▁player ▁I ' ve ▁ever ▁had ." ▁Form er ▁manager ▁Bobby ▁C ox ▁remarked , ▁" He ' s ▁better ▁than ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁best . ▁He ▁is ▁the ▁best ." ▁ ▁On ▁defense , ▁Walker ▁combined ▁un c anny ▁aw aren ess ▁and ▁compet ence ▁with ▁the ▁a pl omb ▁of ▁an ▁expert ▁actor . ▁By ▁t apping ▁into ▁extensive ▁knowledge ▁of ▁where ▁to ▁play ▁for ▁each ▁h itter ▁with ▁what ▁the ▁pitch er ▁was ▁going ▁to ▁throw , ▁he ▁recognized ▁where ▁to ▁position ▁himself ▁accordingly . ▁He ▁understood ▁how ▁to ▁read ▁the ▁path ▁and ▁angle ▁of ▁the ▁ball ▁and ▁anticip ate ▁how ▁it ▁would ▁r ico ch et ▁off ▁the ▁wall . ▁His ▁arm ▁strength ▁and ▁accuracy ▁often ▁made ▁it ▁int im id ating ▁for ▁bas er unn ers ▁to ▁se ize ▁extra ▁bases . ▁A de pt ▁at ▁m im ick ing ▁catch ing ▁long ▁fly ▁balls ▁and ▁line ▁drives ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁actually ▁unable ▁to ▁app reh end , ▁he ▁often ▁foo led ▁hit ters ▁into ▁sett ling ▁for ▁singles ▁when ▁they ▁could ▁have ▁taken ▁extra ▁bases . ▁ ▁Post - play ing ▁career ▁Imp act ▁on ▁baseball ▁in ▁Canada ▁Although ▁Walker ▁was ▁not ▁the ▁first ▁Canadian ▁to ▁become ▁a ▁star ▁player ▁in ▁the ▁major ▁le agues , ▁his ▁influence ▁in ▁Canada ▁and ▁native ▁British ▁Columbia ▁is ▁far - re aching . ▁" He ▁was ▁the ▁standard ▁for ▁the ▁height ▁of ▁baseball ▁in ▁Canada ," ▁commented ▁Jeff ▁Francis , ▁a ▁former ▁major ▁league ▁pitch er ▁from ▁North ▁D elta