 season. However, the BBWAA decided to hold

10540-439: The hope of heightening the value of their own selection. After no one was selected for the third consecutive election in 2007, Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt noted, "The same thing happens every year. The current members want to preserve the prestige as much as possible, and are unwilling to open the doors." In 2007, the committee and its selection processes were again reorganized; the main committee then included all living members of

10664-517: The league in RBI, seventh in WAR (4.7), offensive win % (.739) and OPS+, and eighth in batting and SLG. He placed 11th in the NL MVP voting. Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of the Expos' transcendent season was that they did so with the second-lowest payroll in baseball. However, as the team lost millions of dollars in revenue from 29 canceled home games and playoffs, general manager Kevin Malone

10788-446: The level of Jackson or Rose. Jackson and Rose were both banned from MLB for life for actions related to gambling on their own teams—Jackson was determined to have cooperated with those who conspired to intentionally lose the 1919 World Series , and for accepting payment for losing, and Rose voluntarily accepted a permanent spot on the ineligible list in return for MLB's promise to make no official finding in relation to alleged betting on

10912-499: The majors' best record in 1994 when that year's strike stopped their first serious World Series run. He signed with the Rockies as a free agent following the season, and, during a six-year period starting in 1997, was the major league batting leader three times while finishing second in the NL twice. In 1997, he also led the league in home runs, OBP, and SLG, while joining the 30–30 club , registering 12 outfield assists and leading his position with four double plays turned; he won

11036-661: The merits of various candidates. Even players elected years ago remain the subjects of discussions as to whether they deserved election. For example, Bill James ' 1994 book Whatever Happened to the Hall of Fame? goes into detail about who he believes does and does not belong in the Hall of Fame. The selection rules for the Baseball Hall of Fame were modified to prevent the induction of anyone on Baseball's "permanently ineligible" list, such as Pete Rose or "Shoeless Joe" Jackson . Many others have been barred from participation in MLB, but none have Hall of Fame qualifications on

11160-476: The mid-2010s. A 2013 story on ESPN.com about the village of Cooperstown and its relation to the game partially linked the reduced attendance with Cooperstown Dreams Park, a youth baseball complex about 5 miles (8.0 km) away in the town of Hartwick . The 22 fields at Dreams Park currently draw 17,000 players each summer for a week of intensive play; while the complex includes housing for the players, their parents and grandparents must stay elsewhere. According to

11284-623: The more sophisticated pitches, finishing with a .223 batting average and two home runs. Manager Ken Brett , who was less preoccupied with fielding a winning team than giving the athletic players the opportunity to experiment, allowed Walker to stay in the lineup as a regular in part because of his willingness to learn. Walker heard that he would be released, but Brett recalled that "he was just so tough," and marveled at his "outstanding athleticism, freakish hand-eye coordination and mental approach;" he also had 12 stolen bases . Expos hitting coach Ralph Rowe successfully lobbied for him to be sent to

11408-402: The most amazing things I've seen Larry accomplish, was during those two seasons after '97, when, hurt as he was, he hit for a high average. He had to take daily inventory of what was going good and come up with a stroke that would work within the parameters of his health. It was never dramatic–a layman's eye would never notice. But he'd raise his hands on the bat or open his stance, just to have

11532-528: The outfield, Ken Hill and Jeff Fassero in the starting rotation and John Wetteland and Mel Rojas anchoring the bullpen . An improbable finish to the regular season including a record of 30−9 catapulted Montreal to a second-place standing with a 94−68 record, thus nearly matching the club record of 95 wins set in 1979 . Now the delight of Montreal fans who had watched the team struggle through decades of futility, excitement in Canada began to crescendo over

11656-508: The previous 60 years to lead the league in each of average, OBP and SLG in the same season, and first since George Brett in 1980 . The last NL player to lead the majors in each of the three slash stat categories was Musial in 1943 . Walker also hit 37 home runs and 115 RBI in just 438 at bats, stole 11 bases in 15 attempts, and registered 12 outfield assists. Per the Elias Sports Bureau (ESB), Walker's .461 average at Coors

11780-510: The prospect of the first-ever all-Canadian World Series , as the Toronto Blue Jays were defending champions in 1993 , and repeated that October. Walker batted .265, 22 home runs, and 86 RBI, setting then-career highs each of 80 walks, 20 intentional walks , 29 stolen bases, and .371 OBP. He won his second Gold Glove Award. Before the start of the 1994 season, the Expos, seeking to replace departed ace Dennis Martínez in

11904-678: The rate of all left-handed batters at .199. During the All-Star break, Walker participated in the Home Run Derby, placing second with 19 home runs. Both he and Tony Gwynn of the Padres, also a selectee that year's All-Star Game, were batting near .400, and right fielders for teams in the National League West division. They were jointly interviewed, as batting .400 is one of the most difficult achievements in all of sports. Asked just how challenging it is, Gwynn, known to be

12028-446: The rationale. He collected his 1,000th career hit and 108th of the season on June 20 against Andy Ashby of San Diego . However, the decision to not bat against Johnson instigated a debacle as one of the indelible moments of Walker's career one month later in the 1997 All-Star Game . This time, Walker faced Johnson, who theatrically threw over his head. Ever adaptable, Walker placed his batting helmet backwards and switched sides in

12152-401: The right elbow in the off-season, Walker aggravated the injury while playing golf the following January. The elbow soreness kept him at one home run through April of the 1998 season. He produced a season-high 20-game hitting streak from May 4−25, and the second-longest in the NL, batting .342 in that span, which was actually worse than his average at season's end. In that streak, Walker hit

12276-432: The sale price: a total of $ 9.5 million if all the coins are sold. Larry Walker Larry Kenneth Robert Walker (born December 1, 1966) is a Canadian former professional baseball right fielder . During his 17-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career, he played with the Montreal Expos , Colorado Rockies , and St. Louis Cardinals . In 1997, he became the only player in major league history to register both

12400-435: The screening committee had restored their names to later ballots, but in the mid-1990s, dropped players were made permanently ineligible for Hall of Fame consideration, even by the Veterans Committee. A 2001 change in the election procedures restored the eligibility of these dropped players; while their names will not appear on future BBWAA ballots, they may be considered by the Veterans Committee. Players receiving 5% or more of

12524-417: The season, Walker batted .379 − setting a Rockies record and the fourth-highest since Ted Williams hit .406 in 1941 − while leading the major leagues in batting for a second time. Walker also led the major leagues in offensive win % (.838), on-base percentage (.458), slugging percentage (.710), and OPS (1.168). Sometimes referred to as the "Slash Stat Triple Crown," he became the seventh player within

12648-419: The season, at eight games, from April 21−May 1. In that time, he batted .471 (16-for-34) with three home runs and nine RBI. On May 13, the team received diagnostic results revealing he had a stress reaction irritation in his right elbow, and placed him on the DL, in which he missed 23 games. To that point, he was batting .347. Walker returned from the DL notably weakened, batting .286 over his final 57 games of

12772-586: The season. He homered to drive in his 888th career run on July 1 versus the Oakland Athletics , passing Heath for the all-time lead among Canadian-born players. He also collected his 1,500th career hit in that game. On the August 10−17 road trip, he collected five outfield assists. On September 8, he had surgery on the elbow after it was revealed to be troubled with soreness. Walker appeared in 87 games and batted .309 with nine home runs and 51 RBI. He led

12896-485: The sport in a hockey-mad nation. Part of the factor are Canada's short summers, which make it more challenging to play outdoors than in the United States . Recalled Walker later in his major league career, "I'd never seen a forkball , never seen a slider . I didn't know they existed. I had never really seen a good curveball . In Canada, as a kid, we'd play 10 baseball games a year. Fifteen, tops. Some pitchers had

13020-526: The starting rotation, acquired a young reliever in Pedro Martínez , who the Los Angeles Dodgers had cast doubt over his potential as starter and pitched him out of the bullpen. One amusing moment ( video ) materialized on April 24 while playing the Dodgers in Los Angeles and Martínez starting. With one out in the third inning, Walker caught a Mike Piazza fly ball and innocently handed it to

13144-534: The story, Prior to Dreams Park, a room might be filled for a week by several sets of tourists. Now, that room will be taken by just one family for the week, and that family may only go into Cooperstown and the Hall of Fame once. While there are other contributing factors (the recession and high gas prices among them), the Hall's attendance has tumbled since Dreams Park opened. The Hall drew 383,000 visitors in 1999. It drew 262,000 last year. A controversy erupted in 1982, when it emerged that some historic items given to

13268-535: The strikeout victims of former Expos teammate Pedro Martínez, who became the first to strike out the first three batters in an All-Star Game. In the July 19 contest versus the Oakland Athletics , Walker became the second player to homer into the plaza reserve seating of one of the upper decks in the Oakland Coliseum , following Mark McGwire , who had done so three seasons earlier. On July 27, Walker recorded his 100th and 101st career outfield assists. He hit

13392-503: The votes but fewer than 75% are reconsidered annually until a maximum of ten years of eligibility (lowered from fifteen years for the 2015 election). Under special circumstances, certain players may be deemed eligible for induction even though they have not met all requirements. Addie Joss was elected in 1978, despite only playing nine seasons before he died of meningitis. Additionally, if an otherwise eligible player dies before his fifth year of retirement, then that player may be placed on

13516-523: The way through the 1992 season, the Expos made Alou manager at the major league level, touching off a period of heightened success lasting the rest of Walker's time in Montreal. In the July 4 contest versus the San Diego Padres , he fielded a ground ball to right field and threw out speedy shortstop Tony Fernández at first base. Walker was named to his first All-Star Game , debuting as

13640-475: Was batting a league-leading .371 with 43 home runs; no National League player had ever simultaneously marshaled those totals. He then experienced another power surge, hitting home runs in four consecutive games – a total of five in that span – including the 199th and 200th of his career in San Diego on September 17. He injured the right elbow while swinging at the pitch that was pre-flight to his 49th home run in

13764-557: Was born on December 1, 1966, in Maple Ridge , a suburb of Greater Vancouver in British Columbia , to Larry Sr., and Mary Walker, both of Scottish descent . Larry Jr. was the youngest of four boys, Barry, Carey and Gary. The five men often played together in a fastpitch softball league, frequently all in the same starting lineup. Walker grew up passing much of his free time playing street hockey , especially as part of

13888-488: Was cut from both teams, while Herbert made the Regina Pats . Other offers Walker received were from Western Hockey League teams, including Swift Current , which he toured. After seeing substandard conditions there, he decided that he no longer wanted to pursue hockey once he arrived at the rink, and subsequently focused his athletic aspirations on baseball. The popularity of baseball in Canada during Walker's youth

14012-543: Was established in 1939 by Stephen Carlton Clark , an heir to the Singer Sewing Machine fortune. Clark sought to bring tourists to the village hurt by the Great Depression , which reduced the local tourist trade, and Prohibition , which devastated the local hops industry. Clark constructed the Hall of Fame's building, which was dedicated on June 12, 1939. (His granddaughter, Jane Forbes Clark ,

14136-498: Was given orders to drastically reduce payroll. The club dealt away their young stars, including declining to offer arbitration to Walker. As such, he was granted free agency. Walker signed a four-year contract with the Colorado Rockies worth nearly $ 22.5 million USD ($ 45 million today), the largest agreement since the strike. The average annual value equated to more than $ 5.6 million ($ 11.2 million today), up from

14260-453: Was in effect. (DiMaggio, for example, retired after the 1951 season and was first eligible in the 1953 election.) The modern rule establishing a wait of five years was passed in 1954, although those who had already been eligible under the old rule were grandfathered into the ballot, thus permitting Joe DiMaggio to be elected within four years of his retirement. Z is for Zenith The summit of fame. These men are up there. These men are

14384-482: Was minuscule in contrast to the following he would help spawn related to his later success with the Montreal Expos . Previously, Canadian baseball luminaries included Tip O'Neill , the first Canadian to win a Triple Crown back in 1887 , and Ferguson Jenkins , Canada's first selectee to the American Baseball Hall of Fame in 1991 . It was Walker who would help dramatically increase the profile of

14508-544: Was named NL Player of the Month for the first time. Walker sat out an interleague game on June 12 versus the Seattle Mariners . Former Expos teammate Randy Johnson , a left-handed pitcher standing 6 feet 10 inches (2.08 m) and one of the most intimidating players in sports history, was scheduled as the starter . "I faced Randy one time in spring training and he almost killed me," Walker explained of

14632-422: Was no waiting period, so any retired player was eligible, but writers were discouraged from voting for current major leaguers. Since there was no formal rule preventing a writer from casting a ballot for an active player, the scribes did not always comply with the informal guideline; Joe DiMaggio received a vote in 1945, for example. From the 1946 election until the 1954 election, an official one-year waiting period

14756-605: Was not offered. One of his boyhood idols was NHL goalie Billy Smith , winner of four consecutive Stanley Cups from 1980 − 83 during Walker's teenage years. Walker sharpened his skills by blocking shots against Neely. Brother Carey, also a goaltender, was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in the 12th round of the 1977 NHL Draft . At the age of 16, Walker was offered tryouts with Junior A teams in Regina, Saskatchewan , and Kelowna, British Columbia , however, he

14880-584: Was recognized as the top Canadian athlete in 1998 with the Lou Marsh Trophy . Other honors include five MLB All-Star selections, seven Gold Glove Awards , three Silver Slugger Awards , and nine Tip O'Neill Awards . His career SLG of .565 ranks 12th all time . Walker is one of only 19 hitters in history to accomplish a .300 batting average, .400 on-base percentage (OBP), and .500 SLG with at least 5,000 plate appearances , and one of six whose careers began after 1960. Considering advanced metrics , he

15004-486: Was reformed to comprise the living Hall of Fame members and other honorees. The revamped Committee held three elections, in 2003 and 2007 , for both players and non-players, and in 2005 for players only. No individual was elected in that time, sparking criticism among some observers who expressed doubt whether the new Veterans Committee would ever elect a player. The Committee members, most of whom were Hall members, were accused of being reluctant to elect new candidates in

15128-418: Was reintroduced, thus restricting the committee to considering players retired for at least 16 seasons. The eligibility criteria for Era Committee consideration differ between players, managers, and executives. While the text on a player's or manager's plaque lists all teams for which the inductee was a member in that specific role, inductees are usually depicted wearing the cap of a specific team, though in

15252-517: Was selected as Rockies Player of the Year for the second time. He placed 10th in the NL MVP balloting. Following the season, he underwent knee surgery. Walker produced 10.8 WAR combined in 1998−99 while missing at least 30 games in both seasons, and from 1997−99, he hit .314/.410/.592 ... away from Coors Field. His aggregate batting average at .369 in that same time, he became the first player since Al Simmons from 1929 – 31 to hit at least .360 in each of three consecutive seasons. Walker signed

15376-578: Was selected to join the Canadian team at the 1984 World Youth Championships in Kindersley , Saskatchewan . At that tournament, he caught the eye of Expos scouting director Jim Fanning after hitting a home run with a wooden bat, in contrast to all the other players who were using metal bats. Fanning signed Walker for $ 1,500 ( USD , $ 4,399.1 today) as an amateur free agent owing to his relative lack of experience playing organized baseball. At that time, Canadians were not eligible to be selected through

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