Neil Walker returns to Pirates to throw out 1st pitch, will announce draft pick, games

After Neil Walker took the mound at PNC Park to throw out the ceremonial first pitch Saturday afternoon, he delivered a couple of strikes for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Walker revealed he has accepted an invitation to announce who the Pirates select with the No. 1 overall pick in the MLB Draft on July 11 and will join the broadcast booth to call nine games in August and September for AT&T SportsNet and radio flagship station 93.7 FM.

BREAKING! Neil Walker will join us for select games as an analyst. First broadcast will be August 13th. He will do some radio work as well! -DP

— AT&T SportsNet™ PIT (@ATTSportsNetPIT) July 3, 2021

“That’s something I think will be fun,” said Walker, a Pine-Richland graduate who was selected No. 11 in the first round of the 2004 draft and spent seven seasons with the Pirates. “I think I’m going to do some radio, some TV and see if that is enjoyable. Hopefully, I don’t make a fool out of myself doing that. Talking baseball kind of seems to be somewhat natural for me, so we’ll see.”

The Pirates honored Walker with a tribute video and by having him throw the first pitch — a knuckleball to his brother-in-law, Pirates bench coach Don Kelly — less than three months after he announced his retirement following 12 major-league seasons.

The Pittsburgh Kid, Neil Walker, throws out the first pitch before today’s Pirates game against the Brewers at PNC Park. pic.twitter.com/AxeYEaFJ8v

— Christopher Horner (@Hornerfoto1) July 3, 2021

Walker said he accepted invitations from Pirates chairman Bob Nutting to throw out the first pitch and general manager Ben Cherington to announce the draft pick in Denver, which worked out for Walker because he was going to be on vacation nearby.

It was an olive branch by the organization to rejoin the team in some capacity to soothe any hard feelings after the Pirates traded Walker to the New York Mets for pitcher Jon Niese in December 2015.

Walker was the Pirates’ starting second baseman for their turnaround from baseball’s abyss, going from 20 consecutive losing seasons to three straight wild-card berths from 2013-15. Walker delivered one of the most memorable moments when he drove in the winning run with a double during the 2013 wild-card win over Cincinnati at PNC Park.

“I was extremely humbled and honored to be asked to throw out the first pitch. Certainly don’t feel quite deserving of it,” Walker said. “But, you know, at the same time, I’m very gracious that Bob asked me to do it and humbly accepted.

“More than anything, I just to find a way to be involved and be an asset to this organization in some capacity. That is important to me. What that is, I don’t know. I’m still too close to the fire, as far as just finishing up and the baseball (work) schedule doesn’t necessarily excite me all that much right now. But, we’ll get to a place where I have a clear picture of what I’m hopeful to do within the organization.”

Walker was welcomed back to the Pirates this past week, where he visited their draft room Thursday to listen to player evaluations for the draft and spent time discussing plans with members of the front office. Walker isn’t sure whether he wants to get into coaching or individual instruction, only that he wants to share his experiences of playing for six teams with Pirates players and prospects.

“I got to play here, I got to play in places like Milwaukee and Miami that are considered smaller market but I also got to play for the Yankees and the Phillies and the Mets, so I’ve gotten to see both sides of it,” Walker said. “I’ve played in places that have lost 100 games, and I’ve played in places that won 100 games. I played with the Yankees and got to play in the playoffs against the Red Sox.

“Those are things that you remember most because of how exciting it is and how rare it is for people to play in that. I think that all those things rolled into one has made me realize that I would be doing myself and young players a disservice if I didn’t try to pass along some of the stuff that I have learned along my path. I’ve changed positions. I’ve switch hit. I played infield. I played outfield. I caught. I played on winning teams. I played on losing teams. So I think my perspective on playing baseball is pretty valuable.”

As for his broadcast style, Walker hopes to share a behind-the-scenes view of his playing experiences and the strategy of the game. A former standout wide receiver who won a WPIAL football championship at Pine-Richland, Walker said he has watched a lot of NFL games and enjoys listening to former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo call games as a color analyst.

“So I think if it’s an ex-player, you have a lot of stories or inside-clubhouse type of experience and things like that. That can go a long way,” Walker said. “(Romo) was the first person who popped into my mind. One thing somebody told me is that you don’t have to always use the airspace. So I’m gonna have to maybe remind myself of that as I get into broadcasting.”