Wally Joyner attending our AngelsWin.com Spring Fanfest tonight

[Chuck]

Any questions you have for Joyner that I can ask? He's doing a Q&A.

[Second Base]

My Fun Wally Joyner story. I had moved up to Northern California in grade school, and a project we were assigned with was to write a letter to our hero, and being from So Cal, I am an Angels fan and so I tracked down the address of the Angels and sent my letter there. 

I never got anything back so I had forgotten all about it. 3 years later, I get this letter from Joyner, on the envelope I see the word "misplaced" on it. The letter on the inside is from Wally, explaining he had just got this letter, and thanked me. 

Somewhere along the way, I'd lost the letter, but still for some reason have the envelope he wrote "misplaced" on.

My best friend was pitching in Italy a few years ago, and Wally had come out there to coach along with Mike Piazza in their preparation for the WBC.  My friend told Wally this story and laughed and said he thinks I deserve a signed ball after waiting all this time.

Just a good quality guy.

[Chuck]

Great night. Wally Joyner was amazing! 

Here's a picture of Steel Morris (OC Miracle League),  Wally Joyner and I.

Wally spoke and fielded questions from the fans for 25-30 min after Tim Mead gave his state of the team address.

[disarcina]

good stuff -- where was this? I have been sorta out of the loop -- thought I read somewhere the Spring Training Fan Fest deal in Tempe was cancelled this year --

looks like a fun night.

Wally World was a special time in Anaheim,

My late father thought that when Wally Joyner first came up with the Halos -- his rookie year - and was getting a lot of media attention -- that Wally's batting swing was near perfect.......he compared it to Ted Williams -- who my father saw play.....he didn't say that about any other hitters - just Wally Joyner.

[Tank]

i was working at the VIP lounge during all star weekend in 2010, and my awesome assignment was to help take HOFers from the VIP lounge in the hotel to transportation downstairs so they could go to the fan fest and sign autographs, etc. There was a lounge set aside for the players and we were strictly told it was not a place for the volunteers to hang out, though we needed to go there when it was time to escort someone. We helped guys like Lou Brock, Gary Carter, Juan Marichal, Luis Aparicio, and some others. When called, I went to the lounge and was waiting for Aparicio. Was just standing there minding my own business around a couple of people I didn't recognize. One of them was a bald guy, and he looked at me and called me by name, asking how I was doing and just being a pleasant guy. Took me way too long to realize it was Wally Joyner, and he was calling me by name. I felt like an idiot for not figuring out it was him. I recovered quickly enough to chat with him a bit and let him know how much of a fan I'd been, and how I wished he would have played his entire career with us. What a nice guy he was, and really easy to talk to.

[DMVol]

10 hours ago, Tank said:

....and how I wished he would have played his entire career with us....

That was the worst of times with Jackie Autry....a real FU to Angel fans that she let him go as a free agent when he wanted to stay....

[disarcina]

Gene Autry came from a different era -- and it was tough for him to spend money on players -- Jackie Autry, who was Gene's second wife, didn't know much about baseball but was his longtime secretary and no doubt absorbed his flint skin ways........

remember, it was Gene Autry's front office (Buzzie Bavasi) who let Nolan Ryan go saying he could 'get two 8-7 pitchers' to replace him.

Joyner's career was never quite the same after he left Anaheim -- but I also think had he stayed in Anaheim with everything going on here with the fans and Wally World --he probably would have preformed better.

Gene Autry's first wife may have given Gene his best career (most lucrative to this day!!) advice - she convinced a very reluctant Gene Autry to record a Christmas season tune entitled "Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer"  -- it turned out ok so she convinced him to record another one -- "Here Comes Santa Claus"

Today - NOW - years later - these recordings rank near the top of all Holiday season recordings behind only Bing Crosby's "White Chriistmas" --

the royalties from these songs are still producing a revenue stream today..............

 

[DMVol]

2 hours ago, disarcina said:

Gene Autry came from a different era -- and it was tough for him to spend money on players -- Jackie Autry, who was Gene's second wife, didn't know much about baseball but was his longtime secretary and no doubt absorbed his flint skin ways........

remember, it was Gene Autry's front office (Buzzie Bavasi) who let Nolan Ryan go saying he could 'get two 8-7 pitchers' to replace him.

Joyner's career was never quite the same after he left Anaheim -- but I also think had he stayed in Anaheim with everything going on here with the fans and Wally World --he probably would have preformed better.

Gene Autry's first wife may have given Gene his best career (most lucrative to this day!!) advice - she convinced a very reluctant Gene Autry to record a Christmas season tune entitled "Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer"  -- it turned out ok so she convinced him to record another one -- "Here Comes Santa Claus"

Today - NOW - years later - these recordings rank near the top of all Holiday season recordings behind only Bing Crosby's "White Chriistmas" --

the royalties from these songs are still producing a revenue stream today..............

 

Say what? Gene Autry signed a ton of free agents....Baylor, Grich and Rudi in the first year of full free agency....Lyman Bostock, Reggie Jackson later on... He traded for guys with big contracts---Fred Lynn for one...Jackie was the tight wad after Gene was ill....

[disarcina]

well, Gene evolved but initially did not like paying out the big money for players - letting Nolan Ryan get away and having to live down the two 8-7 pitchers comment by the GM may have had something to do with it.

But to be fair to Autry and all owners of that era -- free agency was still relatively new back then (thanks to Curt Flood for paving the way -- and Curt Flood, ironically never really benefited from it) -- also, I think Autry kind of reverted to his prior ways a bit after some of his big free agent signing did not produce a championship or even a World Series appearance....

that's why 1995 was such a disappointed --  when the bottom fell out of the team and the season from mid-August to September -- the Halos had a 10 game lead in the West in mid-August and won a 'getaway mid week Business persons day game' against ( I think Cleveland - not sure )  It was a vacation day for me and I took my then little league aged kids. Chili Davis hit a homerun (might have been a grand slam) for the Halos -- the Halos were headed out on a road trip and I think almost every fan in Angels Stadium that day felt that finally the Halos would make the playoffs and finally get Gene Autry's team into  a World Series......

then the collapse -- and that's what made it so difficult -- the general feeling was -- this was the last chance to win one for Gene.........and it didn't happen during his lifetime.

The good guys in the white hats don't get to go to the World Series, apparently..........Goodnight Irene.

[Catwhoshatinthehat]

Joyner was my favorite player as a kid.  Somewhere I have a signed card of his as he went to the grocery store my mom's friend worked at and she got him to sign a few cards for me and her son.  Somewhere I also have polaroids of when I went to fan appreciation day back in 89 or 90 and got to go on the field getting pictures with Joyner, Lance Parrish and Chili Davis.  Glad to hear it went will wish I could have made it.

[Ace-Of-Diamonds]

1 hour ago, disarcina said:

But to be fair to Autry and all owners of that era -- free agency was still relatively new back then (thanks to Curt Flood for paving the way -- and Curt Flood, ironically never really benefited from it)

He took his case for free agency to the Supreme Court after refusing to report to the Philly via a trade. Although the Court ruled against him the owners blackballed him, and he never play another ML game.

[Ohtaniland]

So did Joyner use PED's while he was an Angels player or after he left? Wally World was pretty cool.

[Chuck]

6 minutes ago, CALZONE said:

So did Joyner use PED's while he was an Angels player or after he left? Wally World was pretty cool.

No.

[DMVol]

14 hours ago, disarcina said:

well, Gene evolved but initially did not like paying out the big money for players - letting Nolan Ryan get away and having to live down the two 8-7 pitchers comment by the GM may have had something to do with it.But to be fair to Autry and all owners of that era -- free agency was still relatively new back then (thanks to Curt Flood for paving the way -- and Curt Flood, ironically never really benefited from it) -- also, I think Autry kind of reverted to his prior ways a bit after some of his big free agent signing did not produce a championship or even a World Series appearance....that's why 1995 was such a disappointed --  when the bottom fell out of the team and the season from mid-August to September -- the Halos had a 10 game lead in the West in mid-August and won a 'getaway mid week Business persons day game' against ( I think Cleveland - not sure )  It was a vacation day for me and I took my then little league aged kids. Chili Davis hit a homerun (might have been a grand slam) for the Halos -- the Halos were headed out on a road trip and I think almost every fan in Angels Stadium that day felt that finally the Halos would make the playoffs and finally get Gene Autry's team into  a World Series......then the collapse -- and that's what made it so difficult -- the general feeling was -- this was the last chance to win one for Gene.........and it didn't happen during his lifetime.The good guys in the white hats don't get to go to the World Series, apparently..........Goodnight Irene.

"initially did not like paying out big money for players"....He spent more money out of the FA gate than anybody other than the Yankees---Rudi, Grich, Baylor, Bostock in the first couple of years (77,78).... Bavasi did pull back the reigns some and the Ryan thing (80) was just stupid....Bavasi admitted it after he retired...

[Tank]

8 hours ago, CALZONE said:

So did Joyner use PED's while he was an Angels player or after he left? Wally World was pretty cool.

this a dumb thing even for you to say.

[Ohtaniland]

6 minutes ago, Tank said:

this a dumb thing even for you to say.

Wally Joyner

Joyner, a first baseman, admitted to steroid use in a 1997 interview with ESPN's Buster Olney. He said he asked Ken Caminiti how he could get steroids and that Caminiti gave him the phone number of a steroid dealer. Joyner also admitted he received steroid pills in the mail via Caminiti. Joyner claims he took just three pills before deciding to stop.

[Chuck]

1 hour ago, CALZONE said:

Wally Joyner

Joyner, a first baseman, admitted to steroid use in a 1997 interview with ESPN's Buster Olney. He said he asked Ken Caminiti how he could get steroids and that Caminiti gave him the phone number of a steroid dealer. Joyner also admitted he received steroid pills in the mail via Caminiti. Joyner claims he took just three pills before deciding to stop.

If true, that was after his prime seasons with the Angels and from I've researched on steroid use, three pills is not going to do anything. You need a good month or two of working out and daily use to see strength and muscle gains.

[Ohtaniland]

4 minutes ago, Chuckster70 said:

If true, that was after his prime seasons with the Angels and from I've researched on steroid use, three pills is not going to do anything. You need a good month or two of working out and daily use to see strength and muscle gains.

Well it's not a big deal because there were many players using steroids at that time without MLB intervening. It was the norm and mashing was in. I personally liked Wally Joyner as a player and enjoyed the Wally World experience. His arrival time was perfect. Reggie Jackson left Anaheim and Wally Joyner arrived. Only wish that he could've stayed longer.

[mulwin444]

Pretty positive and benign thread....Why feel the need to post this "So did Joyner use PED's while he was an Angels player or after he left?"

 

[Ohtaniland]

20 minutes ago, mulwin444 said:

Pretty positive and benign thread....Why feel the need to post this "So did Joyner use PED's while he was an Angels player or after he left?"

 

Well he was mentioned in the Mitchell report (but just a blurb).

Just wondered when it happened because his history certainly doesn't show that he turned into some type of big masher like Caminiti so Chuck is probably accurate about how much he got involved with steroids. It's pretty cool that he attended the fanfest.

[NJHalo]

I always felt Wally Joyner and "WallyWorld" could have been a bigger star had he not had to share the spotlight with Canseco and McGuire debuts, and the rivalry between the two teammates.

[Tank]

6 hours ago, CALZONE said:

Wally Joyner

Joyner, a first baseman, admitted to steroid use in a 1997 interview with ESPN's Buster Olney. He said he asked Ken Caminiti how he could get steroids and that Caminiti gave him the phone number of a steroid dealer. Joyner also admitted he received steroid pills in the mail via Caminiti. Joyner claims he took just three pills before deciding to stop.

you sidetracked this thread for no good reason. you complain way too much.

[Ohtaniland]

6 minutes ago, Tank said:

you sidetracked this thread for no good reason. you complain way too much.

don't take it personal, I certainly don't.

[Homebrewer]

Those were some fun years...at risk of sounding like Claude, sadly one of my clearest memories of Wally, unfortunately, was the October day in 86 when it was announced that he wasn't going to be in the lineup for the playoffs because he had developed a leg infection. It was Cubbie like in it's timing.

It was a bad omen..

And the story just got worse from there.  

Wally was always a class guy and will always be an Angel as for as I'm concerned.

[disarcina]

Wally World was one of those special sports times in S. Cal. tied to a particular player -- and I am not just talking about having a star player on the team that sort of carries the team (Koufax, Kershaw, Trout etc.) - I am talking about a phenomenon type following for the team and the player tied to that player --

Fernandomania comes to mind as does (and some folks won't like this) the year and a half or so that Manny Ramirez came to the Dodgers and just went on a tear that got them into the playoffs........I guess Maury Wills GO, GO, GO, was sort of that way.   David Eckstein - the X factor - for sure.

A little different aspect of this and for a more compressed time -- but back when Jimmy Edmonds was patrolling center field for the Halos and was in his prime -- that one season he made a number of spectacular catches in back to back series including that one in Kansas City -- which I still think ranks as one of the best catches of all time -- and others -- it was as if --'what sort of catch is this guy going to make tonight.......'  Torrii Hunter had some 'take away HR catches' in a row sort of like that as well.

Mike Trout ? He does everything so well all the time, every game, at the plate, in the field, on the bases, with his arm -- it's not quite like Wally World but it's clearly a reason why Anaheim Stadium has decent crowds even if the team isn't in the thick of the race.

Bottom line -- Wally World was a special time in Anaheim and will always be considered so.