LAKELAND - There is a lot of unknown baseball talent in Northern Alberta, and Bob Walker wants to find it.
Specifically, he wants to find diamonds in the rough from the ages of 16 to college age who are interested in playing collegiate baseball.
"Somewhere, there is a kid in Northern Alberta that nobody notices who has got a lot of talent, and I want to talk to him," he said.
Walker is the northern Alberta scout for the Edmonton Riverhawks, who play in the West Coast League (WCL) out of Re/Max field.
The WCL is a collegiate summer league founded in 2005, and it presently has 17 teams playing in Washington, Oregon, British Columbia, and Alberta.
"It's a good level of ball, and it is a great outing, especially for families," he said, adding most families have been priced out of sport. "For $100, a family can go see a baseball game, have a hot dog and some popcorn, and see some good ball in a near-packed park."
The 79-year-old from Sangudo has had a long love affair with baseball, playing its cousin, fastpitch softball, for over 20 years.
"I was a catcher, and I have a pair of pretty darn sore knees to prove it," Walker said, adding he played on several first-division fastball teams all over Western Canada.
"Fastball was really big in the 70s, and teams would pick this pitcher and me from Andrew, and we would play for teams from B.C. to Dauphin, Manitoba," he said. "It was a pretty common thing back then. People from these teams would go to tournaments, and the good players would be hit up and asked to play for their team in Saskatoon or wherever."
Walker said the teams would pay for their travel, accommodation, food and often a little pocket money.
"However, the coaches would ask us to downplay or not to say anything because they didn't want the other teams to know they had a couple of ringers in their midst," Walker said.
Walker joined the Riverhawks two years ago.
He said Steve Hogel, a former anchor at CTV Edmonton who is now the general manager of the Riverhawks, had been a long-time acquaintance, and he knew about his fastball career, as his father and grandfather had watched Walker play and asked him if he wanted to be involved with the franchise.
One of Walker's first finds is a left-hitting left-fielder, Tyler Hummel, from Victoria, B.C.
"From the moment I saw him play, it was clear that he was head and shoulders above anyone his age," he said, adding he was able to help Hummel get a scholarship with Louisiana University.
Recently, Walker arranged for Hummel to get a 10-day trial with the Riverhawks.
"He hit two home runs over the right-field fence over the poppy sign, 240 feet. That's a long hit for a kid his age."
If anyone knows of a potential baseball prospect that they believe might be that diamond in the rough, they can contact Walker at 780-721-7443.
Barry Kerton, TownandCountryToday.com
