From Hockey Goalie to Baseball Hall of Fame: Larry Walker Taking It All In Like A Sponge

September 08, 2021

As a kid in Canada, Larry Walker was certainly hoping to be a professional athlete someday. But his dream started on the ice, trying to make the grade as a hockey goalie in the Western Hockey League. After being cut twice by the team, he fell into baseball as an outlet for his athletic prowess, as told by Shi Davidi. 

That "serendipitous" chain of events, says Davidi, led to Walker being offered the sum of $1,500—not monumental, even by 1985 standards—to sign with the Montreal Expos. 

From there, as Walker puts it, “it was a lot of years of listening. It was a lot of years of watching. And I learned and absorbed. As I always tell kids: it’s hustle, sportsmanship and be a sponge." Sponge? Boy, does he ever stand behind his words, wearing his famous SpongeBob Squarepants shirt when he got the call last year that he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. 

Today, Larry Walker was officially inducted into the hallowed halls in Cooperstown, NY, with a SpongeBob pin on his lapel. Walker soaked up a lifetime .313 batting average, .965 OPS, 383 home runs and 230 stolen bases. And don't forget the 7 Gold Gloves and one MVP award. 

As he took the podium, Walker was quick to acknowledge his Canadian roots, and his honor of being only the 2nd player from north of the border to enter the Hall, joining the legendary Cubs pitcher Ferguson Jenkins.

"It was an honor to put on the (Montreal) Expos uniform, and represent my home country," Walker told the crowd, adding that he hopes major league baseball will return to Montreal one day."

“Thank you Canada…I share this honour with every Canadian. And I hope that all you Canadian kids out there that have dreams of playing in big-leagues seeing me here today gives you another reason to go after those dreams.”


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