Robservations: ‘Cat’ takes his place in the Hall
One of McMinnville’s biggest sports stars received yet another honor recently.
Jamie “Cat” Walker, whose No. 17 Pioneer jersey was retired late last year at Warren County High School, was inducted Feb. 8 into the Austin Peay State University Hall of Fame.
Walker, along with Andrea Miller and Charles “Bubba” Wells, made up the 26th class to enter the Hall, which was created “to identify and honor in a permanent manner those individuals who have achieved excellence in athletics at Austin Peay State University and those others who have contributed to the advancement of athletics at the University by their support, in time or resources, or both.”
Walker came to APSU in 1989, and was promoted to the No. 1 spot on their pitching staff by his sophomore season.
As a junior, he was named the Ohio Valley Conference’s Pitcher of the Year, after finishing 9-5 with a 2.74 ERA and 89 strikeouts.
During his three-year career, “Cat” left his mark in the Austin Peay record books. He is first in career shutouts, third in complete games, seventh in games started, eighth in innings pitched, and fifth in career wins.
Since leaving Clarksville, Walker has had a long professional career, and spent last season with the Detroit Tigers organization, finishing the year on the major league level. This spring, for the first time since 1997, “Cat” will enter spring training on his club’s major league roster.
Speaking for all Warren County sports fans, let me offer a hearty congratulations to “Cat” on his successful career, and his recent Hall of Fame induction.
In a time when drugs, scandals and arrests often overshadow competition on the sports pages, it’s refreshing to see an athlete rewarded for doing what it takes to be successful. And it’s even more refreshing, and inspiring, when that athlete is a home-town talent.
• And now, a word of warning for Clifford Etienne:
Get out.
Get out of Memphis right now. Run, and don’t look back.
Because there is a clearly insane man looking to beat you up on Saturday night.
Mike Tyson decided early this week that he wouldn’t fight Etienne at the Pyramid this weekend. A day later, he changed his mind.
Wednesday, the former heavyweight champ/alleged rapist/wacko made his first appearance in Tunica, sporting a bewildered look, a slack jaw, half-closed eyes and a new tattoo on his face.
Yes. A tattoo. On his face.
Hey, I’m all for self-expression. Heck, I’m the guy who sometimes wears a Green Lantern T-shirt to high school basketball games. But if you see a Green Lantern logo in permanent ink injected into my face, you can rest assured that I’ve gone over the edge.
Want more evidence as to Tyson’s mental state? After getting his new ink on Feb. 11, he refused to train for the next three days, then claimed he had come down with the flu.
Then Monday, he decided, “sure. I’ll fight him.”
Training, schmaining. Tyson’s convinced he can waltz into the ring and pummel Clifford Etienne Saturday night. Or maybe, he’s decided to do something extravagantly crazy, to end his troubled career in a blaze of glory.
Clifford, I’m not kidding. This man has come to Memphis in a deranged state. And as your friendly neighborhood sports editor, I’m here to offer you two pieces of advice that have served me well through the years.
One, never shoot pool with someone who brings their own stick.
And two, never fight crazy people. Because they have nothing to lose.