Wally Joyner
Encyclopedia
Wallace Keith "Wally" Joyner (born June 16, 1962 in Atlanta, Georgia
) is a former first baseman
and hitting coach in Major League Baseball
. He played for four major league teams during a 16-year career, most notably for the California Angels
, for whom he was an All-Star
. He was a member of the pennant-winning 1998
San Diego Padres
.
in Stone Mountain, Georgia
, a suburb of Atlanta
. He attended college at Brigham Young University
.
He credited a stint with the Mayagüez Indians
of the Puerto Rican Professional Baseball League
as fundamental in his improvement as a slugger. Then-batting coach José Manuel Morales forced him to do power weight training and modify his posture at the batting cage as to develop upper body strength. He was consequently the top hitter on Puerto Rico's winter league on the - season, winning the Triple Crown (356, 14 HR, 48 RBI) in 54 games.
was dubbed "Wally World". The film National Lampoon's Vacation
had featured a fictional theme park by that name, and the Angels' proximity to Disneyland may also have helped inspire the moniker.
Joyner was the starting first baseman in the 1986 All-Star Game
, becoming the first rookie to be voted into the All-Star Game by the fans. Joyner tied Darryl Strawberry
for first place in that year's Home Run Derby
.
When the Angels met the New York Yankees
in a game in August , a fan threw a knife at Joyner. Joyner was grazed on the left arm by the butt end of the weapon, escaping injury. Said Joyner: "I picked it up and gave it to [Angels' manager] Gene Mauch
."
Joyner broke up two no-hit
bids in the ninth during the 1986 season. Against the Texas Rangers
on June 16, he foiled Charlie Hough
's bid with a single with one out in the ninth, scoring Jack Howell (who had reached on a three-base error) to tie the game at 1-1. Joyner, whose hit would be the Angels' only one of the game, eventually scored the winning run on Orlando Mercado
's passed ball
for a 2-1 Angel victory. Against the Detroit Tigers
on August 20, Joyner broke up Walt Terrell
's bid for a no-hitter by doubling with two out in the ninth; this would also be the Angels' only hit in losing to the Tigers 3-0.
Joyner and the Angels advanced to the 1986 ALCS
, where they came within one strike of the franchise's first World Series.
At the end of the 1986 season, Joyner was the runner-up in the voting for the Rookie of the Year Award, losing to José Canseco
.
as a free agent for the 1992 season. He played with the Royals for four years. After the 1995 season, Joyner was traded to the San Diego Padres
for Bip Roberts
. He played with the Padres for four years, and was the starting first baseman on the 1998 pennant-winning
team. After the 1999 season, Joyner was traded to the Atlanta Braves
in a deal that also sent Reggie Sanders
to the Braves and Bret Boone
and Ryan Klesko
to the Padres. He played with the Braves for one year before ending his career where it had begun, with the Anaheim Angels
.
Joyner announced his retirement on 16 June 2001. In a taped message that was played on the Edison Field
videoboard after the first inning that day, he thanked the Angels fans for their support and received a standing ovation.
, Joyner revealed that he had briefly used steroids
. At age 36, as his career was beginning to decline, he asked Padres teammate Ken Caminiti
how to obtain them and did so. He took three pills before deciding not to continue and flushed them down the toilet. Joyner told Buster Olney
that his reason for telling his story in public was to set the record straight for the sake of his daughters. Joyner was listed in the 2007 Mitchell Report
.
to be their hitting coach, replacing Merv Rettenmund
.http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/padres/20070731-1432-joyner.html Previously, Joyner had served as a special assistant to Padres' General Manager Kevin Towers
. Between and 2007, he also acted as a roving minor league instructor and spring training
instructor for the Padres.
In September 2008, Joyner resigned as the hitting coach for the Padres due to a number of factors including the team's low rankings in batting categories and a difference in philosophy in regards to hitting with members of upper management (most notably, CEO Sandy Alderson
). The resignation came as somewhat of a surprise due to Joyner's relationship with the GM/VP Kevin Towers
. Their friendship goes all the way back to the early '80s as college teammates for the BYU Cougars
. Towers even traded for Joyner in late 1995, one of the first few transactions he made as the new GM for the Padres
. In spite of this, Joyner was likely to be let go at the end of the year like Bench Coach Craig Colbert
was on September 29, 2008 due to the same factors in his resignation.
. Joyner has invested and appeared in movies marketed to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS church), including playing "Brother Jensen" in the 2003 movie, The R.M. http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1808464571/cast
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
) is a former first baseman
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
and hitting coach in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
. He played for four major league teams during a 16-year career, most notably for the California Angels
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
, for whom he was an All-Star
1986 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 1986 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 57th playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 15, 1986 at the Astrodome in Houston, Texas, the home of the...
. He was a member of the pennant-winning 1998
1998 World Series
The 1998 World Series, the 94th edition of Major League Baseball's championship series, matched the New York Yankees against the San Diego Padres . The Yankees swept the Series in four games to capture their second championship in three years, and their 24th overall...
San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
.
Early life and career
Joyner attended Redan High SchoolRedan High School
Redan High School is a public secondary school located in unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The school is south of the city of Stone Mountain....
in Stone Mountain, Georgia
Stone Mountain, Georgia
Stone Mountain is a city in eastern DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The population was 5,802 at the 2010 census. It is an outer suburb of the Atlanta Metropolitan Area.-Geography:...
, a suburb of Atlanta
Metro Atlanta
The Atlanta metropolitan area or metro Atlanta, officially designated by the US Census Bureau as the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta Metropolitan Statistical Area, is the most populous metro area in the U.S. state of Georgia and the ninth-largest metropolitan statistical area in the United States...
. He attended college at Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
.
He credited a stint with the Mayagüez Indians
Indios de Mayagüez
The Indios de Mayagüez are a baseball team in the Puerto Rican Professional Baseball League . Normally based in Mayagüez, the Indios have won 16 national championships and two Caribbean World Series...
of the Puerto Rican Professional Baseball League
Puerto Rican Professional Baseball League
The Puerto Rico Baseball League formerly known as Liga de Béisbol Profesional de Puerto Rico or LBPPR, is the main professional baseball league in Puerto Rico. In 2007, the LBPPR recessed for the first time since its creation...
as fundamental in his improvement as a slugger. Then-batting coach José Manuel Morales forced him to do power weight training and modify his posture at the batting cage as to develop upper body strength. He was consequently the top hitter on Puerto Rico's winter league on the - season, winning the Triple Crown (356, 14 HR, 48 RBI) in 54 games.
California Angels
During his rookie season in MLB with the California Angels, Joyner became a fan favorite and briefly inspired a sensation in which Anaheim StadiumAngel Stadium of Anaheim
Angel Stadium of Anaheim is a modern-style ballpark located in Anaheim, California. It is the home ballpark to Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of the American League, and was previously home to the NFL's Los Angeles Rams...
was dubbed "Wally World". The film National Lampoon's Vacation
National Lampoon's Vacation
Vacation, sometimes referred as National Lampoon's Vacation, is a 1983 comedy film directed by Harold Ramis and starring Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Randy Quaid, Dana Barron and Anthony Michael Hall...
had featured a fictional theme park by that name, and the Angels' proximity to Disneyland may also have helped inspire the moniker.
Joyner was the starting first baseman in the 1986 All-Star Game
1986 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 1986 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 57th playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 15, 1986 at the Astrodome in Houston, Texas, the home of the...
, becoming the first rookie to be voted into the All-Star Game by the fans. Joyner tied Darryl Strawberry
Darryl Strawberry
Darryl Eugene Strawberry is a former American Major League Baseball outfielder who is well-known both for his play on the field and for his controversial behavior off it...
for first place in that year's Home Run Derby
Home Run Derby
The Home Run Derby is an event played prior to the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. It is a contest among the top home run hitters in Major League Baseball to determine who can hit the most home runs. The event is currently sponsored by State Farm Insurance...
.
When the Angels met the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
in a game in August , a fan threw a knife at Joyner. Joyner was grazed on the left arm by the butt end of the weapon, escaping injury. Said Joyner: "I picked it up and gave it to [Angels' manager] Gene Mauch
Gene Mauch
Gene William Mauch was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a second baseman for the Brooklyn Dodgers , Pittsburgh Pirates , Chicago Cubs , Boston Braves , St...
."
Joyner broke up two no-hit
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
bids in the ninth during the 1986 season. Against the Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
on June 16, he foiled Charlie Hough
Charlie Hough
Charles Oliver Hough is a former Major League Baseball knuckleball pitcher. He is currently a senior adviser of player development for the Los Angeles Dodgers.-Playing career:...
's bid with a single with one out in the ninth, scoring Jack Howell (who had reached on a three-base error) to tie the game at 1-1. Joyner, whose hit would be the Angels' only one of the game, eventually scored the winning run on Orlando Mercado
Orlando Mercado
Orlando Mercado Rodríguez is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball player. He played all or part of eight seasons in Major League Baseball with the Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers, Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Oakland Athletics, Minnesota Twins, New York Mets, and Montreal Expos...
's passed ball
Passed ball
In baseball, a catcher is charged with a passed ball when he fails to hold or control a legally pitched ball that, with ordinary effort, should have been maintained under his control. When, as a result of this loss of control, the batter or a runner on base advances, the catcher is thereby charged...
for a 2-1 Angel victory. Against the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
on August 20, Joyner broke up Walt Terrell
Walt Terrell
Charles Walter Terrell is a former starting pitcher with an eleven year career from 1982 to 1992. He played for the New York Mets , Detroit Tigers , San Diego Padres , New York Yankees , Pittsburgh Pirates , and once again the Detroit Tigers...
's bid for a no-hitter by doubling with two out in the ninth; this would also be the Angels' only hit in losing to the Tigers 3-0.
Joyner and the Angels advanced to the 1986 ALCS
1986 American League Championship Series
The 1986 American League Championship Series was a back-and-forth battle between the Boston Red Sox and the California Angels for the right to advance to the 1986 World Series to face the winner of the 1986 National League Championship Series...
, where they came within one strike of the franchise's first World Series.
At the end of the 1986 season, Joyner was the runner-up in the voting for the Rookie of the Year Award, losing to José Canseco
José Canseco
José Canseco Capas, Jr. is a Cuban-American professional baseball manager, outfielder, and designated hitter for the Yuma Scorpions of the North American League and former Major League Baseball player. He is the identical twin brother of former major league player and current teammate Ozzie Canseco...
.
Post-Angels
After six years with the Angels, Joyner signed with the Kansas City RoyalsKansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
as a free agent for the 1992 season. He played with the Royals for four years. After the 1995 season, Joyner was traded to the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
for Bip Roberts
Bip Roberts
Leon Joseph "Bip" Roberts is a former Major League Baseball second baseman and outfielder who played from 1986 to 1998 for the San Diego Padres, Cincinnati Reds, Kansas City Royals, Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers, and Oakland Athletics.-Career:He was a speedy second baseman, largely associated...
. He played with the Padres for four years, and was the starting first baseman on the 1998 pennant-winning
1998 World Series
The 1998 World Series, the 94th edition of Major League Baseball's championship series, matched the New York Yankees against the San Diego Padres . The Yankees swept the Series in four games to capture their second championship in three years, and their 24th overall...
team. After the 1999 season, Joyner was traded to the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
in a deal that also sent Reggie Sanders
Reggie Sanders
Reginald Laverne Sanders is a former right fielder in Major League Baseball. He bats and throws right-handed. Sanders was 24 years old when he made his major league debut on August 22, , after being selected in the 7th round of the amateur draft by the Cincinnati Reds...
to the Braves and Bret Boone
Bret Boone
Bret Robert Boone is a former Major League Baseball second baseman.-Personal life:Boone was born in El Cajon, California to Susan G. Roel and Bob Boone. He is a graduate of El Dorado High School and the University of Southern California. He is the grandson of former major leaguer Ray Boone and...
and Ryan Klesko
Ryan Klesko
Ryan Anthony Klesko , is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and corner outfielder, who played for the Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres, and the San Francisco Giants...
to the Padres. He played with the Braves for one year before ending his career where it had begun, with the Anaheim Angels
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
.
Joyner announced his retirement on 16 June 2001. In a taped message that was played on the Edison Field
Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Angel Stadium of Anaheim is a modern-style ballpark located in Anaheim, California. It is the home ballpark to Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of the American League, and was previously home to the NFL's Los Angeles Rams...
videoboard after the first inning that day, he thanked the Angels fans for their support and received a standing ovation.
Steroid use
In a November interview with ESPN The MagazineESPN The Magazine
ESPN The Magazine is a bi-weekly sports magazine published by the ESPN sports network in Bristol, Connecticut in the United States. The first issue was published on March 11, 1998....
, Joyner revealed that he had briefly used steroids
Anabolic steroid
Anabolic steroids, technically known as anabolic-androgen steroids or colloquially simply as "steroids", are drugs that mimic the effects of testosterone and dihydrotestosterone in the body. They increase protein synthesis within cells, which results in the buildup of cellular tissue ,...
. At age 36, as his career was beginning to decline, he asked Padres teammate Ken Caminiti
Ken Caminiti
Kenneth Gene Caminiti was an American third baseman in Major League Baseball and the 1996 National League Most Valuable Player. He was born in Hanford, California, and attended San Jose State University...
how to obtain them and did so. He took three pills before deciding not to continue and flushed them down the toilet. Joyner told Buster Olney
Buster Olney
Robert Stanbury "Buster" Olney III is a columnist for ESPN: The Magazine, ESPN.com, and covered the New York Giants and New York Yankees for The New York Times. He is also a regular analyst for the ESPN's Baseball Tonight...
that his reason for telling his story in public was to set the record straight for the sake of his daughters. Joyner was listed in the 2007 Mitchell Report
Mitchell Report (baseball)
The Report to the Commissioner of Baseball of an Independent Investigation into the Illegal Use of Steroids and Other Performance Enhancing Substances by Players in Major League Baseball, informally known as the "Mitchell Report", is the result of former Democratic United States Senator from Maine...
.
Coaching
On July 31, , Joyner was hired by the San Diego PadresSan Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
to be their hitting coach, replacing Merv Rettenmund
Merv Rettenmund
Mervin Weldon Rettenmund is a former Major League Baseball player and coach. He played thirteen seasons with the Baltimore Orioles , the Cincinnati Reds , the San Diego Padres and the California Angels ....
.http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/padres/20070731-1432-joyner.html Previously, Joyner had served as a special assistant to Padres' General Manager Kevin Towers
Kevin Towers
Kevin S. Towers is currently the general manager for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He also served as the general manager of Major League Baseball's San Diego Padres from 1995-2009.-Playing career:...
. Between and 2007, he also acted as a roving minor league instructor and spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
instructor for the Padres.
In September 2008, Joyner resigned as the hitting coach for the Padres due to a number of factors including the team's low rankings in batting categories and a difference in philosophy in regards to hitting with members of upper management (most notably, CEO Sandy Alderson
Sandy Alderson
Richard Lynn "Sandy" Alderson is the general manager of the New York Mets. He previously served as an executive with the Oakland Athletics, San Diego Padres and the commissioner's office of Major League Baseball....
). The resignation came as somewhat of a surprise due to Joyner's relationship with the GM/VP Kevin Towers
Kevin Towers
Kevin S. Towers is currently the general manager for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He also served as the general manager of Major League Baseball's San Diego Padres from 1995-2009.-Playing career:...
. Their friendship goes all the way back to the early '80s as college teammates for the BYU Cougars
BYU Cougars
BYU Cougars is an American soccer team based in Provo, Utah, United States. The team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference....
. Towers even traded for Joyner in late 1995, one of the first few transactions he made as the new GM for the Padres
PADRES
Padres Asociados para Derechos Religiosos, Educativos, y Sociales is a Chicano Catholic priest's organization...
. In spite of this, Joyner was likely to be let go at the end of the year like Bench Coach Craig Colbert
Craig Colbert
Craig Charles Colbert is a former Major League Baseball catcher and former bench coach for the San Diego Padres....
was on September 29, 2008 due to the same factors in his resignation.
Personal
Joyner now resides in Mapleton, UtahMapleton, Utah
Mapleton is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Provo–Orem, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 5,809 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Mapleton is located at ....
. Joyner has invested and appeared in movies marketed to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS church), including playing "Brother Jensen" in the 2003 movie, The R.M. http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1808464571/cast
See also
- List of top 300 Major League Baseball home run hitters
- List of major league players with 2,000 hits
- List of Major League Baseball players with 400 doubles
- List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 RBI
External links
- BaseballLibrary - biography and career highlights
- Joyner admits brief steroid use
- Joyner and the fan