Now there are two: Fergie Jenkins welcomes Larry Walker to Baseball Hall of Fame
The first Canadian inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame thinks the second should have been inducted five or six years ago.
Chatham-Kent’s Ferguson «Fergie» Jenkins was the first Canadian inducted, back in 1991. He never played against new inductee Larry Walker, but Jenkins saw Walker swing.
«I got a chance to see him play,» said Jenkins about when Walker was traded to St. Louis. «He hit a lot of home runs … he was an RBI machine.»
From Maple Ridge, B.C., Walker played for 17 years in the MLB, for the Montreal Expos, Colorado Rockies and St. Louis Cardinals. He was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2009.
Jenkins, who played the majority of his career for the Chicago Cubs, said he was «ecstatic» to see Walker inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
«He was a great athlete, a good ball player. I think he should have been inducted probably about five, six years ago.»
According to Jenkins, ball players have to «wait their turn» to get inducted into the Hall of Fame. He said it was «unfortunate» Walker had to wait until his last year on the ballot.
«In some cases I think we’ve [Canadians] been overlooked as athletes, as ballplayers,» said Jenkins. «Most of the athletes you see coming out of Caanda are hockey players … some golf, a few tennis. Baseball is kind of a second sister, which I don’t think it should be.»
Jenkins said there’s a «certain honour» to now having two Canadians in the Hall of Fame.
As the first Canadian Hall of Famer ever inducted, I couldn’t be prouder and happier to welcome my friend and fellow Canadian Larry Walker to the Hall! ?? <a href=»https://twitter.com/hashtag/halloffame?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw»>#halloffame</a> <a href=»https://twitter.com/Cdnmooselips33?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw»>@Cdnmooselips33</a> <a href=»https://t.co/Ve1VuGvlgO»>pic.twitter.com/Ve1VuGvlgO</a>
—@fergieajenkins
