by Carrie Muskat
www.MLB.com
CHICAGO — Todd Walker’s hitting approach is the opposite of most of the Chicago Cubs. Walker is a good contact hitter, and was the toughest to strike out in the American League in 2003. He joins a Cubs lineup that ranked second in the National League in total K’s.
But where will Walker play? And why did he choose the Cubs? The free agent took a pay cut to play at Wrigley Field and he has his reasons.
“It would be much easier to sign with somebody and be the starting second baseman,” Walker said. “The bottom line is, everybody wants to play and everybody wants to start. I made a decision that I want to be part of a World Series caliber team.”
Walker came as close to getting to the World Series as the Cubs did in 2003. He batted .283 in 144 games for the Boston Red Sox who were five outs away from reaching the championship series, only to lose to the New York Yankees. The Cubs were five outs from getting to the World Series for the first time since 1945, only to lose in seven games in the National League Championship Series to the Florida Marlins.
Walker, who will be playing for his fifth team, gives some insight into his decision and his background.
MLB.com: You passed on some teams that offered a starting job to sign with the Cubs. Why?
Walker: I want to be a part of what I was part of last year and that’s a team that hasn’t won a World Series in a while. The fans want that so badly and as a player, there’s nothing more fun than that. I feel like, based on last year, moving from the Red Sox to the Cubs is a lateral move. I didn’t want to take a step backwards.
MLB.com: What was the 2003 season like with the Red Sox?
Walker: It was an incredible experience and if you haven’t been to the postseason before, it’s an eye opener. I felt I elevated my game last year and learned a lot from it and hopefully can learn from that. It was tough to handle the loss (in the ALCS). I saw it as a great year and it ended poorly as it did with the Cubs. If I was still with the Red Sox, I’d say the same thing I’m sure the Cubs are saying — we have some unfinished business to do.
MLB.com: Are you bringing the Red Sox’s “Cowboy up” slogan to Chicago?
Walker: They can keep that in Boston.
MLB.com: The Cubs already have a regular second baseman in Mark Grudzielanek. Are you willing to play elsewhere?
Walker: My motivation for doing this (signing with the Cubs) is to be on a championship team. I could’ve played for other teams and had an easier path. You have to work hard at it. (Adjusting to a new position) is not going to be for a lack of effort.
MLB.com: You were the toughest to strike out in the American League in 2003. How did you develop your batting eye?
Walker: First of all, in the offseason, I don’t hit a lot of baseballs. I have a machine that pitches wiffle golf balls and I hit them with a broom stick. That helps and that’s part of it. My whole philosophy is if you put it in play, you have a chance. You don’t have to hit the ball hard to get a base hit.
MLB.com: There’s been some criticism about your defense.
Walker: People who make those comments haven’t seen me play every day. For some reason, I’ve been put under the microscope defensively. The bottom line is, I’m not Superman and I’m going to work on things I have to be better at.
MLB.com: How well do you know Cubs manager Dusty Baker?
Walker: I don’t know him at all. He wears the wristbands and he’s into the game and he’s fired up. People I’ve talked to say he treats his people fair.
MLB.com: You were a first-round draft pick by the Minnesota Twins in June 1994 but had a public rift with manager Tom Kelly and eventually traded in July 2000 to Colorado. Can you talk about what happened?
Walker: I was a young player. I was 23 years old. The way I saw it, we weren’t winning and I wasn’t getting a chance to play. In ’98, I felt I had a legitimate argument because I was leading the league in hitting and I was still getting pinch-hit for. I was a young kid and I blame a lot of that on myself. I’m a better player having moved on from Minnesota. I’m glad things worked out the way they did.
Carrie Muskat is a reporter for MLB.com.