Larry Walker to wear Rockies cap on HOF plaque: ‘It was a hard decision’

Former AL MVP Justin Morneau joins Writers Bloc to discuss the impact that fellow Canadian Larry Walker had on him, and how his Hall-of-Fame entry will pave the way for future Canadians, and their choice to follow their baseball dreams.

Canadian Larry Walker has announced he will wear a Colorado Rockies cap on his Baseball Hall of Fame plaque, according to Sportsnet’s Arash Madani.

Walker, who started his career with the Montreal Expos, played 10 seasons and enjoyed his best years in Colorado. Still, the choice didn’t come easily for the Maple Ridge, B.C., native.

“It was a hard decision as a Canadian,” Walker said on Wednesday.

While playing in Denver, Walker received NL MVP honours in 1997, as well as four of his five all-star nods and five of his seven Gold Gloves. He finished his career with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2005.

A 17-year MLB veteran, Walker was elected into Cooperstown on Tuesday with 76.6 per cent of the votes from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, narrowly surpassing the 75 per cent of votes required for induction. The lefty finished his career with 383 homers and a .313 batting average, as well as seven gold gloves and three batting titles.

The Rockies announced last Friday that they will retire Walker’s No. 33 on April 16.

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