Baseball Canada | Larry Walker is Named to the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame

May 10, 2007

Larry Walker is Named to the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame

His career is certainly exceptional. Seven Gold Gloves, Five All-Star Game appearances, three Silver Slugger Awards, three time National League Batting Champion and the first ever Canadian to be named MVP in 1997, and that is only the beginning.

Larry Walker was named to the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame for his career accomplishments during 17 seasons in the Major Leagues with the Montreal Expos, Colorado Rockies and St. Louis Cardinals.

Walker has pieced together a career .313 average with 2,160 hits, 383 home runs, 1,311 runs batted in, 230 stolen bases and a .400 on-base percentage in 1,988 games.

The former coach with Team Canada at the World Baseball Classic equated the honor of being named to the Hall with being named the National League MVP.

“It’s a great moment,” says Walker in an interview with the Canadian Press. “I’m Canadian and I’ll always be Canadian.”

In 1997, the year Walker won the NL MVP, he put together arguably the best statistical season in Major League history. The Maple Ridge, B.C. native hit .366 with 49 homers and 130 RBI that season. He also stole 33 bases and had an on-base percentage of .452 with a .720 slugging percentage. He was also in the top three in virtually every offensive category in the NL that season.

“I’m proud of what I’ve done and hopefully I made a difference for some kids who may one day want to play baseball,” says Walker.

Presently, Walker is a hitting instructor with the St. Louis Cardinals organization, but he hopes someday he will be a coach for Canadian Olympic and world championship teams.

The gala induction dinner will take place at the Fairmont Royal York hotel in Toronto on Thursday, October 25, 2007. Walker is among six athletes and two builders to be inducted into the Hall this year.

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