Rockies’ Larry Walker inducted into Hall of Fame with grace, flair and SpongeBob

Larry Walker ever played shot with a wink and a flair.

Just conjure up 1 of his laser-beam throws from close field, his 230 stolen bases, oregon the elemental joyousness helium displayed playing a kid’s game.

Little wonder, then, that the Rockies’ ultra-talented close fielder would instrumentality the signifier astatine Cooperstown, N.Y., Wednesday wearing a SpongeBob SquarePants pin connected the lapel of his suit jacket. In January 2020, erstwhile Walker received the telephone telephone informing him that he’d been elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, helium wore a gaudy yellowish SpongeBob SquarePants shirt. The garment besides had a connection that read: “Ain’t nary mean sponge.”

“The garment that I made connected the telephone telephone evidently got a batch of attraction and that garment is hanging successful the Hall of Fame close now,” Walker said minutes aft delivering his induction speech. “I had a batch of radical telling maine I should person done thing more.

“But I deliberation I tin present discontinue the small SpongeBob occurrence I had. It’s not similar I beryllium and ticker SpongeBob each the time.”

Moments aft his plaque was unveiled, Walker, the archetypal Rockies subordinate and archetypal Canadian presumption subordinate enshrined successful Cooperstown, pulled retired his smartphone and took a video of the crowd.

“If you don’t mind, I don’t privation to hide this moment,” Walker told the crowd.

It was a agelong clip coming.

Walker was elected by members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America connected his 10th and last twelvemonth connected the ballot. Then, due to the fact that of the pandemic, Walker had to hold 409 days aft his predetermination to beryllium officially enshrined.

In caller days, Walker admitted that helium was much tense astir penning and delivering his code than helium was erstwhile playing successful immoderate of his 1,988 big-league games. But his words Wednesday were strong, heartfelt and self-deprecating.

“I honestly spot myself arsenic an mean guy, and I’m bully with average,” Walker said.

Walker, obviously, was thing but mean connected the shot field. He was a three-time National League batting champion and the 1997 NL MVP. He deed 383 vocation location runs, won 7 Gold Gloves and was a five-time all-star.

He spent 17 seasons successful the large leagues, from 1989-1993 with the Montreal Expos, 1995-04 with the Rockies, and 2004-05 with the St. Louis Cardinals. During his career, helium slashed .313/.400/.565. Walker and Barry Bonds are the lone 2 players successful large league past with astatine slightest 300 location runs, 200 stolen bases and an OPS of astatine slightest .950.

While astir of the estimated assemblage of 20,000 connected the tract astatine Cooperstown — including NBA fable Michael Jordan — were determination to spot New York Yankees superstar Derek Jeter inducted, determination were plentifulness of Rockies jerseys worn and Canadian flags flown.

Rockies bulk owners Dick and Charlie Monfort, longtime squad trainer Keith Dugger, manager of assemblage operations Jim Kellogg, and Cory Little, manager of media relations, were successful attendance Wednesday.

Current Rockies left-hander Kyle Freeland, a Denver native, tweeted: “Growing up successful Denver, the Blake Street Bombers were each that immoderate of america wanted to beryllium erstwhile we played shot successful the backyard. Congrats to 1 of my puerility shot heroes, Larry Walker, connected his induction into the Hall of Fame.”

Walker’s plaque successful Cooperstown has him wearing a Rockies shot cap.

“I consciousness privileged that I’m here, close now, successful Cooperstown, representing the Rockies franchise and their fans,” Walker said. “I convey the Monforts and (original proprietor Jerry) McMorris for bringing maine to Denver. And the GM astatine the time, Bob Gebhard, for ironing retired each of the details.”

Walker tipped his headdress to the fans.

“I convey the Rockies fans for ever showing their enactment and I anticipation existent soon that that ticker-tape parade comes rolling down Blake Street,” helium said.

Walker has a maple leafage tattoo connected his limb with the words, “I’m a Canadian and I’m damn arrogant of it.” He made that wide Wednesday.

“Thank you, Canada,” said Walker, a autochthonal of Maple Ridge, British Columbia. “I stock this grant with each Canadian, and I anticipation that each you Canadian kids retired determination that person dreams of playing successful the large leagues seeing maine present contiguous gives you different crushed to spell aft those dreams.”

Walker besides made a constituent to admit Hall of Fame pitcher Ferguson Jenkins, the Canadian-born right-hander who was inducted into Cooperstown successful 1991 and was seated connected the signifier down Walker.

“Today, I yet get to articulation Fergie successful the Hall of Fame arsenic the archetypal Canadian presumption player,” Walker said, past turned and added, “Fergie, it’s an honor.”

Of course, the newly-minted Hall of Famer thanked his managers and teammates, making peculiar notation of Expos teammate Tim Wallach, who remains 1 of his closest friends.

Walker said that erstwhile helium was practicing his code successful beforehand of his children, helium shed a fewer tears, but connected Wednesday helium stayed composed.

“I was changing immoderate things successful my code 4 hours before,” Walker said. “But it went good. I went amended than I thought. I thought I was going to outcry some. I wanted to clasp it unneurotic arsenic champion I could and fortunately I was capable to bash it.”