Larry Walker stays on Hall of Fame ballot

Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

The Colorado Rockies are just getting to the point that they have been around long enough to have the opportunity to ponder the legacies of their great players.

That also gives us a sense of how people will view Coors Field. Not that it surprises any of us, but the penalty for offensive players looks like it will extend beyond single season awards. Confirmation of that bias is coming in the form of Larry Walker‘s Hall of Fame candidacy.

On a crowded ballot in 2014, there appeared to be a chance that Walker would fall below 5% of the total votes and fall off the ballot. When the results were in, Walker got 10.2% of the votes and will be on the BBWAA ballot once again next year. Though he is far from election, Walker was perfectly happy with the results (via Twitter), saying that for now his goal is to stay on the ballot for 15 years.

There is probably wisdom to be found in this perspective. Rather than get upset that Walker will likely never make the Hall, we can all root for him to stay on that ballot and force the voters to stare at his name and make a decision for each of the 15 years he is eligible.

We should once again take a moment to celebrate Walker’s all-around game. He wasn’t just a great hitter. He was the best base-runner I ever watched and he played an outstanding right field.