CBN HOF Series: Gene Glynn on Larry Walker
Gene Glynn was a first-year coach when Larry Walker (Maple Ridge, B.C) was assigned to the class-A Short-Season Utica Blue Sox of the New York Penn League in 1985 for his first season in pro ball.
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 dad pays tribute to his son ||||| Steve Rogers pays tribute to Marvin Miller
Clint Hurdle on Larry Walker IIIII Mario Ziino pays tribute to Ted Simmons
Stubby Clapp on Larry Walker IIIII Buck Showalter on Derek Jeter
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August 26, 2021
By Gene Glynn
Former Utica Blue Sox coach
First year player ... first year coach
How does one go from being a first-time visitor to the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown to eventually being inducted 35 years later? You play the game like Larry Walker.
Who does that? What does that mean?
This is a story that needs to be told.
Yes, that Larry Walker from Canada. Where hockey rules the land but baseball is his choice.
Leaving home for the first time. For how long? (WOW) saying goodbye to family, friends and country too. Traveling to a spring training site somewhere in Florida. Hopefully someone is there to pick you up at the airport.
Next day you arrive at the complex and you are assigned a locker and issued a uniform. A quick camp meeting to welcome everyone. After roughly three weeks of practicing team and individual fundamentals. The first-year players are playing games on a field so far away you can hardly see the complex.
Finally, three-and-a-half months later its game time. He’s playing third base in front of a crowd for the Utica Blue Sox in Utica, N.Y.
He didn’t know how good he was. He was just out there playing, physically doing things that you cannot teach. He had a lot of marks on his body that he wore with pride. (Like a goalie) No ball was getting by him. He had shoe saves, glove saves, chest, shin, arm and even face saves. He was the ultimate gamer. He just had to learn the game. He’s young, very aggressive with a full effort “hair on fire” approach to the way he played. Unproven in many baseball ways. His confident style along with his love to compete stands out. Very athletic, tall, lean, strong and fast. He was always aware of his surroundings. His reaction time and movement time were way above average.
He did lack some game knowledge so that’s where we start.
The game:
What inning is it, how many outs, the score, game situations and positioning on defence ... early we spent so much time on defence that we forgot a few things about offence. Except the basic early hitting, regular batting practice and base-running routines that organizations follow during pre-game practice.
Examples:
1. He bunts for a base hit. After the inning I told him:
“You’re a good bunter. But you don’t bunt up by eight runs late in the game. That’s why they hit you during your last at bat.”
Larry Walker’s reply, “But, he was playing way back”.
2. After getting hit by a pitch and going to first, he stole second. They slap a hard tag and a little knee on him while he is down. He thought it was good contact by the second baseman. That was his hockey background. I told him. “You’re fast. But you don’t steal up by eight late in the game. Better be heads up next time.”
Larry Walker’s reply: “Why not? He was slow to the plate. Why would they hit me, I’m hitting .220.”
3. Breaking off first on a hit and run against the Oneonta Yankees, managed by Buck Showalter. (For him it was another opportunity to steal a base.)
The ball was hit to deep left centre and caught by Oneonta’s Matt Mainini while Larry continued on his way to third base. When Larry realized it was caught, he didn’t stop, retreat or retouch second on his way back to first base. He cut across the infield trying to beat the throw back to first. He did beat the throw and truly thought he was safe. It was so crazy to watch. It was funny too.
Watching him actually take off across the diamond. Hit the back of the mound as he was running, missing a step because of the slope on the mound. He slid hard, beat the throw but was called out. He got up in disbelief that the umpire could miss the call. When he knew he had clearly got back before the first baseman caught the ball. I was coaching third and moved closer to home and glanced into our third base dugout to see everyone either laughing or shaking their head in disbelief of what they just witnessed. He came running by me adamantly saying he beat the throw.
I said, “You’re out, you have to retouch second.”
Larry Walker’s reply, still very upset, “But I already touched second.”
All examples of not taking anything for granted.
I realized how much work he had ahead of him.
In 1985, the first-year player/tourist team visited the Hall of Fame on a morning before a New York Penn League game. Who among all of them who played that summer could only dream of being invited back? Let alone be inducted 35 years later. After many road trips, hot summers and long games all over the country. The road never led Larry Walker back to Cooperstown.
A big moment in his development was an invite to the fall Instructional League of 1985.
He was moved to the outfield. This was a great move for him and the organization. He took off on defence. His jumps, angles, speed, glove and arm all showed improvement right away. Defensively and confidence wise it was a game changer for him. This move gave him some peace of mind on one side of the ball. The move also carried over to his offence. He looked and acted more relaxed. He became a better hitter for average and power. Stolen bases went up along with runs scored, RBI and on base percentage. His defence was amazing and he grew into the best all-around base runner I have ever seen. He transformed into a true five-tool baseball player with a hockey mentality and hair!
Larry Walker changed his game NOT only to become the player with the Colorado Rockies who would take the team to the top like its Purple Mountains, but also to become a legend in the game.
Larry Walker accomplished many feats. From Montreal’s Olympic Stadium to the Blake Street Bombers in Coors Field. The fans loved his Ozzie Osbourne walk-up song as a prelude to a Larry Walker home run!
Who would have ever thought back in 1985 that he would go on to win seven Gold Glove awards and be the NL MVP? Or lead the National League in home runs, batting average, doubles, OBP and total bases during his career? He was a base-stealing threat and scored over 100 runs four times.
He was a smart player. I never saw him make the same mental mistake twice. He learned from every field experience. He also paid close attention to how others played. I always thought he was measuring himself up against his best teammates and his best opponents. He was a winner in every way, a great teammate, an outstanding person and leader. He had zero fear of any situation. He wanted to be in the middle of every game during crunch time.
He respected the game, his teammates as well as opponents. Always a true pro that deflected the limelight to someone else. His locker room presence was a gift to the team as well as staff. He brought the room to life.
Larry Walker, first a great person, second a great player that made us all better.
And now a HOF inductee.
I will always treasure the summer of 1985 in Utica, N.Y.
I am proud to say I was his first pro coach with Montreal and we were together again with the Rockies for four years.
A lifelong friend, he made me a better person and coach.
Congratulations Larry.
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Gene Glynn was the state of Minnesota’s first Mr. Basketball in 1975. He was signed as a non-drafted free agent by the Montreal Expos in 1979 and played seven seasons in Montreal’s system, including parts of three campaigns at the triple-A level. He was a coach on the 1985 co-op team, the Utica Blue Sox, managed by Ken Brett. Glynn managed five seasons (1987–88; 1990–92) in the New York–Penn League and his 1990 Spokane Indians, a Padres affiliate, won the Northwest League championship.
Glynn was on the coaching staff of the Colorado Rockies in 1994 under manager Don Baylor. He coached for five full seasons, through 1998. He then returned to the Expos for one season (1999) to coach under Felipe Alou, then spent longer tenures as the third base coach of the Chicago Cubs (2000–02) under Don Baylor and San Francisco Giants (2003–06) for Felipe Alou.
After scouting for the Tampa Bay Rays for four years, he managed the Minnesota Twins’ triple-A Rochester Red Wings. He was interviewed for the Twins’ manager job after Ron Gardenhire was fired. Hall of Famer Paul Molitor was hired in 2015 to be the Twins’ pilot, and Glynn coached third. Next he joined the Marlins as infield and base-running coordinator in 2019. He retired after the 2020 season and now coaches basketball.