Making the mark with his bosses/'Other' Walker shines with bat,

0 Comments | Gazette, The (Colorado Springs), Aug 27, 2000 | by Thomas Harding

High on Todd Walker's priority list upon joining the Colorado Rockies last month was to show he was a good employee.

So Walker, after feeling so mistreated by the Minnesota Twins earlier this season that he said he'd rather stay in the minors than return to them, has set about making sure he'll be appreciated by his new employer.

"They're not making me do anything," Walker said. "I just want to get out there and get comfortable with the guys I'm playing with. It's like any other business, you start a new job with new people, it's tough."

Upon arriving in a July 17 trade with the Twins, Walker went to manager Buddy Bell and infield instructor Toby Harrah asking for extra work on his defense at second base - considered his weakness when he was with Minnesota. Since then, Walker has made it a point of arriving early so he'll get that work.

He's also done what he was hired to do - hit. Walker went 2-for- 5 with a home run in Saturday's 11-4 victory over Pittsburgh, and is hitting .329 with five home runs and 20 RBI in 31 games.

Walker's first impression has been so positive that if the Rockies don't land free agent shortstop Alex Rodriguez from Seattle, which would necessitate moving Neifi Perez to second, they'll feel comfortable with Walker and Terry Shumpert at the position.

The new bosses are impressed. Bell called Walker a left-handed version of Rockies third baseman Jeff Cirillo, a perennial .320-plus hitter.

"He's very disciplined and very aggressive at the same time, very similar to Jeff," Bell said. "It would be nice if he turned out like Jeff."

Walker, 27, is quietly becoming more than just a hitter. Within the past two weeks, he has made some nifty plays on difficult balls and has worked smoothly with shortstop Neifi Perez on double plays. Harrah said the improvement is the result of Walker's willingness to work extra.

"People talk about players being natural hitters, but I've never seen a natural defensive player," Harrah said. "A lot of people have some ability, but you have to love to take ground balls, love to throw, love to work on things. Todd does."

But Walker's hitting could make him special in Colorado. Placing him with Todd Helton, Jeffrey Hammonds, Cirillo and, if healthy, Larry Walker, could give the Rockies four potential batting champions.

Todd Walker was one of the greatest hitters in LSU baseball history, and hit well enough to debut in the majors two years after being drafted. He hit .316 in 1998, his first full season in the majors.

Events in Minnesota at the start of this season, however, made Walker feel as if he were a disease.

Walker started slowly and was hitting .234 when the Twins demoted him to Triple-A Salt Lake. Walker believes that part of the reason the Twins sent him down was to prevent him from getting service time toward salary arbitration.

Walker admitted he still hasn't gotten over bitterness over the demotion, but also said working with Salt Lake manager Phil Roof and coach Bill Springman restored some of the joy he may have lost.

"The saving grace was being around good people, but (the demotion) stuck the dagger in me pretty good," Walker said. "But I just love playing the game.

"I just want to be in a position to win."

Walker has made sure his new employer knows that.

- Thomas Harding may be reached at tharding@gazette.com

Rocking

Todd Walker was hitting only .234 when the Minnesota Twins decided to send his to the minors earlier this season. Since coming to Colorado in a July 17 trade, Walker has rediscovered his batting stroke.