The Colorado Rockies paid permanent tribute to one of their most celebrated players over the weekend, unveiling a bronze likeness of Hall of Famer Larry Walker at the team's Denver ballpark.
The Rockies revealed a 15-foot, 800-pound bronze statue of the franchise's first Hall of Fame inductee, positioned at 20th and Blake near the main entrance to Coors Field.
Walker spoke at the ceremony, calling the honor difficult to put into words. "When I came here, my job was to keep moving — hit the ball, run the bases, chase fly balls in the gap, do anything I could to help us win," he said. "And now, here I am, frozen in bronze."
The 59-year-old Canadian played 17 seasons in the majors, including his years in Colorado from 1994 to 2005, as well as stints in Montreal and St. Louis. His career included a .313 batting average, 383 home runs, and 1,311 runs batted in. Walker won three National League batting titles with the Rockies — in 1998, 1999, and 2001 — and was named National League MVP in 1997, the only Rockies player ever to earn that distinction.
The statue captures one of Walker's most iconic moments: an Aug. 18, 1999, walk-off three-run home run off Braves closer John Rocker at Coors Field that lifted Colorado to a 4-1 victory — the only game in team history played in its "Turn Ahead the Clock" jersey. Walker reflected on the moment with characteristic candor. "Just to get a hit off him, you're happy," he said of Rocker, noting the pitcher had a reputation for getting under opposing players' skin.
Walker was joined in the Baseball Hall of Fame by former Rockies teammate Todd Helton in 2024, and Helton was present at Coors Field for the unveiling. Also in attendance was Ferguson Jenkins, the only other Canadian in the Baseball Hall of Fame, along with former Rockies general manager Bob Gebhard — who signed Walker as a free agent in 1995 — and former teammate Vinny Castilla. Several current Rockies players, including pitcher Kyle Freeland, were also on hand for the ceremony.
Helton is set to receive his own statue in front of Coors Field on Sept. 19.