February 20, 2004
Thin Air, Thin Walker
Larry Walker has trimmed down, according to this article by Tracy Ringolsby:
He canceled plans to spend the winter in South Florida, choosing instead to stay in the Denver area. After undergoing surgery on his right knee and left shoulder, he spent the winter working out regularly at Coors Field under the supervision of Rockies conditioning coach Brad Andress.
And on Thursday, when pitchers and catchers reported for spring training, Walker greeted them. He arrived Feb. 7, eager to see the results of his off-season effort.
Walker is noticeably trimmer. Word is, he lost about 30 pounds, but he's not saying.
"I didn't even weigh in when I took my physical," he said. "I know my pants got awful loose, but I didn't lose as much weight as I expected. Brad said he thought I was fine.
"The program was a lot more agility, not strictly work in the weight room."
There is going to be a lot of talk this year about players being thinner due to stopping steroids. Just remember, physcial therapy after surgery gives one a very good workout. And, as in the case of Walker and Giambi, doctors are likely to want you to take weight off after knee surgery. I'm not drawing any conclusions here. I just want people to be aware that there are other reasons for losing weight.
As for Walker, good for him. He's always been a fun player to watch, and the picture of him with the article makes it look like he's in great shape. A great year from Larry will be a boon to Rockies fans.
Posted by David Pinto at
04:02 PM
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I agree, on both counts: Walker *is* a lot of fun and I wish him well. I'd like to see him play another five seasons if his body can handle it.
Also, while there are undoubtedly some players who are going to come in thinner after stopping steroids, there's no way that every single player who's lost weight was on the juice. Frankly, the pattern of everybody pumping up (be it via steroids or other) and trying to be a power hitter was getting a bit tiresome anyway. Case in point: Jimmy Rollins says he wants to stop swinging for the fences and learn how to be a leadoff hitter. I say good, there aren't enough leadoff hitters in the game at the moment.
That was Walker in that picture? He doesn't look ANYTHING like the Walker of old. Yow.
All the guys that bulked up--steroids or not--have restricted their own movement and have probably made themselves more likely to get muscle pulls. Go for flexibility, not pure strenght. What's the difference between a 440FT homer and a 500FT one?
I've always wondered: do steroids increase bat speed, or just strength? Is bat speed related to strength or just one of those "gifts from the gods" kinds of things (like being able to throw 100MPH)?
