Back in 2004, Neil Walker’s senior year at Pine-Richland High School, a long line of rental cars trailed the Rams’ team bus after road games.
Since Walker only got three or four at-bats most games, and often walked at least once, major league scouts waited around after every game, home or away, to watch Jeff Rojik, the Pine-Richland baseball coach, throw batting practice to Walker at the Rams’ home field.
“Those were long days for Neil,” Rojik said this week, describing a scene of 15 to 20 scouts watching Walker hit, trying to discern whether this 18-year-old kid was worth a first-round grade.