Honouring A Hall-Of-Famer

Growing up in Maple Ridge, British Columbia, there was a time that Hall-of-Fame inductee Larry Walker thought he would be suiting up in the NHL as opposed to Major League Baseball. Walker loved the game of hockey, and was a fairly talented netminder as a kid to the point where he earned an invite to the training camp of the WHL's Regina Pats before they cut him at age 16. From that point on, Walker dedicated himself to his baseball craft, and the rest is history as he became one of the best hitters in all of baseball history culminating with his induction into Cooperstown this year.

"He was kind of like Ron Hextall in terms of his size and style, real aggressive, anyone get in that crease of his he was going to give them a piece of his stick," Bob Strumm, former Regina Pats GM, told The Canadian Press in 2009. "I've often thought back about that choice. You know, you're always trying to win the Memorial Cup and you often wonder if you've cut a Memorial Cup goaltender, that guy was such a great athlete."

Walker was invited to Regina's camp in 1983-84 as a prospect of the Pats, and was told to head back to BC and keep working hard as the Pats may have a spot for him the following season. As a 16 year-old, he came back to camp in '84-85 and was promptly cut a second time.

"The Grant Fuhrs and the Mike Vernons don't come along very often," Strumm mused. "He wasn't very happy the second time, I can tell you that."

That second cut allowed Walker to really focus on his baseball career, and he was signed by the Montreal Expos in 1984. That would turn into a 17-year career in Major League Baseball where Walker put up career numbers that saw him hit .313 with a .400 on-base percentage, record 2160 hits, 471 doubles, 383 homers, 1311 RBIs, and 230 stolen bases in 1988 games. Not only was he wanted for his bat by the Expos, Colorado Rockies, and St. Louis Cardinals, but his fielding was exemplary as well as he recorded a career fielding percentage of .987 with 214 outfield assists. And he finally got his invitation to join the other baseball legends in the MLB Hall Of Fame this past year.

Now you might be saying, "Teebz, this is a hockey blog, and Walker flamed out of hockey before he was any good." Yes, you're right there, but this is a feel-good story that we all need on a Tuesday in the middle of March as the Colorado Avalanche will honour Walker's legacy in Denver by having him down to the Pepsi Center where the former Rockies outfielder will get to live his dream for one night as the Avalanche will sign the slugger as the emergency back-up goalie for Sunday night's game against the Vegas Golden Knights!

While there's hope that the 53 year-old Walker won't be pressed into duty that night, the Avalanche will also have a special presentation prior to the game in honour of Walker's induction into the MLB Hall of Fame where he will be the first Rockies player to have a plaque at the institution and just the second Canadian added to the Hall's roster.

Don't ever stop chasing your dreams, kids. It may only be for one night, but dreams can come true just like it will for Larry Walker!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!