LITTLE ROCK — On the field or in the clubhouse, Brian Walker was the Arkansas Travelers’ designated joker.
Walker enjoyed chatting with fans while signing baseballs, and his was usually the loudest voice in the clubhouse after victories.Typifying his personality, it was Walker who selected the Miley Cyrus pop tune “Party In The USA” as his at-bat music.
But for Walker, a former Arkansas Razorbacks catcher who announced his voluntary retirement from pro baseball Monday, the smiles and antics couldn’t make up for not seeing his two 16-month-old children.
“The more times I was away, the more times I had to say goodbye,” Walker said from his home in Fayetteville. “Every time I had to say goodbye, it tore a piece of my heart.”
Spending time with his twins, Joseph and Claire, is the first step in Walker’s new life. The next is finding a job coaching college baseball, and not surprisingly, he hopes to learn from Razorbacks Coach Dave Van Horn.
“I would love to be a part of Van Horn’s program,” said Walker, who visited the Arkansas baseball offices Monday, “just to say hi.”
“I can’t say anything’s set in stone,” said Walker, who will also begin giving private lessons to supplement his income. “In some way, I’d like to be part of the coaching staff.”
Walker also plans to go back to school, and said he is 12 hours away from earning a degree in kinesiology.
A 29th-round draft pick of the Los Angeles Angels in 2007, Walker was hitting .250 with four home runs this season. He briefly reached Class AAA Salt Lake earlier in the season, but Walker played in an organization heavy with catching prospects, and spent most of the season with the Travelers backing up the younger Alberto Rosario.
Walker said he never doubted his ability to make the big leagues, and showed up this season in the best shape of his life after losing 30 pounds in the off-season.
“The Angels are a wonderful organization,” Walker said. “I felt like I was living my dream. But the lifestyle the professional level brings is one of being gone.”
Walker had has family in North Little Rock for Arkansas’ last homestand, and he could be seen before most games playing with Joseph and Claire on the field.
But then came a stretch of nine road games in eight days. During that time, Walker said he broached the topic of retirement with both his wife, McKenzi, and his best friend on the team, pitcher Tim Kiely.
Walker broke the news to Travs Manager Bobby Magallanes after the road trip and described Magallanes’ reaction as “shocked.”
“I don’t think he saw it coming,” Walker said. “I loved playing for that man. He taught me so much about life as well as baseball. He’s such a great man.”
Walker said he hopes to take what he’s learned from both Van Horn and Magallanes and parlay that into a successful college coaching career.
But he’s done with pro baseball, and leaving the game brought yet another painful goodbye.
“The hardest thing is the relationship I had with my teammates, and having to say goodbye like that,” Walker said.
Brian Walker at a glance POSITION Catcher AGE 24 RESIDES Fayetteville COLLEGE Arkansas FAMILY Wife, McKenzi. Children, Joseph and Claire (16 months) NOTEWORTHY A native of Tulsa, played high school baseball at Tulsa’s Union High School. ... Originally signed with Arizona State, and spent a season with the Sun Devils before transferring to Arkansas.
Sports, Pages 15 on 06/22/2010