Mohegan — Aaron Sanchez, the rising young pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays, is in town for the World Baseball Coaches' Convention at Mohegan Sun and Pete Walker, the Jays pitching coach and one of the organizers of the event, greets him with a hug.

Walker, a Waterford resident, usually gets two or three members of the Blue Jays per year to appear at the convention, giving the area's hot stove rumblings somewhat of a Blue Jays tinge. The convention is set to have more than 1,500 baseball coaches and more than 1,100 softball coaches attend the three-day event, Walker said.

"It's an extension of my family, to be honest with you," Walker said late Friday afternoon of Toronto. "I've been here since 2002 (as a player). I'm really close to a lot of guys in the organization.

"I'm looking forward to the day when I'm home (after he retires). There will be a time when it'll be nice to be home. (But) I'm really lucky. I played for a long time, I coached for a long time. I don't remember ever having a staff where every single pitcher on our staff is someone I genuinely like. They're competitive as well, fiery, but off the field they have a respect."

Sanchez, 24, was drafted by the Blue Jays in the first round in 2010. He was a member of Toronto's starting rotation in 2016, helping lift the Jays to a playoff berth, finishing 15-2 with a 3.00 earned run average and 161 strikeouts. Sanchez was seventh in the American League Cy Young voting.

He calls Walker "such a mentor in my life."

"Just the constant support," Sanchez said of Walker's influence. "A big league coach that's been a voice for me the whole way coming up. So personable. He was named the pitching coach (for the 2013 season) and I knew I had to make it to the major leagues if I were to be able to play for him.

"His caringness is always there. ... You're like his own kid."

Walker, a graduate of East Lyme High School who played at UConn Avery Point, as well as UConn, was drafted by the New York Mets in 1990. The Blue Jays signed him in 2002 and he went on to pitch in 124 games for them between 2002 and 2006.

He served as the pitching coach for the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats in the Toronto organization in 2011 before being named the Blue Jays' bullpen coach in 2012 and pitching coach in 2013.

Walker, 47, will begin another season on Feb. 14 when pitchers and catchers report to spring training camp in Dunedin, Fla.

Walker said Friday that forming a bond with his pitchers, making a connection, is the first secret to being a successful pitching coach.

"Then they're willing to try new things," he said. "There's a mutual respect. It starts in spring training and it continues through the season. You're a coach first and a confidant or friend second. I'm a stickler for doing things right. But you want to make it fun to come to the ballpark every day."

Walker has been a member of the Blue Jays franchise through some of the most trying times in his life, too.

His second of his three daughters, Marissa — currently a junior at Waterford High School — was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, bone cancer, in 2009 and has gone through countless surgeries. This fall, Walker's mom Kathy, perhaps his biggest fan, died at the age of 79, causing him to take a leave of absence from the team.

Walker, a member of the Blue Jays coaching staff under manager John Gibbons, is therefore given to understanding the young men whose arms he is charged with as pitching coach. In late September, he spoke with his pitchers in the aftermath of the death of Miami pitcher Jose Fernandez, urging them to make good decisions.

The Blue Jays were eliminated by the Cleveland Indians in the American League Championship Series on Oct. 19. In December, Walker was inducted into the East Lyme High School Sports Hall of Fame, with his dad John in the audience, something Walker called "my Cooperstown."

He's now helping coach youngest daughter Milly's travel basketball team.

Walker is the co-director of the World Baseball Coaches' Convention, in its 14th year at the Mohegan Sun, running the event along with his brother Andy Walker — whom he said originally pitched the idea to Mohegan — former major league catcher Roger LaFrancois, Paul Sturges and marketing director Rick Orluk.

Sanchez, outfielder Kevin Pillar and first base coach Tim Leiper represented the Blue Jays this weekend along with Walker. Hall of Fame pitcher John Smoltz was also a presenter.

"The response has been overwhelming this year," Walker said. "We're very pleased. It seems like every other year here you get some bad weather. It's hard to start thinking about baseball and softball when there's a foot of snow on the ground."

v.fulkerson@theday.com