' d ▁call ▁a ▁sp inner , ▁but ▁nothing ▁like ▁this . ▁Baseball ▁just ▁wasn ' t ▁big . ▁The ▁weather ▁was ▁against ▁it . ▁Nob ody ▁ever ▁played ▁baseball ▁thinking ▁about ▁making ▁the ▁major ▁le agues ." ▁He ▁was ▁also ▁una ware ▁of ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁rules , ▁att est ing ▁to ▁his ▁lack ▁of ▁experience ▁playing ▁when ▁he ▁turned ▁a ▁professional . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 4 , ▁Walker ▁played ▁for ▁the ▁Co quit lam ▁Red s ▁of ▁the ▁British ▁Columbia ▁Premier ▁Baseball ▁League . ▁He ▁was ▁selected ▁to ▁join ▁the ▁Canadian ▁team ▁at ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 4 ▁World ▁Youth ▁Championships ▁in ▁Kind ers ley , ▁S ask atch ew an . ▁At ▁that ▁tournament , ▁he ▁caught ▁the ▁eye ▁of ▁Ex pos ▁sc out ing ▁director ▁Jim ▁F anning ▁after ▁hitting ▁a ▁home ▁run ▁with ▁a ▁wooden ▁bat , ▁in ▁contrast ▁to ▁all ▁the ▁other ▁players ▁who ▁were ▁using ▁metal ▁b ats . ▁F anning ▁signed ▁Walker ▁for ▁$ 1 , 5 0 0 ▁( US D , ▁$ ▁today ) ▁as ▁an ▁amateur ▁free ▁agent ▁ow ing ▁to ▁his ▁relative ▁lack ▁of ▁experience ▁playing ▁organized ▁baseball . ▁At ▁that ▁time , ▁Canad ians ▁were ▁not ▁el ig ible ▁to ▁be ▁selected ▁through ▁the ▁Major ▁League ▁Baseball ▁draft . ▁While ▁the ▁Ex pos ▁perce ived ▁Walker ▁to ▁be ▁very ▁athlet ic , ▁they ▁decided ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁very ▁raw , ▁and ▁that ▁he ▁did ▁not ▁initially ▁war rant ▁rating ▁as ▁a ▁top ▁prospect . ▁ ▁Professional