Profiles in Boldness: South Carolina 1B Christian Walker Plays through Injury in the 2011 College World Series

Dictionary.com defines the word "bold" as follows:

Over the past few games, many Gamecocks have epitomized boldness. You don't win a national title without a dash of it here or there. Although I thus hate to point out individual performances when everyone deserves so much credit, one guy in particular stands out for me. That player is Gamecocks 1B Christian Walker.

Continue reading after the jump.

Walker has been a standout player for the Gamecocks all year long. After earning Freshman All-American honors in 2010, it was expected that Walker would join the nation's elite in 2011, and he didn't disappoint. In 2011, Walker was one of the SEC's most feared hitters and led the Gamecocks in batting average.

However, these accomplishments aren't why I'm writing about Walker today. Walker demonstrated his boldness in the College World Series Championship Series by playing through a painful hand injury. During our second game against Virginia, Walker suffered a broken hamate bone in his catching hand. Leading up to the first game against the Gators, there were--quite reasonably--doubts about whether he would play. However, Walker shocked quite a few people by playing through the injury. And he didn't just play. Walker did just what he's done all season long. He went 4-9 for the series and scored the winning run in the first game. He also played stellar defense, doing his part to help Carolina turn numerous double plays, among other exploits.

I don't really know how much pain Walker was playing with, but I'm willing to wager that anyone who plays with an injury knows he's taking certain risks. That's why he deserves recognition for his bold play. The above-referenced first definition defines "bold" as "not hesitating or fearful in the face of actual or possible danger"; I think we can all agree that Walker's play speaks for itself in relation to that defintion.  The entry also indicates that the word has etymological origins in Germanic, Celtic, and Gaelic terms signifying pride. Walker's play suggests a great deal of pride in his team--he wasn't going to let a chance to contribute to a national championship slip away from him. He deserves our accolades today for an inspiring performance that will be long remembered.