My Sportsman Choice: Larry Walker

By Pete McEntegart

Larry Walker was the brainchild behind the post-series handshake between the Cardinals and Dodgers. Damian Strohmeyer/SI  Chris Stone: Red Sox Nation, you've earned this one  Paul Zimmerman: Boy Wonder brought Boston a title  B.J. Schecter: Red Sox captured Boston's heart  Richard Deitsch: The Babe had a big presence in '04  Rick Reilly: Big Papi did it all for the world champs  Jeffri Chadiha: A reward for reversing The Curse  Lisa Altobelli: Ramirez never took anything seriously  • Sportsman of the Year archive

According to Webster's, a sportsman is defined as "a person who can take loss or defeat without complaint, or victory without gloating, and who treats his opponents with fairness, generosity, courtesy, etc." Actually, that's the second definition; the first is "a man who is interested in or takes part in sports, esp. in hunting, fishing, etc." But since I can't see awarding SI's Sportsman of the Year to 2004 Bassmaster Classic winner Takahiro Omori of Japan, I am going to stick with fairness, generosity, courtesy, etc. Thus I select Larry Walker of the St. Louis Cardinals.

The longtime Rockies slugger actually had a modest year by his standards, tallying a mere 17 homers and 47 RBIs in 82 games during an injury-plagued season. His claim to Sportsman fame comes from his suggestion to Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa before the National League Divisional Series against the Dodgers that the two teams shake hands upon its conclusion. LaRussa mentioned it to his counterpart, Dodgers manager Jim Tracy. Thus when the Cardinals won the series three games to one, both teams formed a line on the diamond to exchange handshakes and even hugs.

One could tell immediately Walker was on to something terrific given the revulsion expressed by old-school sportswriters, who acted as if the media buffet line had been made vegan-only. The New York Times huffed, "What's next, taking showers together?" Bob Watson, baseball's vice president of on-field operations, said he didn't like it either.

Walker deserves some prize for exposing the hypocrisy of baseball's tradition of false machismo. Baseball traditionalists huffed and puffed about how baseball was different, and how the post-series handshakes somehow diminished competitive spirit. Teams fight too hard to be civil to each other afterwards, the reasoning went. Yet this from a sport where the players only occasionally make contact? Somehow boxers and football, hockey, and basketball players manage to shake hands after combat without suddenly piling into a communal shower and singing Kumbaya. Yet hitting a slider is apparently so reliant on stoking the fire of hatred that baseball still has rules banning fraternization on the books. Though rarely enforced, players from opposing teams are not supposed to speak to each other during batting practice, for instance.

A native of Maple Ridge, B.C., Walker got the handshake idea from the NHL. The NHL, for those who have understandably forgotten, used to be a North American professional hockey league. After NHL teams completed a playoff series, the players would try to jam as many teeth as possible back into their mouths, line up at center ice and shake hands cordially. As a youth, Walker was a goaltender who tried out for the Junior A Regina Pats. Goalies especially like the post-series handshakes because they can take off their mask and get some quality TV face time. Even so, hockey players have long been justifiably proud of their tradition of post-series handshakes, since it demonstrates that even after knocking the crap out of each other for seven games, there is still a core of respect -- for opponents, and for the game itself. For bringing that simple but profound act of sportsmanship to the crankiest major sport, Larry Walker is my choice for Sportsman of the Year.

Sports Illustrated will announce the 2004 Sportsman of the Year winner on FOX on November 28. Check back every weekday until then to read more Sportsman picks from SI writers.