Miracle slugger Walker undaunted by Florida circuit's challenging conditions

[jokin]

Adam Brett Walker makes the FSL All Star team and quickly following up, MiLB.com does a nice update on ABW3: http://www.milb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20140604&content_id=77990800&fext=.jsp&vkey=news_milb&sid=l123

 

http://www.milb.com/assets/images/6/7/6/77991676/cuts/14113811717_9d861d8522_o_cci5cy0q_33zfkf0b.jpg

 

 

The FSL is legendary for humbling up-and-coming thumpers, and no doubt about it, Walker has certainly had his challenges. But his bat has kept improving as the season has progressed, to the point that over the last 11 games his OPS was 1.114 with a .744 SLG, and now leads the league in Home Runs.

 

The Florida State League can be a graveyard for sluggers, the weather and distant fences often taking a heavy toll.Adam Brett Walker, though, is defying the power-suppressing reputation of the Class A Advanced circuit.

"If I hit it right, I think it will go out no matter," the Minnesota Twins' No. 13 prospect said. "I try not to let the wind or the ballparks get to me."

 

Interesting human interest back-stories:

 

 

Walker comes by his athletic ability naturally. His father was a pro football player who now coaches in college and his mother is a former national track champion. Walker himself was a rangy high school quarterback in Milwaukee, but he knew which sport he wanted to pursue from an early age."My first love was always baseball," he said.

Walker fled the cold of Wisconsin to play in college at Jacksonville, and two teammates there -- pitcher Matt Tomshaw and outfielder John Murphy -- have spent most of this season with him on the Miracle.

Whether in college or the Minors, batting practice can be showtime with Walker.

"In the last round, I let it fly a little bit to see how far I can hit it," he said.