PHILADELPHIA — Jordan Walker rooted for Chipper Jones as a young Braves fan raised in suburban Atlanta and used to beg his family to take him to baseball games at Turner Field.Walker’s parents — “Jordan’s Dad” and “Jordan’s Mom,” as known by their customized jerseys this week at the Home Run Derby — often obliged. Derek Walker and his 7 year old son were out in left field seats for an April series in 2010 when Braves slugger and future Gold Glove winner Jason Heyward made his debut.Oh, for sure the younger Walker still cheered for Jones.But to see a young Black star such as Heyward command the outfield the way Walker wanted to play, a new favorite player was born.“As soon as Jayson Heyward debuted,” Walker said. “I was like, oh yeah, that’s the guy. That’s who I want to be like.”The significance of representation in the Black community was never lost on Walker. So when Walker, a former St. Louis Cardinals’ first-round pick once on the cusp of bust territory after several demotions over the last few seasons, had his breathtaking, breakthrough moment with a six-swing, six-homer rally past Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber to win the Derby, he hoped his star-making turn would inspire more young Black athletes to follow in his footsteps and choose baseball.Just as he was inspired by Heyward.“For Black kids, I want to kind of be a role model for them,” Walker said, “like he was for me.”With each prodigious blast off his customized Iron Man bat, the 24-year-old Walker silenced the Philly boo birds clamoring for a home team Schwarber victory and shined in his coming-out party beyond the St. Louis bubble and to the entire baseball world. He flashed the kind of swag that appealed to a younger generation much in the way Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. did in his heyday. Walker wore his Cardinals hat backward, chewed a big wad of bubble gum and reveled afterward in flashing his …
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