DuBOIS – Neil Walker, who recently retired after 12 seasons in Major League Baseball, will head a list of special guests to attend the 29th annual DuBois Community Days at DuBois Memorial Park this weekend.
Walker, who will be hosting a live talk show with WPXI TV sports director Alby Oxenreiter at the Edward V. Cherry Amphitheater on Saturday at 3 p.m., will also serve as Grand Marshal for the celebration, which is due to take place on Friday and Saturday. There will also be time for questions and autographs from the public, according to Entertainment Chairman Jeff Baronick. Later he will appear at the fire brigade parade, which starts at 5 p.m. on Saturday.
The Community Days celebrations begin on Friday at 5 p.m. and last until Saturday evening in the city park on Liberty Boulevard.
Baronick said the Community Days committee is excited to have Walker, sponsored by NextTier Bank, as a guest at DuBois this weekend.
Every year the Community Days Committee seeks a sports star to be a Grand Marshal. There were plenty of Pittsburgh Steelers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and former Pittsburgh Pirates, including former Pittsburgh Pirates manager Jim Leyland.
Walker was selected in the first round of the 2004 draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates and eventually made his big league debut for his home team in 2009.
Walker played seven seasons with the Pirates before spending time with the New York Mets, Milwaukee Brewers, New York Yankees, Miami Marlins and Philadelphia Phillies. Walker played his last MLB game as a member of the Phillies last season before announcing his retirement in April.
Walker finished with a career batting average of .267 with 149 home runs in 1,306 games played.
Although he plays for a variety of teams, Walker is best known for his time with the Pirates, winning the National League’s Silver Slugger Award as the second baseman in 2014. The Silver Slugger Award is given annually to the best offensive player in each position chosen by managers and coaches.
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