Wally Joyner

Wallace Keith Joyner, born on June 16, 1962, was a talented American baseball player. He played for 16 years in the major leagues, which is like the top level of professional baseball. Joyner was especially known for his time with the California Angels, where he became one of the best players and was chosen as an All-Star. This means fans and experts voted him as one of the standout players in the whole league.

During his career, Joyner also played for other teams, including the San Diego Padres. With the Padres, he helped the team win a pennant, which is a big honor in baseball. Winning a pennant means the team did very well and got to play in the World Series, a special championship game. Joyner's work on the field made him important to the teams he played for and remembered by many fans.

Early life and career

Wally Joyner went to Redan High School in Stone Mountain, Georgia, which is near Atlanta. He later studied at Brigham Young University. In the 1983 MLB draft, he was chosen by the California Angels because the New York Yankees had signed Don Baylor.

Joyner played for the Mayagüez Indians in the Puerto Rican Professional Baseball League, which helped him become a better player. His coach, José Manuel Morales, had him do special exercises and change how he stood at the plate. This helped Joyner get stronger and he even won the Triple Crown in the 1985–86 season.

California Angels

During his first year with the California Angels, Wally Joyner quickly became a favorite of fans. At one point, Anaheim Stadium was playfully called "Wally World," just like a fun theme park from a movie titled National Lampoon's Vacation. A sports announcer named Chris Berman gave him a fun nickname, "Absorbine" Joyner, and it stuck with fans.

Joyner played as the starting first baseman in the big 1986 All-Star Game. He also tied another player for the top spot in a home run contest that year, the Home Run Derby.

In one game that same year, a fan threw something at Joyner during a match against the New York Yankees, but he was only lightly touched and was okay.

Joyner helped stop two almost-perfect games by hitting the ball late in the game. Once, he got a hit that tied the game against the Texas Rangers, and the Angels won. Another time, he got a hit late in the game against the Detroit Tigers, stopping their chance at a no-hitter.

Later that year, Joyner and the Angels almost made it to the World Series but lost in the last game of the 1986 American League Championship Series. Sadly, Joyner got sick during the series and had to leave to rest.

At the end of the 1986 season, Joyner came in second for a special award for best new player, the Rookie of the Year Award. The next year, he hit three home runs in one game and finished the season with 34 home runs, which was the most he ever hit in a single year.

Post-Angels

After spending six years with the California Angels, Wally Joyner joined the Kansas City Royals for the 1992 season. He played there for four years before moving to the San Diego Padres in 1996. With the Padres, Joyner was the starting first baseman on their 1998 pennant-winning team. He later played for the Atlanta Braves for one year and finished his career back with the Anaheim Angels in 2001.

During his 16-year career, Joyner achieved a .289 batting average with 204 home runs and 1,106 RBI over 2,033 games played. He was known for his strong defense, leading the American League in fielding percentage at first base in 1989 and 1995, and the National League in 1996 and 1997.

Coaching

In July 2007, Wally Joyner began working with the San Diego Padres as their hitting coach. Before this, he helped the team's general manager and worked with young players during practice sessions.

Joyner left the Padres in September 2008 because the team was not doing well in hitting and he had different ideas about how to improve. Later, in October 2012, he joined the Philadelphia Phillies to help with hitting. After some changes in managers, he moved to the Detroit Tigers in November 2013, where he stayed until after the 2016 season. He then decided to look for new opportunities.

Personal life

Wally Joyner lives in Mapleton, Utah. He has been part of movies made for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In one movie called The Singles Ward, he played a character named "Brother Angel," which is a fun nod to the California Angels, the baseball team he played for. He also appeared in another movie from 2003 named The R.M., where he played "Brother Jensen." Wally Joyner is also related to Paula Hawkins, who used to be a United States Senator.