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For the past six weeks, the big blockbuster that dominated the movie theaters was "The Hunger Games."
In May, it'll likely be "The Avengers" or "Battleship" or "Men in Black III."
And roughly a year from now, one of the more popular films could be "42," a sports biopic on the life of Jackie Robinson and how he broke baseball's color barrier in 1947 by becoming the first black player in Major League Baseball.
According to imdb.com, the movie is slated to star, among others, Chadwick Boseman ("The Express"), Harrison Ford ("Indiana Jones") and Christopher Meloni ("Law & Order: SVU").
Not listed in the credits, though, will be Chris Walker. Unfortunately, for the former Revs outfielder, Walker recently had to turn down a small role in the movie to return for his fifth season in the Atlantic League.
The baseball veteran is disappointed by the outcome of events with the film, but he's excited to be back on the field this season. And he's looking forward to pulling double-duty as a player and employee in the front office of the Camden Riversharks.
Ring ceremony: The York Revolution return to Sovereign Bank Stadium for its home opener on Tuesday night vs. Camden.
A ring ceremony will be held before the game celebrating the 2011 Atlantic League champions. And with the 'Sharks in town, Walker will be able to get his ring alongside several players, coaches and trainers. One lucky fan will also get one.
Walker: Walker, 31, was one of just 16 players on York's roster for the entire 2011 season. He put up decent numbers for the Revs last year, batting .287 with four homers, 35 RBIs and 24 stolen bases. But it was his contributions off the field that gained him favor with the fans. He could always be found mingling with Revs' fans before every home game.
This offseason was a busy one for Walker. He obtained a bachelor's degree in sports management from Georgia Southern University. He's been taking care of his 1-year-old son. And he spent time working on the sales side in the Revs' front office.
"My ultimate goal is to one day be an owner of a professional baseball team," Walker said by phone last week. "I figured what better way to get started than to come out there (to York) and see the process firsthand."
It was one of Walker's old agents that tipped him about "42," which is set to film in Marietta, Ga., at some point this year and come to theaters in April 2013.
"There was a possibility that I was going to be a double for Robinson," Walker said. "But after going through the interview process I got a part as a Negro League player."
Walker wasn't able to work out a deal to return to the Revs this year, so he signed with Camden, where he played from 2008 to 2010. He was hoping the filming of "42" would be wrapped up before the baseball season started.
"We were supposed to do the shooting and everything else before I left. But since none of the stuff is done, I'm not going to be able to do it," he said.
So, Walker will have to put his acting debut on hold. However, he is going to keep his front-office skills sharp by working in sales for Camden this season. And he said he'll make sure to greet fans each time he returns to York.
-- Reach John Walk at 505-5406 or jwalk@york dispatch.com or follow on Twitter @YorkSportsGuy.
