00:00:00
Speaker 1: Welcome back to the Exter Earning postgame show with Bill Laski. My guest played sixteen years in Major League baseball. He was an American League All Star in nineteen eighty six, five times he was an American League Player of the Week, and when he retired, he had over two thousand hits. Let's welcome in Wally Joiner. Wally, how are you Bill?
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Speaker 2: I'm Bill great. Thanks for having me.
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Speaker 1: Oh great to have you one. And you know, when you look at what you did in sixteen years, four times you finished with over a three hundred batting average, and four times you hit over two ninety Where did you learn how to hit? And who was instrumental on that?
00:00:36
Speaker 2: Well? I think that I learned. I was the youngest of five in my family. My dad was an exceptional fast pitch softball pitcher. We grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, and I hung out at softball fields two or three times a week at night, chasing fal balls and getting a soda and a piece of gum when you brought it back to the concession stand. But you know, I just watched and mimicked and played. And you know, both my mom and dad were very good athletes, and I think I learned from both of them.
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Speaker 1: Well, you started your career in a high school in Georgia, as you said, but I read where you were a pitcher. You were five and oh with a one point four earned rent average. I got to ask you, when did you pitch and how much did you throw?
00:01:29
Speaker 2: Well, Bill, I think that ballplayers know you have to pitch. You have to throw faster than the swing speed or slower than the swing speed. And I was the latter. I was a thumber. I didn't throw anything straight, and but I enjoyed competing, you know, really quick. I was recruited by by U as a pitcher first baseman, and after my two pitching out, the pitching coach put his arm around me and said, son, I think we're going to try at first base.
00:02:04
Speaker 1: So was the end of my petnical day. Though, Wally, you were a Georgia player of the year. Were you set on BYU? Was there other colleges knocking on your door too?
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Speaker 2: I had quite a few opportunities. Yes, I was the high school player of the year, but I you know, I guess I can have your listeners visualized. When I got to BYU, my nickname was the bowling pin because I had a very unathletic physique where my shoulders were narrow and I had a big backside. So because of that look, I needed to make sure I got two hits a game.
00:02:46
Speaker 1: And you definitely did. At BYU, your freshman year you had three thirty three, had ten home runs forty eight RBIs. Or sophomore year you got a little better. You hit four forty five, and then your junior year you had four six three home runs, ninety five RBIs and BYU, by the chance, was fifty four and eleven. What a great, great career you had at by You each year you got better. What did you work out to sustain that.
00:03:14
Speaker 2: Well? I think each year you want to get better, and we did. We had a great season in nineteen eighty three. Actually, a number of my teammates made it to the big leagues. Ricky Aguilera was a teammate of mine for three years and he had a sixteen year career as a pitcher. Cory Schneider was the shortstop, Jolley Whitmer, Gary Cooper. We had quite a few guys make it to the big league, so I think we fed off of each other and you know, I worked a lot. I worked on my game every day, and I think that that, hopefully that showed as I made it to the big leagues. And beyond playing as a coach, you know, I I I was focused on learning the game. I was focused on understanding the game, understanding my advats and making sure that I did the right thing, made the write outs as much as I could every at bat.
00:04:23
Speaker 1: While you're joining joining me on the Externing post game show. And in nineteen eighty three, the California Angels drafted you as a number three pick. You ended up signing anxious to sign, ready to play pro ball. Was that the next move you were looking to do?
00:04:39
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think so. I was ready. Didn't think that I needed to come back to play my senior year. And I think back then the only leverage that a player had was to say that I, you know, I would go back for my senior year. But I was ready. Now. I wasn't ready for the big leagues, but I was ready for the next step. And I spent two and a half years in the minor league, learning and understanding and competing with the better players, getting ready for my big league opportunity.
00:05:13
Speaker 1: So you sign Wally, you end up going to a ball you hit three twenty eight, you end up going to Double A the following year, three seventeen. As you said, two and a half years, your Triple A year ended up going to Edmonton. Hit two eighty three with twelve home run seventy three RBIs. I always ask this each year as you're progressing, what was the hardest year that you had to progress to? Watching pitchers?
00:05:37
Speaker 2: You know, I explain to people who ask, you know, what's the difference as a hitter? I tell people, and a ball you're going to see one big league pitcher a week, and Double A you're going to see two, and Triple A you're going to see three. And in the big leagues you're going to see a guy that can get you out every every night. So as you get to the better leagues, you're going to have better competition. And so you know, I just focused on getting ready and being prepared every game, and I think that my work ethic.
00:06:15
Speaker 1: Paid off when you look at the pitching in Triple A and Edmonton. Of course, Pacific Coast League a tough league, more or less than the ball flies. Were you looking at more velocity or more secondary pitches, the break and ball that you had adjust to.
00:06:30
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think it was the secondary pitches. I think it was the split. I think it was the curveball. I think it was the slider. You know, for hitters, if you throw anything straight in Triple A or the big leagues, you probably the likelihood of you getting it back is slim. So you got to move the ball. You got to keep it out of the middle of the plate and hit the corners. And so that's what I was working on in Triple A.
00:06:58
Speaker 1: Well, in the minor league's rock crew was ahead. What do you play in first base? He ended up retiring in nineteen eighty five. You come into spring training in nineteen eighty six and you had the opportunity, with a good spring you could break camp with him, and you did, and you ended up breaking camp in your first really full year in your rookie year. Was sensational. How was it when you broke spring training and they told you, hey, you're on our team. This is the next move you're going to have to make.
00:07:24
Speaker 2: Well, first of all, it was unbelievable. It was a dream come true. Gene Mack was my manager, and when he told me, I was on the roster. And not only that that I was hitting third in my first game in Seattle versus Mike Moore. I don't think I slept that night. We had a day game. I think I was in my uniform at eight am. The next day, I was ready to go. And the great story was Bobby Gritch was our leadoff hitter and he played second next to me, and I learned a lot from Bobby. The first pitcher I ever saw a big league pitcher throw was to Bobby Gritch and he hit a home run to the left field, and I'm like, yeah, this is the big league. This is what you do. And my first swing, I got jammed ferociously and Mike Mike Moore came running off the mound sixty feet away and I think he caught it about thirty feet from home plate. So I ran down to first base, making sure I touched first base, and I told myself, this is the big leagues, and if you don't make the adjustments, you're not long for this league. So it was an adjustment every day, every game. And if you look at that roster that year in nineteen eighty six, I had an incredible group of veterans that I learned from from Bob Boom behind the plate, to Doug de Sense, to Reggie Jackson, to George Hendrick, Brian Downing, just a number of I mentioned Bobby Gritch all of these I just stayed quiet and kept my eyes open, and I learned a lot just by watching how they went about their daily routine to get ready.
00:09:08
Speaker 1: Well, Wally, anytime you get to the big leagues, the word first always happens the first hit later in that game. In your first game, you got your first hit off Mike Moore. A couple of days later, you got your first home runoff Mark Langston, a tough lefty. When you go back and reflect on the first first game, first a bad things like that, The first hit and first home run always take over, don't they.
00:09:31
Speaker 2: They do they do. I'll never forget those first And you know, I was just absolutely blessed and it was an honor to play on this team. I learned a lot from my first manager, Gene Mack, and it was just wonderful that year. I did have a good season. I had a great first half that allowed me to be the first rookie ever he selected to play in the All Star Game. So that was wonderful that year.
00:10:04
Speaker 1: But yes, first are always great, Bill Well, and that's where we're going to go. All Star Game in nineteen eighty six was at the Houston Astrodome, and who was starting for the America League at first base? You were as a rookie, a fabulous chance and next thing you know, you're out there with all the best. A little nervous, a little anxious. How did you feel about that?
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Speaker 2: Yeah? I was. I felt out of place, you know, but I enjoyed it. You know. I didn't think that I didn't belong, but I didn't think that I was their equal. Also, those guys wonderful careers, wonderful ballplayers, But just to be right in the middle of that lineup and having a chance to enjoy the All Star Game was wonderful.
00:10:52
Speaker 1: Well, ye, after your year nineteen eighty six, when you looked at your stats, twenty seven doubles, twenty two home runs, one hundred RBIs, hit two ninety you only struck out fifty eight times and you walk fifty seven when you went home that winner, and you look back at what happened that first year, what did you say to.
00:11:09
Speaker 2: Yourself, Well, that was a tough a tough ending to that season. Bill. I hurt my shoulder the second half of the season and my numbers went down, my power went down, but we did make it to the playoffs. We did make it to postseason, which is what you want to do. Along the way, I hit a couple of foul balls off of my right shin, and unbeknownst to any of us, I contracted staff infection that was keeping me from the energy that I needed the second half of the season. In the third game of the playoffs in nineteen eighty six, I was trying to score from second base. I alluded to tag against the Boston Red Sox and Rich Gedman, and I twisted my ankle, which rubbed sureed the hematoma that was full of staff and so overnight I had flu like symptoms. After Game three, I had to go to the hospital. I missed the rest of those games, and unfortunately we didn't make it to the World Series, and that was really really disappointing. But more rewarding was that I had a really good opportunity of losing my leg if I didn't take care of it, and I had to do that so that I could continue to play. So it was good and bad all winter. I had some great things to think about, but the ending wasn't the way I wanted it, So there was a lot of things to work on and get healthy and getting ready for my second year.
00:12:45
Speaker 1: That for you to hear on the Externing postgame show sixteen years he played in Major League Baseball, Wally Joiner, And as a pitcher, Wally, you had you broke up a couple no hitters, and I was looking this up and the first runner was against Charlie Huff on ju sixteenth of that same year, nineteen eighty six, in the ninth inning you came up got a base hit. And then again in August twentieth against Wall Terror, two outs in the ninth inning you ended up hitting a double. Of course, as a picture, I would have hated you for either both of them. It is a no hitter, but boy, those are key hits. And you know, when you're thinking about that ninth inning, the pressure is definitely on the pitture, but it's also on a hitter too, because you definitely don't want a picture to throw a no hitter against. You tell me your thoughts going into both of those at bats.
00:13:31
Speaker 2: Yeah, I was always I was always wanting to be successful whatever that was. You know, obviously I didn't get a hit every at bat, but I wanted to have to be known as a tough out. You mentioned uh walks and strikeouts. I hated to strike out. I think striking out everybody knows that nothing happens, and you need you want something to happen. So those two search situations, you know, I remember them like there were yesterday Walt Terrell in Old Detroit Stadium, two outs. I hit a ball down the right field line for a base hit. I think it might have been a double actually, and I ended up at second base, and my thought was to just be a good you know, if this was going to be the final at bat, I really didn't want to be the last out because everybody would talk about Wally Joiner making the last out of the Walt Terrell no hitter, and Charlie Lieber or Charlie Huff. So that was all I was thinking about, just just battling until the battle was over. And in those two situations, I won those two situations.
00:14:47
Speaker 1: So it was great. Well in nineteen eighty six, when you came back to the Anaheim Angels or the California angels. Wally World was a big quotations. They kind of put that on you from the Grizz family back in National Lampoon Vacation. I remember this really well. It was a great nickname for you. Did you like that when they were doing that to you.
00:15:09
Speaker 2: I did like it. It was you know, I embraced it. I thought it was fitting because, as you mentioned, the Griswalls were going across the country to California to a amusement park called wally World. In real life, the Anaheim Stadium was probably five miles from Disneyland, so I thought it was cute. I thought it was fitting. And it was also tough because I had to perform where wally World would close up shop, so I had to produce.
00:15:44
Speaker 1: We'll take a quick break with Wally Joiner and come back with more right here on Externing Postgame Show on K and br E Sports Leader. Welcome back to the Externing Postgame Show More with my guest Wally Joiner. Defense was outstanding for you. You ended up with only ninety nine ears in sixteen years. Your feeling percentage was in nine to ninety four. Just remarkable numbers at a first baseman and I had to go back and find out who won all these gold gloves in front of you, and I saw Don Mattingly who won nine of them. And then when you jumped in a National league, JT. Snow won him over here with the San Francisco Giants. What made your defense so important to you?
00:16:23
Speaker 2: My teammates? You know, I thought that if I could save a bad throw from a second basement shortstop, third baseman, you know, if I could save one or two from each of those guys where they didn't have to be perfect, and they could get rid of the ball quicker and we could get the outs. And if I could scoop a ball and save the pitcher from scoring, you know, from having to pitch five or six or ten or twelve or twenty more pitches at inning, all of that was a positive for the team. And so I I learned from the best, and then I would mimic fielding with the best third baseman, shortstop, second basement and compete with those guys so that I would become better. And you know, when I became better, the team became better. And that was what it was about.
00:17:15
Speaker 1: Well, wal if playing first base wasn't just catching the ball, you were fantastic and making the double play throw. In nineteen eighty eight you made one hundred and forty eight of them. You were first in Major League Baseball. In nineteen ninety two, another stellar year, he had one hundred and thirty eight. The old three six' three always work for you or even the three sixth the pitcher covering first that was really intriguing to me when you're watching this and reading this and your turn to first base from to second. Base of, course being a left HANDED i was an, advantage but still you had to make the angles and make that. Throw how much did you work on?
00:17:51
Speaker 2: That? WELL i agree with, You, bill it was an advantage being a left handed first, baseman BUT i worked on it every. Day the, angles, uh taking ground balls deep at first and throwing. It the second being holding the guy ON uh and coming off the base and making sure that you're you weren't in the line of the runner you had you had to take a step towards home plate to clear. Yourself so all of these things were were done every day so THAT i could feel comfortable during the game to uh produce into and too and to have it have it work. Well.
00:18:33
Speaker 1: Well you Named Gene mock as your first. Manager you also Had Cookie, rojas and then you kind of moved on To hal McCrae and Also Bob, boone your ex. Teammate you also Have Gruce, bochie and you ended up With Bobby. COX a good array of Some hall of fame. Managers what did you think of all of? Them and who is your? Favorite?
00:18:54
Speaker 2: WELL i thought the same of all of, them which was they were my, manager and they deserved the respect that that came with that. Title AND i learned a lot from all of. Them From Gene, mack who was old, school and he demanded he demanded. Knowledge he demanded that the players that were out on the field understood and anticipated what was going to come. Next and WHAT i mean by that bill is that he put me at you, know he put me at second hitting in the, lineup behind Either Devon white Or Gary, pettis who are our center fielders and our base. Dealers so WHAT i mean by that bill is WHEN i go up to the plate in the first, inning If Gary pettis gets on with a walk or a, SINGLE i have to be patient to allow him to steal. Second and when he does steal, second now my job is to get him to. Third and let's just say the pitcher throws the pass ball and now he's at. Third now my job is to get him. In and each time those situations, CHANGED i had to understand what my job, was and SO i worked at it AND i understood, it AND i understood the, game AND i asked questions and just was a sponge With Gene mock And Bob boone And dug The, Sinse Bobby, gritch all these, GUYS i would. Say in my first couple of, Years Reggie jackson was my own pitching coach who would come out on deck when they would make a change and bring a left hander in to face me late in the. Game reggie would come out and, Say, okay expect this from this. Guy so it was all wonderful knowledge THAT i just soaked. In so other. Managers Bruce bochie probably the best communicator That i've ever been, around AND i realized that as a manager or a, coach that was very. IMPORTANT i had some great hitting coaches. Also Merv retman was one of my, favorites AND i learned a lot from him THAT i took into my post career of. Playing in my coaching. Career it was just wonderful the things THAT i learned in my career THAT i was able to use post career as a.
00:21:12
Speaker 1: Coach, Well, wally after sixteen, years you ended your career with a two to eighty nine batting. AVERAGES i, said two thousand and sixty, hits one, thousand one hundred and six RBIs you could even define it even. More four hundred and nine, doubles twenty six, triples two hundred and four home. Runs and taking a look at some of the pictures you rate The hall Of Famer Jack morris twenty one for, fifty hit four to twenty off of. Them then you look At Bill gullickson four, Fourteen Burt bliloven four. Nineteen what made you hit these guys so?
00:21:43
Speaker 2: CONSISTENTLY i love the, challenge you, know AS i mentioned early, on you, know as we as we moved up from SINGLE, a DOUBLE, a TRIPLE a big, leagues every, night somebody in the big leagues was was getting paid a lot of money to get you, out and so my preparation and JUST i loved the challenge and the baseball part of, hitting the, picture hitting. Comparison you, know here's a guy up on the mound that has anything that he wants to, Throw he's not going to tell. You and you got to figure out quickly to get a base, hit get on, base get a, walk help the team. Somehow AND i just absolutely loved that part of the game every night as we finish.
00:22:36
Speaker 1: Up here With Wally. Joarner you look at sixteen years as a player and then you went on to coach and become a hitting. Coach what made you turn into being a Coach and how was rewarding was that for you to jump back into it as a leader and teach.
00:22:49
Speaker 2: Hitting, Well, BILL i jumped back into it BECAUSE i got an emergency phone call from my good Friend Kevin, towers who is the manager of The Sandy Ago padres in two thousand and seven AND i was In hawaii enjoying my post career vacations with my, family AND i answered the phone From kevin AND i asked him why he was, calling and he, Said, WALLY i need, You AND i said what's? That and he, GOES i need you to be the hitting. Coach he, Said, unfortunately Merv retmand came down with the bad bout Of mono and he doesn't have the energy to do what he wants to, do so would you consider? It and as a FAVOR i, did and it was on the. Job on the job. TRAINING i learned AS i, went BUT i absolutely loved. It from, THERE i went To Major League baseball internationally and traveled around the world and was the head hitting coach For Major League baseball with all these academies and clinics that we. Did then PHILL i can't think of his, name but The phillies called and asked me to be their hitting. Coach SO i did that in twenty. Thirteen and Then Brad ostmas he got the head manager job with The Detroit tigers in twenty fourteen and he asked me to come on. Board so my last three years of, COACHING i was honored to be With brad and to be his hitting, coach especially with that lineup that they put together With Miguel cabrera And Victor martinez And Nick, Casti Nick Castianos ja D, martinez we Had Tory. Hunter we had a great hitting, team and so it was fun to show up every day and get these guys ready to go out and. Perform SO i absolutely loved WHAT i.
00:24:49
Speaker 1: Did, Well, allie last one for you when you look at your sixteen, years is there one moment in that sixteen years that you can isolate on and, say, hey that's a great. Memory you, KNOW i would.
00:25:03
Speaker 2: You, know we talked about first and that first year was a great. Memory you talk about my first of making it to The World series with the ninety Eight San Diego. Padres SO i would probably tell You bill that the thing THAT i appreciated the most with my teammates and the friendships THAT i made and the things THAT i learned from all of them and the. COACHES i absolutely never had a bad day heading to the. Ballpark SO i appreciated every bit of.
00:25:34
Speaker 1: It, Well, WALLY i want to thank you for your time today and congratulate you on a fantastic sixteen year career and also a coaching career to finish. That but what you did on the field and what you did for your teammates and the fans was, rewarding AND i want to congratulate you on that.
00:25:51
Speaker 2: Also, well you're very, Kind. BILL i appreciate the time with you brings back some great memories AND i appreciate the opportunity
00:25:59
Speaker 1: That Was Wally joiner on the externing post game, show more coming up right here on k AND Br The Sports leader
Speaker 1: Welcome back to the Exter Earning postgame show with Bill Laski. My guest played sixteen years in Major League baseball. He was an American League All Star in nineteen eighty six, five times he was an American League Player of the Week, and when he retired, he had over two thousand hits. Let's welcome in Wally Joiner. Wally, how are you Bill?
00:00:18
Speaker 2: I'm Bill great. Thanks for having me.
00:00:20
Speaker 1: Oh great to have you one. And you know, when you look at what you did in sixteen years, four times you finished with over a three hundred batting average, and four times you hit over two ninety Where did you learn how to hit? And who was instrumental on that?
00:00:36
Speaker 2: Well? I think that I learned. I was the youngest of five in my family. My dad was an exceptional fast pitch softball pitcher. We grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, and I hung out at softball fields two or three times a week at night, chasing fal balls and getting a soda and a piece of gum when you brought it back to the concession stand. But you know, I just watched and mimicked and played. And you know, both my mom and dad were very good athletes, and I think I learned from both of them.
00:01:17
Speaker 1: Well, you started your career in a high school in Georgia, as you said, but I read where you were a pitcher. You were five and oh with a one point four earned rent average. I got to ask you, when did you pitch and how much did you throw?
00:01:29
Speaker 2: Well, Bill, I think that ballplayers know you have to pitch. You have to throw faster than the swing speed or slower than the swing speed. And I was the latter. I was a thumber. I didn't throw anything straight, and but I enjoyed competing, you know, really quick. I was recruited by by U as a pitcher first baseman, and after my two pitching out, the pitching coach put his arm around me and said, son, I think we're going to try at first base.
00:02:04
Speaker 1: So was the end of my petnical day. Though, Wally, you were a Georgia player of the year. Were you set on BYU? Was there other colleges knocking on your door too?
00:02:16
Speaker 2: I had quite a few opportunities. Yes, I was the high school player of the year, but I you know, I guess I can have your listeners visualized. When I got to BYU, my nickname was the bowling pin because I had a very unathletic physique where my shoulders were narrow and I had a big backside. So because of that look, I needed to make sure I got two hits a game.
00:02:46
Speaker 1: And you definitely did. At BYU, your freshman year you had three thirty three, had ten home runs forty eight RBIs. Or sophomore year you got a little better. You hit four forty five, and then your junior year you had four six three home runs, ninety five RBIs and BYU, by the chance, was fifty four and eleven. What a great, great career you had at by You each year you got better. What did you work out to sustain that.
00:03:14
Speaker 2: Well? I think each year you want to get better, and we did. We had a great season in nineteen eighty three. Actually, a number of my teammates made it to the big leagues. Ricky Aguilera was a teammate of mine for three years and he had a sixteen year career as a pitcher. Cory Schneider was the shortstop, Jolley Whitmer, Gary Cooper. We had quite a few guys make it to the big league, so I think we fed off of each other and you know, I worked a lot. I worked on my game every day, and I think that that, hopefully that showed as I made it to the big leagues. And beyond playing as a coach, you know, I I I was focused on learning the game. I was focused on understanding the game, understanding my advats and making sure that I did the right thing, made the write outs as much as I could every at bat.
00:04:23
Speaker 1: While you're joining joining me on the Externing post game show. And in nineteen eighty three, the California Angels drafted you as a number three pick. You ended up signing anxious to sign, ready to play pro ball. Was that the next move you were looking to do?
00:04:39
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think so. I was ready. Didn't think that I needed to come back to play my senior year. And I think back then the only leverage that a player had was to say that I, you know, I would go back for my senior year. But I was ready. Now. I wasn't ready for the big leagues, but I was ready for the next step. And I spent two and a half years in the minor league, learning and understanding and competing with the better players, getting ready for my big league opportunity.
00:05:13
Speaker 1: So you sign Wally, you end up going to a ball you hit three twenty eight, you end up going to Double A the following year, three seventeen. As you said, two and a half years, your Triple A year ended up going to Edmonton. Hit two eighty three with twelve home run seventy three RBIs. I always ask this each year as you're progressing, what was the hardest year that you had to progress to? Watching pitchers?
00:05:37
Speaker 2: You know, I explain to people who ask, you know, what's the difference as a hitter? I tell people, and a ball you're going to see one big league pitcher a week, and Double A you're going to see two, and Triple A you're going to see three. And in the big leagues you're going to see a guy that can get you out every every night. So as you get to the better leagues, you're going to have better competition. And so you know, I just focused on getting ready and being prepared every game, and I think that my work ethic.
00:06:15
Speaker 1: Paid off when you look at the pitching in Triple A and Edmonton. Of course, Pacific Coast League a tough league, more or less than the ball flies. Were you looking at more velocity or more secondary pitches, the break and ball that you had adjust to.
00:06:30
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think it was the secondary pitches. I think it was the split. I think it was the curveball. I think it was the slider. You know, for hitters, if you throw anything straight in Triple A or the big leagues, you probably the likelihood of you getting it back is slim. So you got to move the ball. You got to keep it out of the middle of the plate and hit the corners. And so that's what I was working on in Triple A.
00:06:58
Speaker 1: Well, in the minor league's rock crew was ahead. What do you play in first base? He ended up retiring in nineteen eighty five. You come into spring training in nineteen eighty six and you had the opportunity, with a good spring you could break camp with him, and you did, and you ended up breaking camp in your first really full year in your rookie year. Was sensational. How was it when you broke spring training and they told you, hey, you're on our team. This is the next move you're going to have to make.
00:07:24
Speaker 2: Well, first of all, it was unbelievable. It was a dream come true. Gene Mack was my manager, and when he told me, I was on the roster. And not only that that I was hitting third in my first game in Seattle versus Mike Moore. I don't think I slept that night. We had a day game. I think I was in my uniform at eight am. The next day, I was ready to go. And the great story was Bobby Gritch was our leadoff hitter and he played second next to me, and I learned a lot from Bobby. The first pitcher I ever saw a big league pitcher throw was to Bobby Gritch and he hit a home run to the left field, and I'm like, yeah, this is the big league. This is what you do. And my first swing, I got jammed ferociously and Mike Mike Moore came running off the mound sixty feet away and I think he caught it about thirty feet from home plate. So I ran down to first base, making sure I touched first base, and I told myself, this is the big leagues, and if you don't make the adjustments, you're not long for this league. So it was an adjustment every day, every game. And if you look at that roster that year in nineteen eighty six, I had an incredible group of veterans that I learned from from Bob Boom behind the plate, to Doug de Sense, to Reggie Jackson, to George Hendrick, Brian Downing, just a number of I mentioned Bobby Gritch all of these I just stayed quiet and kept my eyes open, and I learned a lot just by watching how they went about their daily routine to get ready.
00:09:08
Speaker 1: Well, Wally, anytime you get to the big leagues, the word first always happens the first hit later in that game. In your first game, you got your first hit off Mike Moore. A couple of days later, you got your first home runoff Mark Langston, a tough lefty. When you go back and reflect on the first first game, first a bad things like that, The first hit and first home run always take over, don't they.
00:09:31
Speaker 2: They do they do. I'll never forget those first And you know, I was just absolutely blessed and it was an honor to play on this team. I learned a lot from my first manager, Gene Mack, and it was just wonderful that year. I did have a good season. I had a great first half that allowed me to be the first rookie ever he selected to play in the All Star Game. So that was wonderful that year.
00:10:04
Speaker 1: But yes, first are always great, Bill Well, and that's where we're going to go. All Star Game in nineteen eighty six was at the Houston Astrodome, and who was starting for the America League at first base? You were as a rookie, a fabulous chance and next thing you know, you're out there with all the best. A little nervous, a little anxious. How did you feel about that?
00:10:24
Speaker 2: Yeah? I was. I felt out of place, you know, but I enjoyed it. You know. I didn't think that I didn't belong, but I didn't think that I was their equal. Also, those guys wonderful careers, wonderful ballplayers, But just to be right in the middle of that lineup and having a chance to enjoy the All Star Game was wonderful.
00:10:52
Speaker 1: Well, ye, after your year nineteen eighty six, when you looked at your stats, twenty seven doubles, twenty two home runs, one hundred RBIs, hit two ninety you only struck out fifty eight times and you walk fifty seven when you went home that winner, and you look back at what happened that first year, what did you say to.
00:11:09
Speaker 2: Yourself, Well, that was a tough a tough ending to that season. Bill. I hurt my shoulder the second half of the season and my numbers went down, my power went down, but we did make it to the playoffs. We did make it to postseason, which is what you want to do. Along the way, I hit a couple of foul balls off of my right shin, and unbeknownst to any of us, I contracted staff infection that was keeping me from the energy that I needed the second half of the season. In the third game of the playoffs in nineteen eighty six, I was trying to score from second base. I alluded to tag against the Boston Red Sox and Rich Gedman, and I twisted my ankle, which rubbed sureed the hematoma that was full of staff and so overnight I had flu like symptoms. After Game three, I had to go to the hospital. I missed the rest of those games, and unfortunately we didn't make it to the World Series, and that was really really disappointing. But more rewarding was that I had a really good opportunity of losing my leg if I didn't take care of it, and I had to do that so that I could continue to play. So it was good and bad all winter. I had some great things to think about, but the ending wasn't the way I wanted it, So there was a lot of things to work on and get healthy and getting ready for my second year.
00:12:45
Speaker 1: That for you to hear on the Externing postgame show sixteen years he played in Major League Baseball, Wally Joiner, And as a pitcher, Wally, you had you broke up a couple no hitters, and I was looking this up and the first runner was against Charlie Huff on ju sixteenth of that same year, nineteen eighty six, in the ninth inning you came up got a base hit. And then again in August twentieth against Wall Terror, two outs in the ninth inning you ended up hitting a double. Of course, as a picture, I would have hated you for either both of them. It is a no hitter, but boy, those are key hits. And you know, when you're thinking about that ninth inning, the pressure is definitely on the pitture, but it's also on a hitter too, because you definitely don't want a picture to throw a no hitter against. You tell me your thoughts going into both of those at bats.
00:13:31
Speaker 2: Yeah, I was always I was always wanting to be successful whatever that was. You know, obviously I didn't get a hit every at bat, but I wanted to have to be known as a tough out. You mentioned uh walks and strikeouts. I hated to strike out. I think striking out everybody knows that nothing happens, and you need you want something to happen. So those two search situations, you know, I remember them like there were yesterday Walt Terrell in Old Detroit Stadium, two outs. I hit a ball down the right field line for a base hit. I think it might have been a double actually, and I ended up at second base, and my thought was to just be a good you know, if this was going to be the final at bat, I really didn't want to be the last out because everybody would talk about Wally Joiner making the last out of the Walt Terrell no hitter, and Charlie Lieber or Charlie Huff. So that was all I was thinking about, just just battling until the battle was over. And in those two situations, I won those two situations.
00:14:47
Speaker 1: So it was great. Well in nineteen eighty six, when you came back to the Anaheim Angels or the California angels. Wally World was a big quotations. They kind of put that on you from the Grizz family back in National Lampoon Vacation. I remember this really well. It was a great nickname for you. Did you like that when they were doing that to you.
00:15:09
Speaker 2: I did like it. It was you know, I embraced it. I thought it was fitting because, as you mentioned, the Griswalls were going across the country to California to a amusement park called wally World. In real life, the Anaheim Stadium was probably five miles from Disneyland, so I thought it was cute. I thought it was fitting. And it was also tough because I had to perform where wally World would close up shop, so I had to produce.
00:15:44
Speaker 1: We'll take a quick break with Wally Joiner and come back with more right here on Externing Postgame Show on K and br E Sports Leader. Welcome back to the Externing Postgame Show More with my guest Wally Joiner. Defense was outstanding for you. You ended up with only ninety nine ears in sixteen years. Your feeling percentage was in nine to ninety four. Just remarkable numbers at a first baseman and I had to go back and find out who won all these gold gloves in front of you, and I saw Don Mattingly who won nine of them. And then when you jumped in a National league, JT. Snow won him over here with the San Francisco Giants. What made your defense so important to you?
00:16:23
Speaker 2: My teammates? You know, I thought that if I could save a bad throw from a second basement shortstop, third baseman, you know, if I could save one or two from each of those guys where they didn't have to be perfect, and they could get rid of the ball quicker and we could get the outs. And if I could scoop a ball and save the pitcher from scoring, you know, from having to pitch five or six or ten or twelve or twenty more pitches at inning, all of that was a positive for the team. And so I I learned from the best, and then I would mimic fielding with the best third baseman, shortstop, second basement and compete with those guys so that I would become better. And you know, when I became better, the team became better. And that was what it was about.
00:17:15
Speaker 1: Well, wal if playing first base wasn't just catching the ball, you were fantastic and making the double play throw. In nineteen eighty eight you made one hundred and forty eight of them. You were first in Major League Baseball. In nineteen ninety two, another stellar year, he had one hundred and thirty eight. The old three six' three always work for you or even the three sixth the pitcher covering first that was really intriguing to me when you're watching this and reading this and your turn to first base from to second. Base of, course being a left HANDED i was an, advantage but still you had to make the angles and make that. Throw how much did you work on?
00:17:51
Speaker 2: That? WELL i agree with, You, bill it was an advantage being a left handed first, baseman BUT i worked on it every. Day the, angles, uh taking ground balls deep at first and throwing. It the second being holding the guy ON uh and coming off the base and making sure that you're you weren't in the line of the runner you had you had to take a step towards home plate to clear. Yourself so all of these things were were done every day so THAT i could feel comfortable during the game to uh produce into and too and to have it have it work. Well.
00:18:33
Speaker 1: Well you Named Gene mock as your first. Manager you also Had Cookie, rojas and then you kind of moved on To hal McCrae and Also Bob, boone your ex. Teammate you also Have Gruce, bochie and you ended up With Bobby. COX a good array of Some hall of fame. Managers what did you think of all of? Them and who is your? Favorite?
00:18:54
Speaker 2: WELL i thought the same of all of, them which was they were my, manager and they deserved the respect that that came with that. Title AND i learned a lot from all of. Them From Gene, mack who was old, school and he demanded he demanded. Knowledge he demanded that the players that were out on the field understood and anticipated what was going to come. Next and WHAT i mean by that bill is that he put me at you, know he put me at second hitting in the, lineup behind Either Devon white Or Gary, pettis who are our center fielders and our base. Dealers so WHAT i mean by that bill is WHEN i go up to the plate in the first, inning If Gary pettis gets on with a walk or a, SINGLE i have to be patient to allow him to steal. Second and when he does steal, second now my job is to get him to. Third and let's just say the pitcher throws the pass ball and now he's at. Third now my job is to get him. In and each time those situations, CHANGED i had to understand what my job, was and SO i worked at it AND i understood, it AND i understood the, game AND i asked questions and just was a sponge With Gene mock And Bob boone And dug The, Sinse Bobby, gritch all these, GUYS i would. Say in my first couple of, Years Reggie jackson was my own pitching coach who would come out on deck when they would make a change and bring a left hander in to face me late in the. Game reggie would come out and, Say, okay expect this from this. Guy so it was all wonderful knowledge THAT i just soaked. In so other. Managers Bruce bochie probably the best communicator That i've ever been, around AND i realized that as a manager or a, coach that was very. IMPORTANT i had some great hitting coaches. Also Merv retman was one of my, favorites AND i learned a lot from him THAT i took into my post career of. Playing in my coaching. Career it was just wonderful the things THAT i learned in my career THAT i was able to use post career as a.
00:21:12
Speaker 1: Coach, Well, wally after sixteen, years you ended your career with a two to eighty nine batting. AVERAGES i, said two thousand and sixty, hits one, thousand one hundred and six RBIs you could even define it even. More four hundred and nine, doubles twenty six, triples two hundred and four home. Runs and taking a look at some of the pictures you rate The hall Of Famer Jack morris twenty one for, fifty hit four to twenty off of. Them then you look At Bill gullickson four, Fourteen Burt bliloven four. Nineteen what made you hit these guys so?
00:21:43
Speaker 2: CONSISTENTLY i love the, challenge you, know AS i mentioned early, on you, know as we as we moved up from SINGLE, a DOUBLE, a TRIPLE a big, leagues every, night somebody in the big leagues was was getting paid a lot of money to get you, out and so my preparation and JUST i loved the challenge and the baseball part of, hitting the, picture hitting. Comparison you, know here's a guy up on the mound that has anything that he wants to, Throw he's not going to tell. You and you got to figure out quickly to get a base, hit get on, base get a, walk help the team. Somehow AND i just absolutely loved that part of the game every night as we finish.
00:22:36
Speaker 1: Up here With Wally. Joarner you look at sixteen years as a player and then you went on to coach and become a hitting. Coach what made you turn into being a Coach and how was rewarding was that for you to jump back into it as a leader and teach.
00:22:49
Speaker 2: Hitting, Well, BILL i jumped back into it BECAUSE i got an emergency phone call from my good Friend Kevin, towers who is the manager of The Sandy Ago padres in two thousand and seven AND i was In hawaii enjoying my post career vacations with my, family AND i answered the phone From kevin AND i asked him why he was, calling and he, Said, WALLY i need, You AND i said what's? That and he, GOES i need you to be the hitting. Coach he, Said, unfortunately Merv retmand came down with the bad bout Of mono and he doesn't have the energy to do what he wants to, do so would you consider? It and as a FAVOR i, did and it was on the. Job on the job. TRAINING i learned AS i, went BUT i absolutely loved. It from, THERE i went To Major League baseball internationally and traveled around the world and was the head hitting coach For Major League baseball with all these academies and clinics that we. Did then PHILL i can't think of his, name but The phillies called and asked me to be their hitting. Coach SO i did that in twenty. Thirteen and Then Brad ostmas he got the head manager job with The Detroit tigers in twenty fourteen and he asked me to come on. Board so my last three years of, COACHING i was honored to be With brad and to be his hitting, coach especially with that lineup that they put together With Miguel cabrera And Victor martinez And Nick, Casti Nick Castianos ja D, martinez we Had Tory. Hunter we had a great hitting, team and so it was fun to show up every day and get these guys ready to go out and. Perform SO i absolutely loved WHAT i.
00:24:49
Speaker 1: Did, Well, allie last one for you when you look at your sixteen, years is there one moment in that sixteen years that you can isolate on and, say, hey that's a great. Memory you, KNOW i would.
00:25:03
Speaker 2: You, know we talked about first and that first year was a great. Memory you talk about my first of making it to The World series with the ninety Eight San Diego. Padres SO i would probably tell You bill that the thing THAT i appreciated the most with my teammates and the friendships THAT i made and the things THAT i learned from all of them and the. COACHES i absolutely never had a bad day heading to the. Ballpark SO i appreciated every bit of.
00:25:34
Speaker 1: It, Well, WALLY i want to thank you for your time today and congratulate you on a fantastic sixteen year career and also a coaching career to finish. That but what you did on the field and what you did for your teammates and the fans was, rewarding AND i want to congratulate you on that.
00:25:51
Speaker 2: Also, well you're very, Kind. BILL i appreciate the time with you brings back some great memories AND i appreciate the opportunity
00:25:59
Speaker 1: That Was Wally joiner on the externing post game, show more coming up right here on k AND Br The Sports leader
