[DC 86]

He was a Coors creation, no doubt.  His OPS would be fourth all-time just based on Coors productivity.  Away from Coors, he's about #120 at .865.  So think Josh Hamilton, Jose Canseco, Danny Tartabull, John Olerud, Norm Cash, David Wright.  Not Hall of Famers.

Some other players whose overall OPS was slightly lower than Walker's road OPS (between .840 and .865): Cap Anson, Carl Yastrzemski, Reggie Jackson, Tony Gwynn, Eddie Collins, Al Kaline, George Brett, Honus Wagner and Wade Boggs.

So cherry picking works both ways.

More relevant is that OPS+ normalizes for park effects and league-wide run environments, and Larry Walker's OPS+ (141) ranks 43rd in MLB history among players with over 7,000 plate appearances. His OPS+ (which effectively strips out his Coors advantage) is higher than any post-WW II Hall of Fame right fielder except for Hank Aaron and Frank Robinson.

No doubt that Walker's home/road splits were extreme, but virtually every player puts up bigger numbers at home than on the road. In fact, since 1908 there have been 415 players with more than 3,500 road plate appearances. Walker's .865 OPS ranks 55th, ahead of hitters including Ken Griffey Jr., Carlos Beltran, Adrian Beltre, Will Clark, Sammy Sosa and Robinson Cano. Ken Griffey Jr.''s road slash stats are 278/370/495 (his 860 OPS is five points lower than Walker's). So you could group Kid Griffey with Tartabull et al if you wish.

Finally, Walker was an outstanding fielder and outstanding baserunner, one of the only players in MLB history who ranks in the top 100 in batting WAR, fielding WAR and base running WAR. He was far more than a one dimensional hitter, rather a genuine five tool player. Looking exclusively at his hitting (even though it was outstanding) is unfair given the other facets of his game, which were similarly strong.

The only fair issue with regard to his HoF candidacy is related to his longevity. He only played 1,988 games in his career. But his ability and performance is unquestionable and far from a Coors field illusion.

[DC 86]

He was a Coors creation, no doubt.  His OPS would be fourth all-time just based on Coors productivity.  Away from Coors, he's about #120 at .865.  So think Josh Hamilton, Jose Canseco, Danny Tartabull, John Olerud, Norm Cash, David Wright.  Not Hall of Famers.

Some other players whose overall OPS was slightly lower than Walker's road OPS (between .840 and .865): Cap Anson, Carl Yastrzemski, Reggie Jackson, Tony Gwynn, Eddie Collins, Al Kaline, George Brett, Honus Wagner and Wade Boggs.

So cherry picking works both ways.

More relevant is that OPS+ normalizes for park effects and league-wide run environments, and Larry Walker's OPS+ (141) ranks 43rd in MLB history among players with over 7,000 plate appearances. His OPS+ (which effectively strips out his Coors advantage) is higher than any post-WW II Hall of Fame right fielder except for Hank Aaron and Frank Robinson.

No doubt that Walker's home/road splits were extreme, but virtually every player puts up bigger numbers at home than on the road. In fact, since 1908 there have been 415 players with more than 3,500 road plate appearances. Walker's .865 OPS ranks 55th, ahead of hitters including Ken Griffey Jr., Carlos Beltran, Adrian Beltre, Will Clark, Sammy Sosa and Robinson Cano. Ken Griffey Jr.''s road slash stats are 278/370/495 (his 860 OPS is five points lower than Walker's). So you could group Kid Griffey with Tartabull et al if you wish.

Finally, Walker was an outstanding fielder and outstanding baserunner, one of the only players in MLB history who ranks in the top 100 in batting WAR, fielding WAR and base running WAR. He was far more than a one dimensional hitter, rather a genuine five tool player. Looking exclusively at his hitting (even though it was outstanding) is unfair given the other facets of his game, which were similarly strong.

The only fair issue with regard to his HoF candidacy is related to his longevity. He only played 1,988 games in his career. But his ability and performance is unquestionable and far from a Coors field illusion.