Larry Walker

Larry Kenneth Robert Walker (born December 1, 1966 in Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Canada) is a right fielder in Major League Baseball. From 1989 through 2005, Walker has played for the Montreal Expos (1989-94), Colorado Rockies (1995-2004) and St. Louis Cardinals (2004-2005). He bats left handed and throws right handed.

Early career

Walker is widely regarded as the best Canadian position player in the history of the game, if not the best Canadian baseball player ever. He enjoyed the typical Canadian passions as a child and, like everyone his age, aspired to be an ice hockey player. In time, he found handling a bat more natural than wielding a stick.

Related Topics:
Canadian - Position player - Ice hockey

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Signed by the Montreal Expos as an amateur free agent in 1984, Walker made his debut with Montreal on August 16, 1989. During his first several seasons, he was an above average hitter in all respects, hitting for some power, stealing 20-30 bases, and regularly batting near the .300 mark.

Related Topics:
Free agent - 1984 - Power - Stealing - Batting

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In 1994, the Expos team ? and Walker himself ? appeared to be rising to its potential. Grounded by rising young stars Pedro Martínez, Moisés Alou, Cliff Floyd, Mike Lansing and Jeff Fassero, Montreal was off to a 74-40 start, leading the National League Eastern Division. Walker, with 86 RBI, was well on his way to his first 100-RBI year. The season, however, was stopped due to the 1994 players' strike. No World Series, which the Expos appeared to be destined for, was played and Montreal lost many of its players during the next season due to free agency and salary constraints. The 1994 Montreal Expos team that could have been remains one of baseball's hot discussion points.

Related Topics:
1994 - Pedro Martínez - Moisés Alou - Cliff Floyd - Mike Lansing - Jeff Fassero - National League Eastern Division - RBI - World Series

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Before the 1995 season, Walker signed with the Colorado Rockies, where the thin air of Coors Field was an instant boon to his statistics. Walker was a major contributor in Colorado's winning 1995 season, hitting 36 home runs and 101 RBI.

Related Topics:
1995 - Coors Field - Home run

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