http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/
Sunday, October 3, 2010
MIAMI — On a Tuesday morning in May, as he made the two-hour drive down Interstate 74 from Indianapolis to Cincinnati, Neil Walker wondered about his future with the Pirates."I knew this was a huge year for me, but I don't think it was make-or-break — well, maybe it was, within this organization," Walker said. "I definitely felt like my time was coming."
He was right. Over the new few weeks, Walker displaced a veteran with the biggest contract on the team and became a standout at a position where he had only minimal experience.
"What that kid has done, it's not easy to do at all," said one American League scout. "Very, very impressive."
Four months later, Walker has become a Rookie of the Year candidate. More importantly, he's cemented a spot in the Pirates' plans.
"We need Andrew McCutchen, Jose Tabata, Neil Walker and Pedro Alvarez to be everyday players" in 2011, general manager Neal Huntington said.
McCutchen, Alvarez and Tabata each arrived as can't-miss kids and so far they have not disappointed. Walker faced a more uncertain and difficult road.
Walker, 25, a first-round draft pick in 2004, began this season at Indy — the same place he was in 2009, 2008 and the end of 2007. When Steve Pearce went down with an ankle injury May 24, the Pirates gave Walker his second callup to the majors.
"I truly believe in my abilities. I truly believe I can play at this level," Walker said. "But, position-wise, I had no idea where I'd be. I certainly didn't see myself playing second base."
Drafted as a catcher, Walker three years ago was moved to third base. But with Andy LaRoche and Alvarez, the second overall pick in 2008, ahead of him, Walker figured he'd have to switch spots again.
"My mindset was, I was going to take advantage of an opportunity, no matter where (on the field) it was," he said.
However, he had some doubts that the chance would ever come with the Pirates. Last year, he was a late-season callup, but got only 36 at-bats in 17 games.
Although Walker's star might have seemed to be fading, the Pirates actually were keenly interested in keeping him. Last year, they spurned interest from at least two teams that wanted to trade for him.
Walker played winter ball in Venezuela, determined to hone his approach and become more patient at the plate. He played only third base for Bravos de Margarita.
"All along, we thought Neil could be an everyday player, but we weren't sure it was going to be at third," Huntington said. "We bounced him around different positions, trying to decide where it was going to be. Would he have enough bat to be in left field or first base?"
When second baseman Aki Iwamura became a $4.85 million flop, Huntington took a chance on Walker. With steady defense and electrifying offense, he quickly became a fixture in the lineup.
"Moving to second base was (Walker's) idea — he came to us about it before we went to him, which was great," Huntington said. "He swung the bat and worked his tail off, and for that he deserves a ton of credit."
Manager John Russell approved the position change, remembering the times Walker worked at second base during spring training.
"You could see his fundamental instincts right away," Russell said. "The first thing I told Carlos (Garcia, infield coach) is, 'He's not going to have a problem (at second).' He's got good hands and he's got enough arm. The biggest things are his instincts and athleticism on the field."
One major league infield instructor outside the Pirates organization said Walker has performed better than expected defensively. The AL scout agreed.
"(Walker) became a very good third baseman," the scout said. "But you don't have to move much at third. Now, at second, he's going to have to show range. So far, he's doing it. And to turn the double play, hey, he's pretty good."
Huntington is not yet ready to commit to Walker as a long-term fit at second base. Walker must get stronger and more agile around the bag.
"Like every young player in our group, we've got to challenge him to continue to step forward," Huntington said. "We can't let him take a deep breath, relax and figure he's made it."
After today's season finale, Walker will head into the offseason with the right attitude.
"I can't go into spring training with the mindset that I've got this team made at second base," Walker said. "I have to find a way to get better, to be a leader. You have to find a way to stay hungry."
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