Much congratulations to former Pirate Neil Walker, who announced his retirement as an active player earlier this week. If you are a Pirates fan, you know his story. The Number 1 draft selection of the Pirates in 2004 out of Pine-Richland High School, Walker joined the Pirates in 2010 and, along with fellow #1 pick Andrew McCutchen and others, he led the Pirates out of a 20 season losing streak and to three straight playoff appearances in 2013-15. And while it wasn't the only reason, it also wasn't coincidental that the return of the Pirates to mediocrity beginning in 2016 coincided with Walker's trade to the Mets for the steaming pile of garbage that was Jonathon Neise.
Walker had seven solid seasons with the Pirates - .272 BA, 93 HR, 418 RBI, and then he turned into a baseball journeyman, playing for five other teams. His career numbers (1,224 hits, 149 HR, 609 RBI) when prorated on a "per 162 game" basis are .267 BA, 18 HR, and 76 RBI. Would you be interested in that for your second baseman? He lived almost every American kid's dream, he did most of it for his home town team, and earned $51.8 million in the process.
Walker has been much interviewed in the local media these past few days, and it sounds like he wants to stay in baseball, and, possibly, continue his involvement with the Pirates in some capacity. He seems to carry no rancor or bitterness towards his old team (the absence of Neal Huntington probably has a lot to do with that attitude). My friend Dan has maintained for years that Neil Walker would someday become the manager of the Pirates, and who's to say that that won't happen at some point in the future?
Hey, if anyone should be a "Pirate for Life", who better than Neil Walker, The Pittsburgh Kid?
Happy times with Cutch and Walker
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