Wanting for years to remember the late scout who opened the path for him to become a first-round Draft pick and ultimately a Major League Baseball player, Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker is utilizing MLB Players Weekend to keep the memory of Charles Peterson alive.
Peterson, a Cardinals scout located in Atlanta from 2012 to 2020, died as a result of COVID-19 complications. Months earlier, Peterson helped St. Louis choose Walker with the 21st choice in the 2020 MLB Draft.
Walker, 22, is wearing cleats with a photo of himself and Peterson from the day he signed his first professional contract in 2020. On the reverse side of the shoes is a copy of Peterson’s handwritten scouting report, which he gave to the Cards in preparation for the 2020 draft. Two paragraphs in the report suggest that Walker’s “bat will determine the stay [in the big leagues],” while another entry names Walker as having “superstar potential.”
“I always wanted to honor him in some way, but I wasn’t sure how,” Walker said ahead of the Cardinals’ series finale against the Dodgers on Sunday. “These cleats are awesome, and I adore them. They did an excellent job with them. Having a picture of myself and him after Draft Day in 2020, as well as the scouting report, is really special.”
Walker, the Cardinals’ top-ranked player entering the 2023 season, made the Opening Day roster after a good Spring Training, and he batted in his first 12 Major League Baseball games. Walker hit.276 with 16 home runs, 19 doubles, and 51 RBIs in 117 games as a rookie. He began the season with St. Louis before faltering and being relegated to Triple-A, where he spent 3 1/2 months. Walker was recalled to the Cardinals on Monday after a strong performance at Triple-A Memphis, and he started against the Dodgers on Sunday.
None of this would have been possible, Walker said, if Peterson hadn’t believed in his potential as a high school junior playing baseball in Decatur, Georgia.
“I remember the first time we had a serious talk about baseball … and he seemed so passionate about me, more passionate than any other team,” Walker told me. “I really don’t think I’d be in this position if it wasn’t for him talking up my name and always believing in me.”
