ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, August 8, 1996 TAG: 9608080029
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
When Carey Walker's little brother ran into that outfield wall in Denver's Coors Field and broke his collarbone back in June, it turned out to be a blessing for the Salem Avalanche.
Carey Walker began making plans for a family reunion in Vinton. That reunion finally occurred this week when Larry Walker, star outfielder for the Colorado Rockies, began his rehabilitation assignment with a powerful showing for the Salem Avalanche.
Walker, who was injured chasing down a flyball hit by the Atlanta Braves' Jeff Blauser on June 9, was 2-for-4 with a titanic home run that produced Salem's only run in a 4-1 loss to the Winston-Salem Warthogs on Wednesday night at Memorial Stadium.
It was the kind of night that could only disappoint one of the National League's elite hitters.
``My bat speed was terrible,'' said Walker, who batted third as the designated hitter. ``I swung and missed some fastballs. I've been used to hitting batting practice pitches. The only balls I hit were offspeed.''
Oh, did he hit them. Only 1,909 spectators showed up at Memorial Stadium to see Walker play the first of two games in Salem, but he gave them their money's worth. After flying out to centerfield in the first, he stretched a single into a double in the third. In the sixth, he launched a blast that will be remembered for years.
Walker took a 1-1 curveball from Winston-Salem starter Clay Caruthers and smacked it high over the right-center field wall, where it bounced off the top of the scoreboard.
``You don't take that much time off and come back and hit a ball like that unless you're one of the best,'' said Salem manager Bill McGuire.
The blast satisfied about 40 members of the newly founded Vinton chapter of the Larry Walker fan club, including Walker's older brother, Carey, a one-time minor-league hockey player and bar owner in the Roanoke Valley.
``It was his idea originally for me to come here,'' said Larry Walker, who was a National League All-Star with the Montreal Expos in 1992.
``As soon as I was hurt, he was saying `You can come here and see me.' I talked to [Rockies general manager Bob] Gebhard about it and he said that was fine.''
Walker was supposed to begin his rehab Tuesday, but he had a couple of travel mishaps. First, his flight was delayed in Charlotte because of a mechanical problem. Second, once he arrived in Roanoke, he discovered all his equipment was on another flight that didn't arrive until 9 o'clock.
So, Walker went to see his brother. It wasn't his first trip into the land of the LancerLot, where Carey tended goal for some Virginia Lancer teams in the mid-1980s.
``I've been here many times,'' Larry said. ``I've spent Christmas in Vinton.''
Walker's arrival was an early Christmas present for brother Carey, who, along with wife Angel and daughters Danielle, Jessica and Holly, visit Larry at his West Palm Beach, Fla., home.
``Yeah, he comes to the vacation capital of the world,'' said Carey Walker, who, in addition to Larry, has brothers named Barry and Garry and is the son of Larry and Mary.
Carey, 39, is 10 years older than Larry and missed much of his younger brother's teen-age years while away playing hockey. When he returned to their childhood home in Maple Ridge, British Columbia, he was often the subject of local lore.
``He used to be known as my brother,'' Carey Walker said. ``Now, I'm known as his brother.''
Not around Vinton, though, where he's still known as the former proprietor of Overstreets, a popular hangout for hockey players.
Even though the brothers were separated by years and miles and sports (not to mention inches - Larry's 6-foot-3 and Carey's about 5-10) they followed remarkably similar career paths. Carey was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens, joined the farm system for the NHL's old Colorado Rockies and ended up playing with Salem in the minors.
Larry, who was also a goaltender growing up and used to play behind Boston Bruins star Cam Neely when they were youngsters, was drafted by the Montreal Expos, signed with the Colorado Rockies as a free agent and now is pulling a hitch in Salem.
``I'm just glad he's not down here because he's playing bad,'' said Carey.
He didn't play badly Wednesday despite whiffing on a hard slider from reliever Tony Nieto in the ninth. Before the game, he wasn't looking forward to being a designated hitter.
``I hate DH-ing,'' said Walker. ``I'll fall asleep between at bats on the bench.''
He'll get back to the outfield when he continues his rehab at Class AAA Colorado Springs
Caruthers (9-8) got the win by allowing six hits and a run in seven innings. Salem's Mike Vavrek (8-6) took the loss by allowing four runs on nine hits, including Justin Towle's sixth-inning solo homer, in eight innings.
The teams wrap up the four-game series tonight. Salem is 2-4 on this homestand, but expect a large contingent of the Vinton club to be back.
``I'll need about 50 tickets,'' said Carey.
LENGTH: Medium: 94 linesby CNB