Over his 17-year career with the Montreal Expos, Colorado Rockies and St. Louis Cardinals, the Canadian-born Walker terrorized opposing pitching, launching 383 home runs, driving in 1,311 RBIs and accumulating a career batting average of .313.

In addition, he was the National League’s Most Valuable Player in 1997, a five-time all-star, a three-time silver slugger, a seven-time gold glove winner and he was a three-time batting champion.

That is certainly an impressive resume, even though Walker needed to wait a decade before being voted into the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America.

And, interestingly enough, Walker even had a brief stint with the Jamestown Expos of the New York-Pennsylvania League back in June of 1985 before being loaned to the Utica Blue Sox.

Keith Martin in 1989. Photo courtesy of Chautauqua Sports Hall of Fame

During his time in camp with the Expos in Jamestown, he suited up in an exhibition game against the local County Grape-Belt League (C-GBL) All-Stars at Diethrick Park, which was then referred to as College Stadium.

The C-GBL All-Star team was comprised of some of the area’s finest talent from both the north and south county. The local players held their own against the professional Expos and Walker, who walked in his only plate appearance, falling by a final score of 9-5.

Some area natives who were members of the C-GBL squad were unaware that they were battling against a future Hall of Famer, but they remember that particular exhibition game fondly, including Mike Cummings.

Cummings, who was 26 at the time and taught physical education and coached several sports at Mayville Central School, put together quite a performance, even catching the eye of Expos manager Ed Creech.

“I remember we were very excited for the opportunity to play the Expos,” Cummings said. “And to play on the same team with so many respected players from around the county. The Expos roster was young and talented. They had speed, a good defense, solid pitching, and could hit. … In my three plate appearances, I singled to left field between shortstop and third baseman on a fastball, I doubled down the right field line on a hanging curve ball and in my last at-bat I hit a two-run home run to left field over the old scoreboard on a belt-high fastball. I remember knowing right away I had put a good swing on it. As I rounded the bases, I remember the Expos infielders congratulating me as I passed them. And my teammates greeting me at home plate.”

Bill Burk at Grove City College in the early 1980s. Photo courtesy of Grove City College

Cummings added: “After the game, and we had lost … we lined up to shake hands with the Expos players, something as professionals they weren’t accustomed to. After offering our congratulations, Expos manager Ed Creech asked to speak with me near the Expos dugout. He congratulated me on my performance, and then asked me how old I was. … When I told him I was 26, his response was, ‘That’s too bad, you can hit!’ The entire experience is a memory I’ll never forget.”

Keith Martin, the executive director at Northwest Arena, also played on the C-GBL team that competed against the Expos.

At the time, Martin had just completed his freshman year at Jamestown Community College and was one of the youngest players on the team.

“(I) just remember that our County Grape-Belt team was just as good as the kids the Expos had on their team,” Martin said. “… We had several guys who were playing in college or had already graduated and were outstanding in their own right. The dugout was a fun place to be that night as we had a lot of great guys and friends in there to enjoy competing against the Expos. … (It) brings back so many fond memories of all the great games and fun times we all had together.”

Bill Burk, another member of the C-GBL team, was able to offer his memories of that same night at College Stadium.

Larry Walker, right, is congratulated by Montreal teammate Tim Wallach during a National League game in 1990. AP file photo

Burk was in between his junior and senior years at Grove City College, where he played both basketball and baseball.

“Steve Bowman and I had just finished playing in the modified softball national championships that day in Edinboro, Pennsylvania for the Jock Shop,” Burk said. “We drove back at about 100 miles per hour to make the game against the Expos. I was playing center field, had to get dressed in the College Stadium dugout in a hurry, left a stirrup out and tripped over it running out to my position. Funny stuff. … Whether it’s true or not, memories being what they are, we were convinced we could play at that level with those guys. The baseball in this area was very sophisticated then, guys who just flat out knew how to play the game. That came from our fathers, our little league coaches, and ourselves. (It was) highly competitive.”