With summer heating up, it’s time to look at some of the key newcomers on the 2011 Hall of Fame ballot. One of the more intriguing names expected is Larry Walker, who won an MVP and three batting crowns, plus a HR title in a 17-year career. One of the National League’s most consistent run producers while he played, Walker retired with a .313 batting average and 383 HRs plus had good speed in his prime (230 SBs) and strong enough defense to win 7 Gold Gloves.
And yet…..the numbers don’t tell the whole story. I’m talking about the Coors Field effect. Walker played for the Rockies when Colorado’s offense was stratospheric, perhaps too much so. Due to the mile-high effect and low humidity, baseballs sailed around and out of Coors when Walker played there. Once the team instituted its famous “humidor” in 2002 to store baseballs at a set temperature and humidity, the Rockies’ offense began to look average. Walker’s numbers also declined, in both batting average and homers, before he moved on to St. Louis in 2004.
It’s a little mind-boggling to look at Walker’s Coors Field production. He hit a ridiculous .381 there, with a .710 slugging percentage over his career. His batting average at other parks was a more pedestrian .282. He’s also not alone with this disparity. Coors sluggers of the late 1990s and early 2000s have similar numbers, including Dante Bichette and Vinny Castilla. Perhaps this factored into Walker’s perception among baseball writers. Despite his 1997 MVP, he never came close to the award again despite some monster numbers, including batting averages as high as .379.
It’ll be interesting to see how voters treat Walker, but I’d put his candidacy on the side burner for now.
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