▁he ▁no ▁longer ▁wanted ▁to ▁purs ue ▁hockey ▁once ▁he ▁arrived ▁at ▁the ▁r ink , ▁and ▁subsequently ▁focused ▁his ▁athlet ic ▁asp ir ations ▁on ▁baseball . ▁ ▁Am ateur ▁baseball ▁The ▁popular ity ▁of ▁baseball ▁in ▁Canada ▁during ▁Walker ' s ▁youth ▁was ▁min usc ule ▁in ▁contrast ▁to ▁the ▁following ▁he ▁would ▁help ▁spawn ▁related ▁to ▁his ▁later ▁success ▁with ▁the ▁Montreal ▁Ex pos . ▁Pre viously , ▁Canadian ▁baseball ▁l umin aries ▁included ▁T ip ▁O ' Ne ill , ▁the ▁first ▁Canadian ▁to ▁win ▁a ▁Tri ple ▁Crown ▁back ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 7 , ▁and ▁Fer g us on ▁Jenkins , ▁Canada ' s ▁first ▁select ee ▁to ▁the ▁American ▁Baseball ▁Hall ▁of ▁Fame ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 1 . ▁It ▁was ▁Walker ▁who ▁would ▁help ▁dram atically ▁increase ▁the ▁profile ▁of ▁the ▁sport ▁in ▁a ▁hockey - mad ▁nation . ▁Part ▁of ▁the ▁factor ▁are ▁Canada ' s ▁short ▁sum mers , ▁which ▁make ▁it ▁more ▁challeng ing ▁to ▁play ▁out do ors ▁than ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁Rec alled ▁Walker ▁later ▁in ▁his ▁major ▁league ▁career , ▁" I ' d ▁never ▁seen ▁a ▁fork ball , ▁never ▁seen ▁a ▁slider . ▁I ▁didn ' t ▁know ▁they ▁existed . ▁I ▁had ▁never ▁really ▁seen ▁a ▁good ▁curve ball . ▁In ▁Canada , ▁as ▁a ▁kid , ▁we ' d ▁play ▁ 1 0 ▁baseball ▁games ▁a ▁year . ▁Fif teen , ▁to ps . ▁Some ▁pitch ers ▁had ▁a ▁thing ▁they