Walker returns as a visitor
PITTSBURGH — Neil Walker has found that playing for the New York Mets is different than for his hometown Pirates.
Not better necessarily, just different, after being traded last December for left-hander Jon Niese.
Walker was the Pirates’ first-round draft pick in 2004 from Pine-Richland High School then spent the first seven seasons of his major league career in Pittsburgh.
“I definitely blend into the crowd a lot easier in New York than I did in Pittsburgh, that’s for sure,” the second baseman said with a smile Monday night. “Living in Manhattan is different than living in the North Hills of Pittsburgh. I’ve probably seen a blade of grass, other than at the ballpark, three times since the season started.
“But it’s been enjoyable, too. It’s been a change but in a good way. I really enjoy playing for the Mets, really enjoy my teammates and living in New York has been a unique experience.”
Walker faces the Pirates for the first time since the trade on Tuesday night in the opener of a three-game series at PNC Park. He was in the lineup, starting at second base and batting cleanup for the Mets, for Monday night’s rained out game.
Walker spent the morning and early part of the afternoon at the house in the North Hills that he and his wife, who is seven months pregnant with the couple’s first child, recently had built.
“Got to swim in the swimming pool for the first time,” Walker said.
Pirates pitcher Gerrit Cole chauffeured Walker to the ballpark and he found his way to the visitor’s clubhouse.
“I had only been in the visitor’s clubhouse once before and I had to rely on Kevin Conrad to show me around,” Walker said, referring to the visiting clubhouse manager at PNC Park. “There was definitely a little emotion there when we walked through the entrance in right field and I made a left turn toward the visitor’s dugout rather than walking straight to the home dugout.
“From the time I started playing tee ball until the end of last season, I’ve spend my whole life playing baseball in Pittsburgh or for a team from Pittsburgh. So it’s a different feeling coming back in a visiting uniform.”
While center fielder Andrew McCutchen has established himself as the face of the Pirates’ franchise after finishing in the top five in the National League MVP voting each of the last four years — including winning the award in 2013 — Walker was always the favorite son.
When asked what he thought what his legacy of the Pirates is, Walker was quick with an answer.
“I hope people look at me as a blue-collar player, the type of guy who grinded out at-bats, grinded out games, did everything I could to help the Pirates win games,” he said. “I bleed black and gold, even now, and I’d like to think I tried my very best every single day I wore the uniform here.”
Walker also said he was proud of being part of a franchise turnaround in which the Pirates ended a streak of 20 consecutive losing seasons in 2013 while beginning a run of three consecutive playoff appearances.
“There were some tough years where we’d be lucky to win one out of three games, one out of four games,” Walker said. “To go from that to finally having a winning season to being a consistent playoff team was very special.
“Baseball is a lot more popular sport in this region that it used to be. I hope that I played a little part in that.”