CBN HOF Series: HOFer Tony La Russa on HOFer Larry Walker
Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa greets 2020 Hall of Famer Larry Walker (Maple Ridge, B.C.) after a St. Louis Cardinals’ victory. Photo: Getty Images
His home province of British Columbia is sure proud of him, and so are baseball fans all across Canada. To celebrate Maple Ridge, B.C., native Larry Walker becoming the first Canadian position player to be elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, we will be running a series of tribute articles from many who have known and been inspired by him - including former teammates, managers, coaches and even his dad - leading up to the September 8 ceremony. We will also be publishing tributes to Walker's fellow 2020 inductees Derek Jeter, Ted Simmons and Marvin Miller.
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Larry Walker’s on Larry Walker, Jr. ||||| Steve Rogers on Marvin Miller
Clint Hurdle on Larry Walker IIIII Mario Ziino on Ted Simmons
Stubby Clapp on Larry Walker IIIII Buck Showalter on Derek Jeter
Gene Glynn on Larry Walker IIIII “The Legend” Dick Groch signed Jeter
Allan Simpson on Larry Walker IIIII
Coquitlam coach Don Archer on Walker |||||
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August 30, 2021
By Tony La Russa
Chicago White Sox Hall of Fame manager
The question I always ask when Hall of Fame talk comes up is the same as it has been for years when discussing Cooperstown.
“Was the player the best of his generation?”
When it comes to Larry Walker, the answer was yes. He was in the conversation of the best of his generation.
This is my 34th year managing in the majors and I have had the pleasure to pencil some great names on our lineup cards and observe the other greats in both leagues:
_ Carlton Fisk, Tom Seaver and Harold Baines with the Chicago White Sox.
_ Reggie Jackson, Rickey Henderson, Dennis Eckersley, Goose Gossage with the Oakland A’s and Harold was there too.
_ Ozzie Smith and Larry with the St. Louis Cardinals, plus Eck. And eventually I believe Cardinals fans will see Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina in Cooperstown as well.
We acquired Larry from the Colorado Rockies for three minor leaguers on Aug. 6, 2004, when we were 10 1/2 games ahead of the Chicago Cubs.
Our 2004 team won more games than any other team in Cardinals’ history, at 112, counting postseason (four against the Houston Astros and three against the Los Angeles Dodgers).
We had Edgar Renteria, Larry, Albert, Jim Edmonds, Scott Rolen, Reggie Sanders, Tony Womack and Mike Matheny. That lineup could compete with the other outstanding ones.
We had Larry for 44 games plus post-season play as we ran into the Boston Red Sox in the World Series. Larry was 4-for-5 with two doubles and he knocked in two runs in Game 1 at Fenway Park. He went deep off Keith Foulke in Game 3 at home and overall he showed well on that stage for the first time.
The next year Larry played 100 games -- plus the post-season when we lost the National League Championship Series to the Houston Astros in six games. In his 144 games for the Cardinals, he hit .286 (with a .907 OPS) with 26 homers and 79 RBIs. Usually hitting ahead of Albert, Larry scored 95 runs. His numbers were outstanding, especially when you consider he played with several injury limitations.
After we lost to Houston, Larry retired. The next year we beat the Detroit Tigers in the 2006 World Series. The organization made sure Larry was given a World Series ring. I read somewhere where he said, “I played 17 years and didn’t get a ring ... then I don’t play one year and I get one.”
Larry served as a coach with the Cardinals in spring training of 2006. That team really benefited from the fact he came out and helped out that spring in Jupiter. The Cardinals are a very family oriented team.
Before he went on to a back field at the Roger Dean complex, I asked Larry what coaching station he was best suited for ... and the conversation went something like this:
“How do you teach hitting?”
Walker: “Well, I stand there ... I see the ball, I hit the ball.”
“How do you teach base running?”
Walker: “I take a lead ... then I just run.”
“What about taking a route to a fly ball?”
Walker: “Catch it.”
I think he was having some fun with us. He knew how to play the whole game.
During his days with us, we had a sign with a man on second where we wanted the hitter to hit the ball behind the runner to get our runner over to third.
Larry asked, “Ah ... is it OK if we hit the ball to right field, knock the guy in and get an RBI?”
I said, “Of course.”
One day we have a man on second, we give him the sign, he singles to right and we score. Larry gets to first and gives first base coach Dave McKay a big wink.
Larry was a trend-setter. It was his idea for both teams to shake hands after the National League Division Series against the Dodgers in 2004 -- like National Hockey League teams do at the completion of a series.
With about a month to go in the regular season, Larry asked me about it and I liked the idea: how after the final game of a hockey series where teams beat on each other trying to advance, players have cuts and bruises from the competition. But I told him it would depend upon who we played.
It turned out we were going to play the Dodgers, managed by Jim Tracy. He and I always had a good mutual respect for each other. Before the series, I told him Larry’s idea and he agreed.
We were leading the best-of-five series 2-1 and Game 4, 6-2 late at Dodger Stadium. I caught Tracy’s eye in the dugout at Dodger Stadium in the bottom of the ninth and he gave me a thumbs up, which is a tribute to the class of the man.
Jason Isringhausen struck out Alex Cora to end it and the grand experiment began. The two teams didn’t really line up like they do in the NHL. Our Cardinals players milled about in the infield shaking hands with the Dodger players. We saved our celebration for the clubhouse, and the Dodger fans cheered their team as they left the field.
Commissioner Bud Selig really liked the idea of it. He thought it was something special and that more teams should consider it in future.
Until this day, it remains one of the neatest post-season playoff moments I have ever experienced.
We reached to the next round and I mentioned it to Phil Garner and “Scrap Iron” said, “Naw ... that’s not really my style.”
When I saw Larry with the Montreal Expos and the Colorado Rockies, he was truly a complete player. He did it with a flare. We know that the game is not easy. Larry took good swings, ran the bases really well. Larry was a complete player, played Gold Glove defence, could steal bases, was quick first to third or first to home. He did it with ease.
We were very fortunate to see all the extra things he does. He was appreciated by his teammates. He always downplays his baseball IQ but Larry’s baseball smarts are off the charts.
I wouldn’t say I was worried when he reached his 10th and final year on the ballot. He could have been voted in by the veteran’s committee. All of us were surprised that Jack Morris was passed by, we knew how good he was ... and then we were pleased when he was elected (in 2018).
I’ve spoken to Larry a couple of times and congratulated him. The speech is a daunting responsibility. He’s a cool dude. I’m sure there will be emotions.
Larry Walker is not only the greatest Canadian position player, he ranks with the best position players of his era from Latin America and North America.
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After spending 16 seasons in the professional ranks as an infielder - including parts of six campaigns in the big leagues and a stop with the triple-A Vancouver Mounties in 1968 - Tony La Russa developed into one of the best managers in major league history.
He began his legendary career as a big league bench boss with the Chicago White Sox and led them to a division title in 1983 before he moved on to the Oakland A’s in 1986. In one five-year stretch with the A’s, he guided the club to four division crowns, three American League pennants and one World Series title.
After a decade as the A’s dugout boss, he was hired by the St. Louis Cardinals, where over the next 16 campaigns, he would lead them to seven division titles, three National League pennants and two World Series championships.
Over the course of his 34-season managerial career, La Russa has been voted American League Manager of the Year three times and the top National League manager once. He stepped away from managing after the 2011 season and worked in various executive roles before returning to manage the White Sox this season.
La Russa’s 2,804 wins as a major league manager rank second only to Connie Mack. For his efforts, he was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014.