Larry Walker has made history by becoming the second Canadian inducted into the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.

Walker gained entry in his 10th and final year on the ballot. After receiving 65.5 per cent of the vote in 2019, the native of Maple Ridge, B.C., surpassed the 75 per cent threshold required to join the 2020 class alongside Yankees great Derek Jeter.

Walker appeared on 76.6 per cent of ballots — earning induction by six votes. Jeter, meanwhile, finished one vote shy of a unanimous selection.

“We are thrilled to learn that Larry Walker will become the second Canadian inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, joining the legendary Fergie Jenkins,” said Adam Stephens, head of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame’s board of directors.

The 53-year-old Walker retired in 2005 after spending parts of 17 seasons in the majors. He was a lifetime .313 hitter with 383 home runs and a .965 OPS, while earning five all-star nods and seven Gold Gloves. Walker’s career began in Montreal, but his best years were saved for Colorado, where he won three batting titles and made four all-star teams.

Walker is generally considered the best Canadian position player of all time, a five-tool talent who impacted the game on both sides of the ball. At the plate, Walker could do a bit of everything as a guy who hit for a high average, wasn’t afraid to walk and had power to spare. In the field, Walker took outs away with his speed and kept runners at bay with his arm.

The three-time Silver Slugger winner was the epitome of a well-rounded baseball player. He stole as many as 33 bases in a season and led all right fielders in assists three times. At his peak, there wasn’t much this guy couldn’t do and yet his work often went undervalued because of his time hitting in Denver’s thin air, which often led to elevated offensive numbers.

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Even in Canada, Walker didn’t always get the respect he deserved. His 1997 NL MVP season with the Rockies is arguably the best year produced by any Canadian baseball player. It was a historic accomplishment and yet one that wasn’t enough to win the Lou Marsh Award as Canada’s top athlete. That honour instead went to Formula One race car driver Jacques Villeneuve following a controversial vote.

Walker did win the Lou Marsh the following year for the first and only time of his career. He was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007 and remains active with the national team program as a first base coach for Baseball Canada. The only Canadian position player who belongs in the same conversation is Cincinnati’s Joey Votto, who might possess the better bat but hasn’t had an impact on the game in as many ways as Walker.

Gregor Chisholm is a Toronto-based baseball columnist for the Star. Follow him on Twitter: @GregorChisholm or reach him via email: gchisholm@thestar.ca

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