About the Back: Joyner's strong 1987 campaign created unrealistic expectations of his potential as a power hitter. He slugged only .440 for his career.
Triple Play:
1. He was nicknamed "Wally World", a nod to the fictitious amusement park from the film National Lampoon's Vacation.
2. Joyner's best season other than 1987 came a full decade later, when he hit .327/.390/486 and drove in 83 runs for the Padres.
3. Wally has served as hitting coach for the Padres and assistant hitting and first base coach for the Phillies. Currently, he is the Tigers' hitting coach.
11-Year-Old Kevin Says: Wally Joyner strikes me as a name I knew before taking a strong interest in baseball. Then again, it's a pretty distinct name.
Bill James Said: "He's as good a defensive first baseman as you'll see, and he's a surprising hitter, often looks overmatched for two or three pitches in a row, and then will turn on the pitch and hit it hard somewhere."
On This Date in 1993: February 11. The Angels sign free agent pitcher Scott Sanderson.
For some reason Wally always destroyed me when I played against the Royals on Hardball 4. Never understood it.
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