June 11, 2025 • 43 mins
Parney is joined by newly inducted Hall of Fame pitcher Billy Wagner for a wide-ranging conversation full of heat, heart, and hilarious stories. From what it meant to finally make it to Cooperstown, to legendary clubhouse pranks, Billy opens up about life as a closer, his favorite catcher conversations on the mound, and what he's planning to bring to the Hall of Fame dinner.
A must-listen for baseball fans and anyone who appreciates the game behind the game.
Follow Cheats @BBallMixtape on Twitter @blackbaseballmixtape on Instagram and listen to the Black Baseball Mixtape
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey, everybody party for the Party Time podcast. Here. The
(00:02):
first you get from this inning of Party Time is
quiched only by Boolight. Bush Light is my favorite beer winter, spring, summer,
or fall. Whether I'm sitting out on the dock at
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or in party's pubs celebrating a squirrel's victory, nothing tastes
better than an ice cold Boolight. So go visit your
(00:26):
local convenience or grocery store and grab yourself some bush Light.
You won't regret it. Boohhh, the official beverage of Parny's
Throat and the Party Time Podcast. This hitting of the
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(01:09):
like my man Robbie and Performance Food Service. Party Time
loves performance food service. Hey, everybody partying here with Party
Time Podcasts coming to you for any number five, it's
hard to believe any number five for season two. Joined
(01:30):
today by my sidekick. He's usually sit behind me, but
we're in a remote location today, so Joe t is
alone in his apartment. So if you hear weird sounds,
just roll with it. And then we have MP Michael Phillips,
a superstar in the sports world, joining us. We're not
going to have I don't think unless he pops up
(01:50):
cheats from the Blacks Baseball nctape. That's our three Partie
Time pub club members. But today I wore a hat
for a reason. This hat you can't see it when
you're listening to the podcast, but it has the number
three and has three up and three down. That's because
we're joined by a guy who was known for three
(02:11):
up and three down back in the day, as he
had a Hall of Fame career. And not only that,
I don't know why battels are going off because I'm
introducing Billy Wagner. Billy Wagner joining the Party Time Show.
I'm so thrilled Wags. Welcome to Party Time.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
Buddy, Well Parny, I can't imagine being anywhere at nine
o'clock other than hanging out with you.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
Well, it's fun to hang out with Party Time at
nine in the morning, not at night, two at night exactly.
You know all that kind of stuff, Wags. I was
thinking about the first time. The Party Time podcast is
about stories. We want you to bear your soul if
you'd like today, but it's about more than anything, relationships.
(02:54):
And so whenever we have guests on, and you're our
first Baseball Hall of Famer guest, We've had a wrestling
Hall of Famer and Jeff Jarrett, boxing Hall of Famer,
Lou Devella, football Hall of Famer in Jerome Bettis, and
now Hall of Famer Billy Wagner, who hasn't given a
speech yet. And I want to talk about that later
(03:15):
on because I want to know what goes on your
head when you're writing a Hall of Fame speech. You
remember when you and I met for the first time
Wagons twenty eleven or twelve, I think it was, and
you were at the state Capitol talking to the governor
about something and you walked into my office and you
had a suit on the first time I met you
had a suit on. Yeah, and do you remember what
we did?
Speaker 2 (03:36):
Yeah with pop the dip.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
That's exactly right.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
I mean, yeah, I was obviously unsophisticated because I was
out meeting with dignitaries who I thought were going to
be able to like actually help kids, and found out
that that was a joke. So I just came to
the ballpark and popped a dip and that.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
For that moment we had. We've had a great relationship
and I really appreciate everything that you do for the
community for baseball. I want to start right there because
this is not an interview, it's a conversation. You just
won your fourth state title. I know everybody's expecting us
to talk about the Hall of Fame and all that,
but I feel like in our friendship, I know you
pretty well. The Hall of Fame means a lot to you.
(04:21):
What did that state title mean this year for you
with your kids?
Speaker 2 (04:26):
I think when you're a coach, and that's like one
of the most gratifying things. It's like being called dad.
It's gratifying because you put in so much work and
you see kids. You're trying to put kids in successful situations,
and when you see them go out and grind and
reach that ultimate goal. I mean, that's the proudest moment
(04:48):
as a coach. It's not always going to end with
a championship, but I do see that. You know, these kids,
you know, for us we play forty games. We were
thirty four and six, and so to go out there
and put that much time in and I'm.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
Not say that again, God he was thirty four and six.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
Well I wasn't. But the kids, you know, I get
to put that on my resume. But you know the
thing is, I think that kids like that discipline and
so just giving them consistency and so that's where how
you build consistency in a workforce is showing up every
day and so you know, having the ability to play
that many games, they have to show up. We do
(05:29):
morning lifts, and I mean, I'm not an easy person
to deal with because of expectations. Because when you come
to me and go, hey, I want to go play
at college, I want to go play this. You know,
I played at every level and today's you know, changing society,
changing platform for baseball. Kids have to be a little tougher.
(05:50):
They have to be and they are, and they have
to be willing to do some things that make them
uncomfortable with how they perform, how they go out and
and go about their business on a daily basis. I mean,
we have a young lady that plays for us, and
you know she she shows up and she was a big,
(06:11):
big part of our team, Naomi Ryan, and you know,
the guys are always just challenged, and I think challenging
these kids is the ultimate way to see their success
and and moving into into life. The work ethical take
them to wherever they want to go.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
Don't you think that That's one of the things when
I think a Billy Wagner as a player, that is
my friend. I think if Billy whiders a player, I
think of fierceness, I think of gas calls you through
gas uh and I and I think of the word closing.
And a lot of that comes from I think your personality, right,
(06:50):
Like how much of your personality and how much your story.
There's probably going to be a movie made about you
after the Hall of Fame because your story you came
from the country, the division through school, you broke your arm, like,
it's an amazing story. Who would play you in a movie?
By the way, there was a movie about you who
would be who would play Billy Wagner?
Speaker 2 (07:08):
Who would or who would I want?
Speaker 1 (07:10):
Who would you want to play?
Speaker 2 (07:13):
Tom Cruise can play me. I will give him all
the rights and let Tom go ahead and and be
and make this because I think he would be so
driven to be you know, authentic, that it would actually
make sense and it wouldn't be like this uh geez,
you know, happy, happy go lucky thing just kind of happens.
(07:33):
It would be like the reckoning, I guess. I mean
it would be like, holy cow, look look at what
just when all this? You know, But I wouldn't, you know.
I think my personality does add because I am a
type A and I would say perfectionist with the understanding
(07:55):
we play an imperfect sport. And so having that background
and having the ability to talk to kids and say, well,
this game is very hard. So you have to be
very consistent in what you do and control the controllables
and when you can't, I think that that's where the
work ethic and the everyday mentality that come to work.
(08:17):
Pack your bags, the uh you know, the Virginia Tech motto,
the you know, here, here's the lunch pail. We're going
to pack it up. Go to work. I think that
just falls into how I was raised, how I went
about my life, and the expectations that I put on myself.
Speaker 1 (08:34):
I agree with everything you just said about yourself. I mean,
obviously you know yourself better than I too, But like
that's what I think about when I think about you
that the.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
Now.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
As a coach, I'm bounced around a little bit. What
manager that you played for in the minor leagues of
the major leagues or maybe even in college, And I
want to touch on that a little bit too. But
is there one manager that you reach into the bucket
for a lot or is a lot of it just
Billy Wagner's personality or is the combination of them all.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
I think it's a combination of them all, because you
have managers that are very good with strategy. You had
managers that were good players coaches, you know, and I
think you take you pick from a lot of them.
I mean, you know, I'm biased with my high school coach,
Loup Pierry, because he was he was a definite mentor motivator,
teacher friend, and I think that is where a high
(09:30):
school coach has to be. But also ha in the
background of being there with the Jimmy Williams, the Tim
Tolman's from UH my minor league days. Gary Lucas is
a pitching coach. Brent Strump, you know, Larry Derker, you
know Terry Collins, Charlie Manuel, and of course Bobby Cox.
(09:56):
I think you take those guys and you go, hey,
if I can roll those all up, you know, this
is the this is the ultimate uh gift. But you know,
at the end of the day, for me, I want
a player that could trust me, trust what I say,
trust what I'm going to to expose them to. As
far as going out and playing in difficult and understand
(10:19):
when I go, hey, here's the difference between a slump
and a slump. You know, going over fifteen and hitting
the ball hard but not having a reward is not
a slump. Going out and swing and missing and taking
pictures and having these understanding, but also knowing when to
be tough on a kid, when not to be tough,
when to pat him on the back or kick him
(10:39):
in the butt. That's a combination of all those coaches.
I mean, the expectations hard enough for these kids, and
they put a lot on their steff. I don't need
to be an added issue. And so you know, I
learned a lot of that from just talking to Jimmy
and Bobby, you know, and excuse me, you know a
(11:02):
lot of these coaches today, can you can see how
they communicate to the kids and who people want to
play for. I mean Robbie Thompson up in Philly, I mean,
everybody just likes his personality, goes about his business. Hey,
you know, and he's firing, but he's old school, and
I think a lot of those coaches are what people
(11:22):
are looking for nowadays.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
So so Billy Joe t my buddy Joe t over here,
my consiglire, my handler. He only gets to say two
words on this show. If he agrees with something, hell yeah,
if he agrees with If he doesn't agree, hell no.
He's been pretty quiet so far today, But I think
we'll get him fired up as as a player, as
a player, and now as a coach. I want to
(11:47):
say this word, and I want your reaction. Analytics is
this PG, I know, say whatever you.
Speaker 3 (11:55):
Want now you curse on party time.
Speaker 2 (11:59):
Fuck these analytics. Hell yeah, they do not create winners.
Analytics do not create winners. I am so tired of
watching kids get scrutinized over analytics instead of going out
being shown as the ability to win the game is
(12:20):
meant to win, not to be. Nowadays you can't even win.
You can't even win without the analytics being you won,
but it wasn't good enough?
Speaker 1 (12:30):
Is not good enough for your VLO? Yeah yeah, yeah, I.
Speaker 2 (12:35):
You know, I'm such a I think metrics have always
been in the game, of course, but I think now
we've put people in charge of it that make it
seem like that's the newest, greatest thing. I mean, you know,
a good metric for me is outs and a bad
metric is I'm backing up basis e r A. I mean,
(13:01):
I just think these I get first, I'm I get
frustrated for the kids. This is probably one of the
hottest topics for me, because you're defending something that's uh.
I'm you know, pro organizations, uh, colleges show their lack
of ability to coach by using analytics on everything. Oh,
(13:23):
I don't know how to coach you to be a
better player or or to have an IQ. So what
am I going to do? Let's let's just let's make
you bigger and faster and stronger and dumber and just
you run fast, you throw hard, you swing hard, and
we'll just have a circus in the middle of the field.
And and uh, instead of going out and going, hey, listen,
(13:44):
you know, let's let's have a scheme to this game.
That was the uniqueness this chess match. In the game, Hey,
who's gonna lay down the bunch? Hey, who's who was
smart enough to save their bullpen? Who was smart enough
to sit here and have that pinch heator to come
in to face this guy that you know everybody's waiting on.
I mean, that's that was good. Now, now you watch
(14:05):
the starting pitcher. He goes out there, and I'm not
saying every picture is like this, but strike zones are
more defined. But you know what a pitcher's going to throw,
and he's got he's going to throw in this rectangle,
and he's going to throw every single pitch he has
from the first pitch from the first hitter to his
last hitter. And if he gets through five innings, you know,
(14:26):
we're hey, you did your job. You know. I think
that's where the old school players have a problem with it,
because it's it's not I don't know if i'd call
it's about winning. I know a lot of guys lose
their jobs because they play analytics instead of playing feelings
in the backyard baseball thought of hey let me lay
(14:47):
this butnt down. I mean, you watch guys play this
shift and if a guy lays down a bunt, you know,
and I mean there's guys that should lay down three
bunts a game. You're gonna pull and stuff are I'm
gonna lay down this button? Now changes to how you
have to play defense. Well, these guys are like, well,
that's not sexy. It doesn't It doesn't give guys what
(15:09):
they want and and away from.
Speaker 1 (15:12):
You know what is sexy. Winning baseball games is sexy.
That's sexy as.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
Hell, absolutely, And the uniqueness of that home run in
that timely situation is sexy. That timely strikeout in that
situation is sexy. You know, doing those things to win
a game are sexy. I think everything I mean to
(15:36):
here here a player go gosh, you know, I just
missed that ball and hit a pop up and somebody go, yeah,
but you hit that ball ninety five miles an hour,
and I'm like, it's out.
Speaker 1 (15:51):
We're going to get MP in here on a second,
and he's going to give you. We do these things
wags called one shots, and it's too early in the
morning taping today to actually do a shot with you. Yes,
but but it is. We are taping on a Friday.
But m P's going to give you a couple of
quick questions and you can answer them real quick at
one shots. But I'm gonna ask you this. We talked
(16:13):
a little bit. We bounced around today in this conversation
so far. We talked about some managers you named some
great ones, some coaches, pitching coaches, the weirdest, funniest thing
slash any coach or manager said to you when they
walked you walked to the mound to talk to you.
There is there a one that pops out or is
there a catcher that said something to you that made
(16:34):
you laugh.
Speaker 2 (16:35):
Brad Ostmas was always the the funny guy.
Speaker 1 (16:38):
He's a pretty he's a pretty man too, Like he's
a good looking he's.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
A good looking man. Yeah he was a good looking man.
Uh but he but he was. You had to be
careful what you said to Brad because Brad could hurt
your feelings and so I you know, when Brad would
come out, I was very careful to say anything because
I could just feel stupid by just him walking on
the dirt. But you know, I don't know, there's always
(17:05):
these events, but I mean that catchall change your the
mojo on the mound by you know, being in Arizona
and all of a sudden you had the girls that
would hang over the Arizona dugout and I can't remember
what they were called dust bunnies or something like that.
I don't remember what they were called, but.
Speaker 1 (17:26):
Jot probably knows what they were called.
Speaker 2 (17:28):
I'm sitting there, I'm frustrated on the mound, and you know,
Brad walks out slow, you know, kind of talking in us. Hey,
you see the dust bunnies and You're like, what I mean?
I think, guys, you know some things like that. It's
just breaking up the the frustration in that moment. But
I mean, I guess the funniest one of the funniest
(17:49):
things for me was Librethal out in Philadelphia.
Speaker 1 (17:53):
Who played who played for me as a double A
player Ridding, Pennsylvania.
Speaker 2 (17:57):
Yes, so, and we played against each other for ever.
We played in summer ball down in Puerto Rico. We've
played in multiple places against it.
Speaker 1 (18:06):
Because you're both you're both number one draft picks.
Speaker 2 (18:08):
Right, So we end up going so we're we're I
get traded over there. It's opening date in Pittsburgh. You know,
I come in the game at Pittsburgh and he walks
out to the mountains. It wags, So what do you got? Hell?
You mean, what do I got it? It's not changed.
Get the little back there, just put down fingers. But
(18:31):
that was the funniest thing. What do you mean? What
do you mean? What do I have? At that? They
just put down fingers. I mean, you'll figure it out.
But that he was so like, hey, yeah, what do
you have? Like I've never caught you, I've never seen you.
I'm just sitting here going you grew up with you.
Too many foul tips, buddy, too many foul tips. J T.
Speaker 3 (18:54):
Get on Google that fast.
Speaker 1 (18:55):
You're making the dust.
Speaker 2 (18:56):
Buddy up.
Speaker 1 (19:00):
Give Wags a one shotter.
Speaker 3 (19:02):
I see some uh, some uniforms behind you there, some
some names I recognize that tell me about some of
those stories and getting to know those guys and train
with them.
Speaker 2 (19:13):
Well, you know, like before anything, I'm a fan. I
was a fan of baseball, and so having the ability
to go out and like trade a jersey, you know, uh,
I think everybody's seeing a Mariano. When you see a Mariano,
you're in awe. I think on the other side, I
have Hoffman, the Pool, Hooles, Barry Nolan, you know. Uh yeah,
(19:39):
I think, Uh, who else do I have up here?
I have? I've got uh Joe Mauer, Tim Hudson, Holiday
or Holliday Santana.
Speaker 1 (19:57):
Yeah, those names you're saying, bro, they're part of your
Hall of Fame family. Now, how crazy is that?
Speaker 2 (20:05):
Well, it was funny. I know what we were going
to talk about, this whole Hall of Fame thing. But
you know, like I just wake up in the middle
of the night and get on my notes on my
phone and put in something I want to say in
the Hall of Fame. I mean, like it's crazy. Like
last night I was linging bed and I jumped up
at twelve something and my wife was asking me, what's
(20:26):
going on. I said, I just thought of some money
to add.
Speaker 1 (20:28):
And so the podcast is a great thing to listen to,
that's going to be part of that's to be part.
Speaker 2 (20:34):
Of the Hall of Fame exactly exactly. And so the
whole path and whole journey has been just like trying
not to leave anything out, And so.
Speaker 1 (20:47):
Do you feel pressure for that?
Speaker 2 (20:49):
Oh, definitely, definitely, because you know, this isn't a journey
that was you know by myself. You know, there was
a lot of hands and a lot of people that
was steering me in the right direction that you know,
over fifty three years, you don't want to you get
that ten minute, you know spot, and you're going, how
(21:13):
do I condense this and not leave anybody out? Don't
create you know, hard feelings, and you know it's virtually impossible.
But you know, I'm constantly I think I'm pretty much
done with my speech. I just I keep adding and
putting it in a different way. And so it's been,
(21:34):
it's been. Uh. I thought it was going to be
really difficult to do this, but once I kind of
got it formatted on, how now now it's you know,
I don't know if it'll be ten minutes. I don't
know if it's possible, because I know there's about a
two minute crying session somewhere in there, you know, So
you know, but you know, like like you said, though,
(21:55):
I look back at these uniforms and there's no way
I looked out you know, when I was in Southwest Virginy, going, Hey,
I'm going to know an Olan Rhyme, or I'm going
to know a Holliday, or I'm going to know these guys,
or I'm going to just have a relationship. So you know,
this whole thing is like icing on the cake from me.
Speaker 1 (22:16):
I was there in twenty nineteen. I told you this before, Wags,
when Big Lee Smith, who I hope you get to
hang out with him a little bit in July. I
was sitting there in the Oceaga Hotel, which is an
amazing place, man, and that bar down beneath I forget
what the name of it is, but I tore that
sound bitch up, and I'm sitting down there and I
(22:38):
look and I see Bagwell and Bigio walking across the
lawn and Bagwell's got a bottle of wine in each hand.
And I said to somebody, where are they going? And
they said, they're going to the Hall of Fame dinner.
It's just the Hall of Famers they have dinner. And
I went, that's got to be the greatest fucking dinner
(22:58):
of all time. And now, Wags, you're going to go
to that like have you like you're going to bring?
What are you going to bring or to bring some
bush like because that's what the sponsor of the Party
Time podcast.
Speaker 2 (23:08):
Well, that's funny because I've heard that. I'm like, you know,
I'm not a you know, I do like to drink beer.
I do like to drink vodka, you know, you know,
but you know, what do you bring to something like this?
I mean, I've gotten to know, I've gotten to know
Goose Gossage pretty well. And so I talked to Goose.
Speaker 1 (23:31):
Goose speaks straight truth.
Speaker 2 (23:34):
Oh, whether you like it or not, whether you like
it or not. And so, but what he's telling me
is like, enjoy that moment. I mean walking in I
can't even imagine walking in, you know, in a place.
And it was like when they introduced us to the
actual hall and you walk in and you you walk
in and you see guys like, uh, you know, Sandy Kofax,
(23:59):
and you see these names on these walls and guys
from you know, the very beginning that the Tie Cops,
that Babe Bruce, and all of a sudden, you're walking in,
You're going, wait a minute, my name's in that same area.
And know, it becomes a very surreal moment that I
(24:20):
don't think words really describe it, because to walk in
there and to see that, it's the most humbling moment too,
you know, to see all the heroes that you grew
up with, all the story, the people you've heard about,
and you're going to be in that same room. And
when they talk about hall of famers, no matter what
(24:42):
people think, you're going to be a Hall of Famer.
Speaker 1 (24:45):
That's amazing. MP got one.
Speaker 3 (24:49):
You you were mentioned, you know all these names you
obviously you know being the reliever of the aura, the
mystique that and guys now have the light shows and
all those things. How much how much time and work
do as a closer you put into building that? You know,
it's that that extra edge of all right, I'm gonna
let everybody know I'm here.
Speaker 2 (25:07):
Well, I think it's funny because you know, I was
I was a smaller kid growing up. I really wasn't
as flamboyantly outspoken as I am now. I think the
persona of that closer like a goose, uh you know Raleigh.
You know just how they their fire and brimstone, ah prestige.
(25:33):
Everybody thinks I was just not just an asshole when
I pitched, they were like man, you look so mean
and so upset, and you know, it was one of
the weirdest things I kept saying. I said, it was
nothing to do with that. I was so mad at
myself because I was thinking, don't screw this up, don't
blow this safe, don't do this, and I was so
mad at myself. But it just looked like I was
(25:55):
frowning or upset with everybody. And it was funny because
off the field, not nearly that. I'm a way different person,
laid back and easy going.
Speaker 3 (26:05):
Who's Who's the biggest prankster you ever played with?
Speaker 2 (26:07):
We all like to do things I think.
Speaker 1 (26:11):
Legendary.
Speaker 2 (26:12):
Well Maddox Maddix is known for just some weird stuff.
He's he's he's known for weird stuff. But you know, uh,
Luis Gonzalez was was a prankster. Uh. They could do
some stuff. Uh you know, he was very gifted in
like the rookie hazing and what you're going to wear
and how you're going to go about these these things.
(26:34):
Roger McDowell, Oh my god.
Speaker 1 (26:37):
I got a hammer with him a couple of times.
That guy's hilarious.
Speaker 2 (26:40):
Oh, Roger's the best. He was a pitching coach for
me my last year in Atlanta and he was so
he flies down with Bobby and Frank Kren to meet
me to try to sign me with the Braves after
my the year with Boston and nine and he's so quiet,
(27:05):
he doesn't say a lot, very well mannered. Sign with uh,
sign with him, and next thing, you know, I enjoy
just the pranks, the things he would try to do,
the hot foots, the the bubblegum bubbles. I mean he
was always trying to lighten the mood and make the
game fun. And I mean.
Speaker 1 (27:28):
The game is fun.
Speaker 2 (27:30):
It is when the sole thought process is not yourself
but others go out and perform for others to win.
Go It takes the pressure off everything. It doesn't matter
if you go four for four, if you lose, if
you go oh for four and you win, the whole
purpose is win. That is that is your that that's
(27:52):
what the purpose is. And you never know what that
four contribution was. You might have got guys over, you
might have ran a pitch count up. You just never
know how productive that can be. And so but that
that truly it. Those guys made you know, uh, you
know Cormier out and Bill Meyer out in Philadelphia. They
(28:16):
were good pranksters. They like to do stuff, you know.
I think each team had that guy, you know, and
every guy it took a guy. The best teams were
the ones where you had a little longevity with them,
because when you had long jefty, everybody kind of go, Okay,
I know who these guys. He's not going to get
super upset, but I know how to poke the beery
(28:36):
a little bit, and we'll do this, or we'll take
take his clothes and give him this, or cut out
a part of his shirt, we'll put something on his pants,
or you know. I mean, I tell you, Oh gosh,
who was Matthews? We played Terry Matthews. I think that's
his name. We played together in Houston and he got
(28:58):
traded for Oakland, and uh, one of the guys out
there send him a box and spring training and is
a box of ship It was. It was literally a
box of ships, like literally literally oh if he opened
(29:19):
so it's tipped up. He opens that thing and everybody's gagging,
you know. So we're supposed to go out to Oakland.
So we go, we go out to Oakland. Well I
can't remember the guy's name, but he ends up so
Matthews goes up to and he he takes ship, puts
it on the guy's door, knobs his handles and his
(29:41):
windshiel wipers. What. Oh, yeah, it was unbelievable that I mean,
but I mean guys would do uh.
Speaker 1 (29:51):
No ship ship thought. I thought about this this morning.
Wags that. By the way, that's one of the greatest stories.
I've heard, every prank story that ever like, but that's
literally maybe the best one I've ever heard.
Speaker 2 (30:04):
Sending somebody a box of ships unreal.
Speaker 1 (30:07):
I can't I can't wait to do it. I can't
wait to do it. I got to figure out who
I'm gonna do it too, But I can't wait.
Speaker 2 (30:12):
Everybody gets a gift from barning mail is gonna be
like checking the mail. You're kind of you'll be sniffing
the box.
Speaker 1 (30:20):
Hey, I was thinking about this, wagons and we're gonna
start to wind down here. Let you go on your day.
But I was thinking about this today when I was
doing my fat man workout earlier this morning on the
beach down here in Sandbridge. I was thinking about other
Hall of famers, uh, that you're going to be with.
Have you thought about this? How many of your teammates
are going to be behind you in the Hall of
(30:40):
Fame because you got Scottie Rowling, right, you played, didn't Scotty?
Didn't you play with Scott?
Speaker 2 (30:44):
I didn't play with him. I didn't play with Scotti.
So I had Baggy and Bitch, the unit, Pedro, Tom Glavin, Chipper,
Chipper Wow, yeah, Chipper Smolkes No, no, no, they were
they were all gone before I uh that we'd all
switch roles and stuff like that.
Speaker 1 (31:04):
It's a pretty good handful.
Speaker 2 (31:05):
Well, yeah, six good ones. I think you knew they
were going to be Hall of famers. I think when
they look back and go, yeah, you know, let's name
the guys that you thought they were going to be
Hall of Famers. I don't think my name comes up there.
And so I think the bond that like Goose and
Me and Rolly Fingers, uh, Suitor, Big Daddy Lee, Uh,
(31:29):
you know, Trevor and Moe Uh. We we think about
because that is such a small group. I mean yeah,
and you know you asked some of my bullpen guys,
they what they want me to say in this Hall
of Fame speech. They you know, Jay Powis asked me
(31:49):
to mention his thanks to the bullpen guys. But he
really wants me to thank the Starter for not being
able to do to fulfill their whole job. It's like, hey,
you should really think the Starter for not being able
to do finish a game. So you know, because uh,
Maddicks used to give me and Mark Waller is a
hard time. He'd walked back and go, hey, what are
you doing talking about your walk offs? Now up to
(32:11):
be with that group and and to kind of you know,
it's being in a big clubhouse now to be with
the George Brett Uh to hear his stories. Uh, I
think there's are gonna be some you know moments where.
Speaker 1 (32:24):
Hey, George Brett, George George Brett had a good, pretty
good ship story. Now that we're talking ship today of
all time.
Speaker 2 (32:34):
The best, Oh, it's the best? Yes?
Speaker 3 (32:37):
Can I sneak in one more parton? Because I got
to wrap this up? We all know the story about
you breaking your arm twice? Obviously did you ever later
in life mess around with throwing writing and try to
go the I am adexters?
Speaker 2 (32:49):
Well, I was never good and amphibious, but what I'd
like to try to do, I'm naturally right handed, so
I do everything right handed. Uh. Only thing that I
do well throw a baseball left handed. Kenny Rogers was
out in Philadelphia and he had heard that I was
(33:10):
my story and everything, and he goes what and him
being elect he goes, well, I found out I can
throw harder than you right handed and stuff. And I
was like, oh, okay. We're at the batting cage on
the field and he's telling me he picks up the
ball right hand and chucks, and I'm like, wow, that's good.
And so I picked up a ball right handed and
I threw it in the stands and he looked at
me and I said, I said, I'm naturally right handed.
(33:33):
And so you know, me and Darryl Kyle used to
flip gloves because he was a natural lefty and I
was a natural right yeah, And so we flipped gloves
and darbp and shag.
Speaker 1 (33:44):
Wow. How as again, I said, we're gon, We're gonna
finish up in the next five minutes or so. How
hard was it when you got the call? By the way,
your reaction I sent you my reaction. Guys, we take
the somebody tape me reacting to Wags getting in the
Hall of Fame, and I yelled fuck so loud the
(34:05):
whole neighborhood. I thought they were going to send some
a police officer because I was so excited. I said
it the wags, but I told him not to listen
to it around his family because I didn't want to
be a degenerate.
Speaker 2 (34:14):
Yeah, they never heard any of that.
Speaker 1 (34:18):
But was that a foegone conclusion for you to wear
the astros hat? And if so, why well?
Speaker 2 (34:23):
I think the Astra's hat was pretty much the foregone
conclusion because I came up, I spent the most time.
My three of my four kids are Histonians. You know.
Bagwell is one of the biggest influential guys in my career.
And you know, most position players don't hang with pictures,
(34:46):
but he always treated me like a position player. And
the moments we had there with Moisi Salube, Jeff Knt,
Mike Hampton, Shane Reynolds, the guys in our bullpen, Doug Henry,
all these guys had such a tremendous influence on me
(35:06):
that it would have been hard for me to go
in as not as nothing. You know, and I think
I've learned so much about the game from the business
standpoint because when I left Houston. I was so bitter
because of being traded and not understanding and that once
I got through that and my son got drafted, now
(35:31):
I can say those things. Listen, It's part of the game.
Don't think nothing personal. So I'd learned so much going
through that, and the day I got that call, No
matter what you're going through, what you think that call
is like the I mean, I bet you, Parnie, I
drink twenty Tito's and Red Bulls. I mean I was,
(35:57):
I mean I would. It was the dangerous thing. I
would be just walking around the house that day and
just start tearing up, just being So.
Speaker 1 (36:05):
We were texting that day and I said to you
too early to start drinking, and you said, no, that
was the truth, Hey, because I started drinking. I started
drinking waiting for the call.
Speaker 2 (36:15):
I bet you. I started drinking Teto's at twelve, but
just because the anxiety, the anxiety of getting like the
year before, I was coaching my high school team and
the NBC Nightly News shows them because hey, we just
want to follow you, you know, in case this thing
(36:36):
works out, and see, you know, they had showed up.
There's really nothing I could do, and so I went
through that, and then they stopped me during practice to go, hey,
you didn't make it. You got a response that was
and to sit there in front of all those kids
and have to be like suck back tears, sunk back
(36:57):
the frustrations and that was the hardest thing. And then
it was this year.
Speaker 1 (37:01):
It was five. It was five votes five. I knew
you were going to make it like like you deserve it,
and anyway, continue.
Speaker 2 (37:10):
The kiss of death was the kiss of death for
me that I was worried about. Everybody says, well, you
got that close, You're a shoe in for next year.
Nobody's ever not got in with that. And I was like, well,
there's going to eventually be won, because that's just how
Murphy's Law works. And so but when that phone call
came the relief that I felt, I mean for my
for myself, for my family, because I know how stressed
(37:33):
they had been, because I'd been stressed and I'm walking
around the house and they can tell how uptight it was.
I mean, the night that I got that phone call
was the best night of sleep I've had in months.
I mean, because the next I mean, he has difficult
and I'm back. But that was and that's when that
(38:00):
that whole thing went down with my family. Uh, you know,
but just such a relief for me and my family.
Now now it's the honor and privilege to be able
to walk out there and represent them.
Speaker 3 (38:15):
MP last one for you, Oh man, I mean that
that that's that's the good stuff. As you think about
that moment, all those people, like, you know, going to
the hall and walking in, like, what's what's how what?
I know you've been to the Hall before. I know
you have such reverence for the place. How is that
different just walking in knowing all that.
Speaker 2 (38:34):
Well, it's funny because I wouldn't go to the Hall
of Fame until I was included, So I've never been
to the Hall of Fame. Come and I said.
Speaker 1 (38:44):
Is the most thing I've ever heard. That's perfect? Man,
that's great. So that's great.
Speaker 2 (38:51):
Yeah, and that that was I was so bullheaded. But
now what an idiot. I'm such an idiot. I should
have been. I should have into that. That is one
of the most unique things. I walked through there with
CC Sabathia and we we I mean just going through
and seeing the history of the game, holding Joe Demago's
(39:14):
bat with his glove, seeing Babe Bruce uniform, his locker,
hank ayons locker, seeing all these things. You if you're
not in love with the game, when you walk out
of that place, you will be in love with that
game because I tell you, I came out there and
I'm looking at things, looking at you know, uh Maris's
(39:36):
uh rings that he had cut up to make a
bracelet for his wife. I mean the things that they
did back then that today would be like, I'm not
cutting my chimps my rings up because they've got diamonds
in to give to my wife. You know, you know
I will get on now. I mean there was, there was,
(39:56):
and when they talk about the Golden Age of baseball
and how all ultimate was, you know that fifties to
the late eighties is when you really had that passion
and you had the relationship with fans, and you could
see it because you know, from the days that you
(40:18):
could walk down the street with Mickey mann on Billy Martin,
you could walk down the street and have a conversation
and people are doing stuff and you didn't have a
problem signing autrogress. Today it's like, well, I'm not going
to sign because by soign I don't get paid, and
so everything's so different today. And you know, I've always
felt I think the greatest compliment I've ever gotten was
(40:40):
from Bruce Suitor and he told me, he goes, you know,
you could have played in our ear you could have played.
That's the greatest compliment I've ever gotten. And you know,
I hate that he won't be there.
Speaker 1 (40:51):
Yeah, I have one of his jerseys here at the
seventh inning stretch, Billy, I'm at our beach house in Sandbridge.
I have a Bruce suitter powder blue braves jersey autographs
here at seventh in these stretch. That last question, last
question that we'll let you go. I promise. Yeah, you're
a Hall of Famer, you're a state championship, four time
(41:11):
winning baseball coach, You're a great husband, great father, but
you're also the father of a major League baseball player.
What does that feel like?
Speaker 2 (41:21):
Go, Well, it's fun to be a part of his
journey and to actually be able to talk him through
those moments. As a family, we're all super proud of
all of our kids, and it's different for everybody. But
I know when you put on a uniform and the
(41:42):
last name says Wagner. The expectations are a little bit different,
you know, And I'm sure Glavin's kids had to do
it and things like that, but you know, no matter
what goes on, there's an expectation. So being able to
go with him and be with him and hear his
COMversations and and see his opening his very first four
(42:04):
games uh in Anaheim, and see him just smile so much,
that was that was what it's all about.
Speaker 1 (42:12):
Well, we're gonna let you go there, you Joe T.
Jot back from the dead against hockey. He's not like
this at a buffet, I promise you that. But we're
so proud of you. I'm really I'm really proud to
tell people that you and our friends and I'll do
anything for you. Uh, and we really appreciate you. MP.
(42:32):
Thank you, Joe T. Thank you. We missed cheats. And
with that inning number five, Season two Party Time, you
never know what's going to happen, and today in inning
number five, we talked about a box of shit. Thank
you for listening to this inning of Party Time presented
by Butch Light and Performance Food Service. Please follow us
(42:56):
on all your social media channels and also like us,
subscribe us tell all your friends about us, hell even
tell people you don't like about party time, and also
follow us on our social media at party time.
Hey, everybody party for the Party Time podcast. Here. The
(00:02):
first you get from this inning of Party Time is
quiched only by Boolight. Bush Light is my favorite beer winter, spring, summer,
or fall. Whether I'm sitting out on the dock at
the beach house in Sandwidge Beach, on the couch watching ball,
or in party's pubs celebrating a squirrel's victory, nothing tastes
better than an ice cold Boolight. So go visit your
(00:26):
local convenience or grocery store and grab yourself some bush Light.
You won't regret it. Boohhh, the official beverage of Parny's
Throat and the Party Time Podcast. This hitting of the
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(01:09):
like my man Robbie and Performance Food Service. Party Time
loves performance food service. Hey, everybody partying here with Party
Time Podcasts coming to you for any number five, it's
hard to believe any number five for season two. Joined
(01:30):
today by my sidekick. He's usually sit behind me, but
we're in a remote location today, so Joe t is
alone in his apartment. So if you hear weird sounds,
just roll with it. And then we have MP Michael Phillips,
a superstar in the sports world, joining us. We're not
going to have I don't think unless he pops up
(01:50):
cheats from the Blacks Baseball nctape. That's our three Partie
Time pub club members. But today I wore a hat
for a reason. This hat you can't see it when
you're listening to the podcast, but it has the number
three and has three up and three down. That's because
we're joined by a guy who was known for three
(02:11):
up and three down back in the day, as he
had a Hall of Fame career. And not only that,
I don't know why battels are going off because I'm
introducing Billy Wagner. Billy Wagner joining the Party Time Show.
I'm so thrilled Wags. Welcome to Party Time.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
Buddy, Well Parny, I can't imagine being anywhere at nine
o'clock other than hanging out with you.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
Well, it's fun to hang out with Party Time at
nine in the morning, not at night, two at night exactly.
You know all that kind of stuff, Wags. I was
thinking about the first time. The Party Time podcast is
about stories. We want you to bear your soul if
you'd like today, but it's about more than anything, relationships.
(02:54):
And so whenever we have guests on, and you're our
first Baseball Hall of Famer guest, We've had a wrestling
Hall of Famer and Jeff Jarrett, boxing Hall of Famer,
Lou Devella, football Hall of Famer in Jerome Bettis, and
now Hall of Famer Billy Wagner, who hasn't given a
speech yet. And I want to talk about that later
(03:15):
on because I want to know what goes on your
head when you're writing a Hall of Fame speech. You
remember when you and I met for the first time
Wagons twenty eleven or twelve, I think it was, and
you were at the state Capitol talking to the governor
about something and you walked into my office and you
had a suit on the first time I met you
had a suit on. Yeah, and do you remember what
we did?
Speaker 2 (03:36):
Yeah with pop the dip.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
That's exactly right.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
I mean, yeah, I was obviously unsophisticated because I was
out meeting with dignitaries who I thought were going to
be able to like actually help kids, and found out
that that was a joke. So I just came to
the ballpark and popped a dip and that.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
For that moment we had. We've had a great relationship
and I really appreciate everything that you do for the
community for baseball. I want to start right there because
this is not an interview, it's a conversation. You just
won your fourth state title. I know everybody's expecting us
to talk about the Hall of Fame and all that,
but I feel like in our friendship, I know you
pretty well. The Hall of Fame means a lot to you.
(04:21):
What did that state title mean this year for you
with your kids?
Speaker 2 (04:26):
I think when you're a coach, and that's like one
of the most gratifying things. It's like being called dad.
It's gratifying because you put in so much work and
you see kids. You're trying to put kids in successful situations,
and when you see them go out and grind and
reach that ultimate goal. I mean, that's the proudest moment
(04:48):
as a coach. It's not always going to end with
a championship, but I do see that. You know, these kids,
you know, for us we play forty games. We were
thirty four and six, and so to go out there
and put that much time in and I'm.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
Not say that again, God he was thirty four and six.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
Well I wasn't. But the kids, you know, I get
to put that on my resume. But you know the
thing is, I think that kids like that discipline and
so just giving them consistency and so that's where how
you build consistency in a workforce is showing up every
day and so you know, having the ability to play
that many games, they have to show up. We do
(05:29):
morning lifts, and I mean, I'm not an easy person
to deal with because of expectations. Because when you come
to me and go, hey, I want to go play
at college, I want to go play this. You know,
I played at every level and today's you know, changing society,
changing platform for baseball. Kids have to be a little tougher.
(05:50):
They have to be and they are, and they have
to be willing to do some things that make them
uncomfortable with how they perform, how they go out and
and go about their business on a daily basis. I mean,
we have a young lady that plays for us, and
you know she she shows up and she was a big,
(06:11):
big part of our team, Naomi Ryan, and you know,
the guys are always just challenged, and I think challenging
these kids is the ultimate way to see their success
and and moving into into life. The work ethical take
them to wherever they want to go.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
Don't you think that That's one of the things when
I think a Billy Wagner as a player, that is
my friend. I think if Billy whiders a player, I
think of fierceness, I think of gas calls you through
gas uh and I and I think of the word closing.
And a lot of that comes from I think your personality, right,
(06:50):
Like how much of your personality and how much your story.
There's probably going to be a movie made about you
after the Hall of Fame because your story you came
from the country, the division through school, you broke your arm, like,
it's an amazing story. Who would play you in a movie?
By the way, there was a movie about you who
would be who would play Billy Wagner?
Speaker 2 (07:08):
Who would or who would I want?
Speaker 1 (07:10):
Who would you want to play?
Speaker 2 (07:13):
Tom Cruise can play me. I will give him all
the rights and let Tom go ahead and and be
and make this because I think he would be so
driven to be you know, authentic, that it would actually
make sense and it wouldn't be like this uh geez,
you know, happy, happy go lucky thing just kind of happens.
(07:33):
It would be like the reckoning, I guess. I mean
it would be like, holy cow, look look at what
just when all this? You know, But I wouldn't, you know.
I think my personality does add because I am a
type A and I would say perfectionist with the understanding
(07:55):
we play an imperfect sport. And so having that background
and having the ability to talk to kids and say, well,
this game is very hard. So you have to be
very consistent in what you do and control the controllables
and when you can't, I think that that's where the
work ethic and the everyday mentality that come to work.
(08:17):
Pack your bags, the uh you know, the Virginia Tech motto,
the you know, here, here's the lunch pail. We're going
to pack it up. Go to work. I think that
just falls into how I was raised, how I went
about my life, and the expectations that I put on myself.
Speaker 1 (08:34):
I agree with everything you just said about yourself. I mean,
obviously you know yourself better than I too, But like
that's what I think about when I think about you
that the.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
Now.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
As a coach, I'm bounced around a little bit. What
manager that you played for in the minor leagues of
the major leagues or maybe even in college, And I
want to touch on that a little bit too. But
is there one manager that you reach into the bucket
for a lot or is a lot of it just
Billy Wagner's personality or is the combination of them all.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
I think it's a combination of them all, because you
have managers that are very good with strategy. You had
managers that were good players coaches, you know, and I
think you take you pick from a lot of them.
I mean, you know, I'm biased with my high school coach,
Loup Pierry, because he was he was a definite mentor motivator,
teacher friend, and I think that is where a high
(09:30):
school coach has to be. But also ha in the
background of being there with the Jimmy Williams, the Tim
Tolman's from UH my minor league days. Gary Lucas is
a pitching coach. Brent Strump, you know, Larry Derker, you
know Terry Collins, Charlie Manuel, and of course Bobby Cox.
(09:56):
I think you take those guys and you go, hey,
if I can roll those all up, you know, this
is the this is the ultimate uh gift. But you know,
at the end of the day, for me, I want
a player that could trust me, trust what I say,
trust what I'm going to to expose them to. As
far as going out and playing in difficult and understand
(10:19):
when I go, hey, here's the difference between a slump
and a slump. You know, going over fifteen and hitting
the ball hard but not having a reward is not
a slump. Going out and swing and missing and taking
pictures and having these understanding, but also knowing when to
be tough on a kid, when not to be tough,
when to pat him on the back or kick him
(10:39):
in the butt. That's a combination of all those coaches.
I mean, the expectations hard enough for these kids, and
they put a lot on their steff. I don't need
to be an added issue. And so you know, I
learned a lot of that from just talking to Jimmy
and Bobby, you know, and excuse me, you know a
(11:02):
lot of these coaches today, can you can see how
they communicate to the kids and who people want to
play for. I mean Robbie Thompson up in Philly, I mean,
everybody just likes his personality, goes about his business. Hey,
you know, and he's firing, but he's old school, and
I think a lot of those coaches are what people
(11:22):
are looking for nowadays.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
So so Billy Joe t my buddy Joe t over here,
my consiglire, my handler. He only gets to say two
words on this show. If he agrees with something, hell yeah,
if he agrees with If he doesn't agree, hell no.
He's been pretty quiet so far today, But I think
we'll get him fired up as as a player, as
a player, and now as a coach. I want to
(11:47):
say this word, and I want your reaction. Analytics is
this PG, I know, say whatever you.
Speaker 3 (11:55):
Want now you curse on party time.
Speaker 2 (11:59):
Fuck these analytics. Hell yeah, they do not create winners.
Analytics do not create winners. I am so tired of
watching kids get scrutinized over analytics instead of going out
being shown as the ability to win the game is
(12:20):
meant to win, not to be. Nowadays you can't even win.
You can't even win without the analytics being you won,
but it wasn't good enough?
Speaker 1 (12:30):
Is not good enough for your VLO? Yeah yeah, yeah, I.
Speaker 2 (12:35):
You know, I'm such a I think metrics have always
been in the game, of course, but I think now
we've put people in charge of it that make it
seem like that's the newest, greatest thing. I mean, you know,
a good metric for me is outs and a bad
metric is I'm backing up basis e r A. I mean,
(13:01):
I just think these I get first, I'm I get
frustrated for the kids. This is probably one of the
hottest topics for me, because you're defending something that's uh.
I'm you know, pro organizations, uh, colleges show their lack
of ability to coach by using analytics on everything. Oh,
(13:23):
I don't know how to coach you to be a
better player or or to have an IQ. So what
am I going to do? Let's let's just let's make
you bigger and faster and stronger and dumber and just
you run fast, you throw hard, you swing hard, and
we'll just have a circus in the middle of the field.
And and uh, instead of going out and going, hey, listen,
(13:44):
you know, let's let's have a scheme to this game.
That was the uniqueness this chess match. In the game, Hey,
who's gonna lay down the bunch? Hey, who's who was
smart enough to save their bullpen? Who was smart enough
to sit here and have that pinch heator to come
in to face this guy that you know everybody's waiting on.
I mean, that's that was good. Now, now you watch
(14:05):
the starting pitcher. He goes out there, and I'm not
saying every picture is like this, but strike zones are
more defined. But you know what a pitcher's going to throw,
and he's got he's going to throw in this rectangle,
and he's going to throw every single pitch he has
from the first pitch from the first hitter to his
last hitter. And if he gets through five innings, you know,
(14:26):
we're hey, you did your job. You know. I think
that's where the old school players have a problem with it,
because it's it's not I don't know if i'd call
it's about winning. I know a lot of guys lose
their jobs because they play analytics instead of playing feelings
in the backyard baseball thought of hey let me lay
(14:47):
this butnt down. I mean, you watch guys play this
shift and if a guy lays down a bunt, you know,
and I mean there's guys that should lay down three
bunts a game. You're gonna pull and stuff are I'm
gonna lay down this button? Now changes to how you
have to play defense. Well, these guys are like, well,
that's not sexy. It doesn't It doesn't give guys what
(15:09):
they want and and away from.
Speaker 1 (15:12):
You know what is sexy. Winning baseball games is sexy.
That's sexy as.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
Hell, absolutely, And the uniqueness of that home run in
that timely situation is sexy. That timely strikeout in that
situation is sexy. You know, doing those things to win
a game are sexy. I think everything I mean to
(15:36):
here here a player go gosh, you know, I just
missed that ball and hit a pop up and somebody go, yeah,
but you hit that ball ninety five miles an hour,
and I'm like, it's out.
Speaker 1 (15:51):
We're going to get MP in here on a second,
and he's going to give you. We do these things
wags called one shots, and it's too early in the
morning taping today to actually do a shot with you. Yes,
but but it is. We are taping on a Friday.
But m P's going to give you a couple of
quick questions and you can answer them real quick at
one shots. But I'm gonna ask you this. We talked
(16:13):
a little bit. We bounced around today in this conversation
so far. We talked about some managers you named some
great ones, some coaches, pitching coaches, the weirdest, funniest thing
slash any coach or manager said to you when they
walked you walked to the mound to talk to you.
There is there a one that pops out or is
there a catcher that said something to you that made
(16:34):
you laugh.
Speaker 2 (16:35):
Brad Ostmas was always the the funny guy.
Speaker 1 (16:38):
He's a pretty he's a pretty man too, Like he's
a good looking he's.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
A good looking man. Yeah he was a good looking man.
Uh but he but he was. You had to be
careful what you said to Brad because Brad could hurt
your feelings and so I you know, when Brad would
come out, I was very careful to say anything because
I could just feel stupid by just him walking on
the dirt. But you know, I don't know, there's always
(17:05):
these events, but I mean that catchall change your the
mojo on the mound by you know, being in Arizona
and all of a sudden you had the girls that
would hang over the Arizona dugout and I can't remember
what they were called dust bunnies or something like that.
I don't remember what they were called, but.
Speaker 1 (17:26):
Jot probably knows what they were called.
Speaker 2 (17:28):
I'm sitting there, I'm frustrated on the mound, and you know,
Brad walks out slow, you know, kind of talking in us. Hey,
you see the dust bunnies and You're like, what I mean?
I think, guys, you know some things like that. It's
just breaking up the the frustration in that moment. But
I mean, I guess the funniest one of the funniest
(17:49):
things for me was Librethal out in Philadelphia.
Speaker 1 (17:53):
Who played who played for me as a double A
player Ridding, Pennsylvania.
Speaker 2 (17:57):
Yes, so, and we played against each other for ever.
We played in summer ball down in Puerto Rico. We've
played in multiple places against it.
Speaker 1 (18:06):
Because you're both you're both number one draft picks.
Speaker 2 (18:08):
Right, So we end up going so we're we're I
get traded over there. It's opening date in Pittsburgh. You know,
I come in the game at Pittsburgh and he walks
out to the mountains. It wags, So what do you got? Hell?
You mean, what do I got it? It's not changed.
Get the little back there, just put down fingers. But
(18:31):
that was the funniest thing. What do you mean? What
do you mean? What do I have? At that? They
just put down fingers. I mean, you'll figure it out.
But that he was so like, hey, yeah, what do
you have? Like I've never caught you, I've never seen you.
I'm just sitting here going you grew up with you.
Too many foul tips, buddy, too many foul tips. J T.
Speaker 3 (18:54):
Get on Google that fast.
Speaker 1 (18:55):
You're making the dust.
Speaker 2 (18:56):
Buddy up.
Speaker 1 (19:00):
Give Wags a one shotter.
Speaker 3 (19:02):
I see some uh, some uniforms behind you there, some
some names I recognize that tell me about some of
those stories and getting to know those guys and train
with them.
Speaker 2 (19:13):
Well, you know, like before anything, I'm a fan. I
was a fan of baseball, and so having the ability
to go out and like trade a jersey, you know, uh,
I think everybody's seeing a Mariano. When you see a Mariano,
you're in awe. I think on the other side, I
have Hoffman, the Pool, Hooles, Barry Nolan, you know. Uh yeah,
(19:39):
I think, Uh, who else do I have up here?
I have? I've got uh Joe Mauer, Tim Hudson, Holiday
or Holliday Santana.
Speaker 1 (19:57):
Yeah, those names you're saying, bro, they're part of your
Hall of Fame family. Now, how crazy is that?
Speaker 2 (20:05):
Well, it was funny. I know what we were going
to talk about, this whole Hall of Fame thing. But
you know, like I just wake up in the middle
of the night and get on my notes on my
phone and put in something I want to say in
the Hall of Fame. I mean, like it's crazy. Like
last night I was linging bed and I jumped up
at twelve something and my wife was asking me, what's
(20:26):
going on. I said, I just thought of some money
to add.
Speaker 1 (20:28):
And so the podcast is a great thing to listen to,
that's going to be part of that's to be part.
Speaker 2 (20:34):
Of the Hall of Fame exactly exactly. And so the
whole path and whole journey has been just like trying
not to leave anything out, And so.
Speaker 1 (20:47):
Do you feel pressure for that?
Speaker 2 (20:49):
Oh, definitely, definitely, because you know, this isn't a journey
that was you know by myself. You know, there was
a lot of hands and a lot of people that
was steering me in the right direction that you know,
over fifty three years, you don't want to you get
that ten minute, you know spot, and you're going, how
(21:13):
do I condense this and not leave anybody out? Don't
create you know, hard feelings, and you know it's virtually impossible.
But you know, I'm constantly I think I'm pretty much
done with my speech. I just I keep adding and
putting it in a different way. And so it's been,
(21:34):
it's been. Uh. I thought it was going to be
really difficult to do this, but once I kind of
got it formatted on, how now now it's you know,
I don't know if it'll be ten minutes. I don't
know if it's possible, because I know there's about a
two minute crying session somewhere in there, you know, So
you know, but you know, like like you said, though,
(21:55):
I look back at these uniforms and there's no way
I looked out you know, when I was in Southwest Virginy, going, Hey,
I'm going to know an Olan Rhyme, or I'm going
to know a Holliday, or I'm going to know these guys,
or I'm going to just have a relationship. So you know,
this whole thing is like icing on the cake from me.
Speaker 1 (22:16):
I was there in twenty nineteen. I told you this before, Wags,
when Big Lee Smith, who I hope you get to
hang out with him a little bit in July. I
was sitting there in the Oceaga Hotel, which is an
amazing place, man, and that bar down beneath I forget
what the name of it is, but I tore that
sound bitch up, and I'm sitting down there and I
(22:38):
look and I see Bagwell and Bigio walking across the
lawn and Bagwell's got a bottle of wine in each hand.
And I said to somebody, where are they going? And
they said, they're going to the Hall of Fame dinner.
It's just the Hall of Famers they have dinner. And
I went, that's got to be the greatest fucking dinner
(22:58):
of all time. And now, Wags, you're going to go
to that like have you like you're going to bring?
What are you going to bring or to bring some
bush like because that's what the sponsor of the Party
Time podcast.
Speaker 2 (23:08):
Well, that's funny because I've heard that. I'm like, you know,
I'm not a you know, I do like to drink beer.
I do like to drink vodka, you know, you know,
but you know, what do you bring to something like this?
I mean, I've gotten to know, I've gotten to know
Goose Gossage pretty well. And so I talked to Goose.
Speaker 1 (23:31):
Goose speaks straight truth.
Speaker 2 (23:34):
Oh, whether you like it or not, whether you like
it or not. And so, but what he's telling me
is like, enjoy that moment. I mean walking in I
can't even imagine walking in, you know, in a place.
And it was like when they introduced us to the
actual hall and you walk in and you you walk
in and you see guys like, uh, you know, Sandy Kofax,
(23:59):
and you see these names on these walls and guys
from you know, the very beginning that the Tie Cops,
that Babe Bruce, and all of a sudden, you're walking in,
You're going, wait a minute, my name's in that same area.
And know, it becomes a very surreal moment that I
(24:20):
don't think words really describe it, because to walk in
there and to see that, it's the most humbling moment too,
you know, to see all the heroes that you grew
up with, all the story, the people you've heard about,
and you're going to be in that same room. And
when they talk about hall of famers, no matter what
(24:42):
people think, you're going to be a Hall of Famer.
Speaker 1 (24:45):
That's amazing. MP got one.
Speaker 3 (24:49):
You you were mentioned, you know all these names you
obviously you know being the reliever of the aura, the
mystique that and guys now have the light shows and
all those things. How much how much time and work
do as a closer you put into building that? You know,
it's that that extra edge of all right, I'm gonna
let everybody know I'm here.
Speaker 2 (25:07):
Well, I think it's funny because you know, I was
I was a smaller kid growing up. I really wasn't
as flamboyantly outspoken as I am now. I think the
persona of that closer like a goose, uh you know Raleigh.
You know just how they their fire and brimstone, ah prestige.
(25:33):
Everybody thinks I was just not just an asshole when
I pitched, they were like man, you look so mean
and so upset, and you know, it was one of
the weirdest things I kept saying. I said, it was
nothing to do with that. I was so mad at
myself because I was thinking, don't screw this up, don't
blow this safe, don't do this, and I was so
mad at myself. But it just looked like I was
(25:55):
frowning or upset with everybody. And it was funny because
off the field, not nearly that. I'm a way different person,
laid back and easy going.
Speaker 3 (26:05):
Who's Who's the biggest prankster you ever played with?
Speaker 2 (26:07):
We all like to do things I think.
Speaker 1 (26:11):
Legendary.
Speaker 2 (26:12):
Well Maddox Maddix is known for just some weird stuff.
He's he's he's known for weird stuff. But you know, uh,
Luis Gonzalez was was a prankster. Uh. They could do
some stuff. Uh you know, he was very gifted in
like the rookie hazing and what you're going to wear
and how you're going to go about these these things.
(26:34):
Roger McDowell, Oh my god.
Speaker 1 (26:37):
I got a hammer with him a couple of times.
That guy's hilarious.
Speaker 2 (26:40):
Oh, Roger's the best. He was a pitching coach for
me my last year in Atlanta and he was so
he flies down with Bobby and Frank Kren to meet
me to try to sign me with the Braves after
my the year with Boston and nine and he's so quiet,
(27:05):
he doesn't say a lot, very well mannered. Sign with uh,
sign with him, and next thing, you know, I enjoy
just the pranks, the things he would try to do,
the hot foots, the the bubblegum bubbles. I mean he
was always trying to lighten the mood and make the
game fun. And I mean.
Speaker 1 (27:28):
The game is fun.
Speaker 2 (27:30):
It is when the sole thought process is not yourself
but others go out and perform for others to win.
Go It takes the pressure off everything. It doesn't matter
if you go four for four, if you lose, if
you go oh for four and you win, the whole
purpose is win. That is that is your that that's
(27:52):
what the purpose is. And you never know what that
four contribution was. You might have got guys over, you
might have ran a pitch count up. You just never
know how productive that can be. And so but that
that truly it. Those guys made you know, uh, you
know Cormier out and Bill Meyer out in Philadelphia. They
(28:16):
were good pranksters. They like to do stuff, you know.
I think each team had that guy, you know, and
every guy it took a guy. The best teams were
the ones where you had a little longevity with them,
because when you had long jefty, everybody kind of go, Okay,
I know who these guys. He's not going to get
super upset, but I know how to poke the beery
(28:36):
a little bit, and we'll do this, or we'll take
take his clothes and give him this, or cut out
a part of his shirt, we'll put something on his pants,
or you know. I mean, I tell you, Oh gosh,
who was Matthews? We played Terry Matthews. I think that's
his name. We played together in Houston and he got
(28:58):
traded for Oakland, and uh, one of the guys out
there send him a box and spring training and is
a box of ship It was. It was literally a
box of ships, like literally literally oh if he opened
(29:19):
so it's tipped up. He opens that thing and everybody's gagging,
you know. So we're supposed to go out to Oakland.
So we go, we go out to Oakland. Well I
can't remember the guy's name, but he ends up so
Matthews goes up to and he he takes ship, puts
it on the guy's door, knobs his handles and his
(29:41):
windshiel wipers. What. Oh, yeah, it was unbelievable that I mean,
but I mean guys would do uh.
Speaker 1 (29:51):
No ship ship thought. I thought about this this morning.
Wags that. By the way, that's one of the greatest stories.
I've heard, every prank story that ever like, but that's
literally maybe the best one I've ever heard.
Speaker 2 (30:04):
Sending somebody a box of ships unreal.
Speaker 1 (30:07):
I can't I can't wait to do it. I can't
wait to do it. I got to figure out who
I'm gonna do it too, But I can't wait.
Speaker 2 (30:12):
Everybody gets a gift from barning mail is gonna be
like checking the mail. You're kind of you'll be sniffing
the box.
Speaker 1 (30:20):
Hey, I was thinking about this, wagons and we're gonna
start to wind down here. Let you go on your day.
But I was thinking about this today when I was
doing my fat man workout earlier this morning on the
beach down here in Sandbridge. I was thinking about other
Hall of famers, uh, that you're going to be with.
Have you thought about this? How many of your teammates
are going to be behind you in the Hall of
(30:40):
Fame because you got Scottie Rowling, right, you played, didn't Scotty?
Didn't you play with Scott?
Speaker 2 (30:44):
I didn't play with him. I didn't play with Scotti.
So I had Baggy and Bitch, the unit, Pedro, Tom Glavin, Chipper,
Chipper Wow, yeah, Chipper Smolkes No, no, no, they were
they were all gone before I uh that we'd all
switch roles and stuff like that.
Speaker 1 (31:04):
It's a pretty good handful.
Speaker 2 (31:05):
Well, yeah, six good ones. I think you knew they
were going to be Hall of famers. I think when
they look back and go, yeah, you know, let's name
the guys that you thought they were going to be
Hall of Famers. I don't think my name comes up there.
And so I think the bond that like Goose and
Me and Rolly Fingers, uh, Suitor, Big Daddy Lee, Uh,
(31:29):
you know, Trevor and Moe Uh. We we think about
because that is such a small group. I mean yeah,
and you know you asked some of my bullpen guys,
they what they want me to say in this Hall
of Fame speech. They you know, Jay Powis asked me
(31:49):
to mention his thanks to the bullpen guys. But he
really wants me to thank the Starter for not being
able to do to fulfill their whole job. It's like, hey,
you should really think the Starter for not being able
to do finish a game. So you know, because uh,
Maddicks used to give me and Mark Waller is a
hard time. He'd walked back and go, hey, what are
you doing talking about your walk offs? Now up to
(32:11):
be with that group and and to kind of you know,
it's being in a big clubhouse now to be with
the George Brett Uh to hear his stories. Uh, I
think there's are gonna be some you know moments where.
Speaker 1 (32:24):
Hey, George Brett, George George Brett had a good, pretty
good ship story. Now that we're talking ship today of
all time.
Speaker 2 (32:34):
The best, Oh, it's the best? Yes?
Speaker 3 (32:37):
Can I sneak in one more parton? Because I got
to wrap this up? We all know the story about
you breaking your arm twice? Obviously did you ever later
in life mess around with throwing writing and try to
go the I am adexters?
Speaker 2 (32:49):
Well, I was never good and amphibious, but what I'd
like to try to do, I'm naturally right handed, so
I do everything right handed. Uh. Only thing that I
do well throw a baseball left handed. Kenny Rogers was
out in Philadelphia and he had heard that I was
(33:10):
my story and everything, and he goes what and him
being elect he goes, well, I found out I can
throw harder than you right handed and stuff. And I
was like, oh, okay. We're at the batting cage on
the field and he's telling me he picks up the
ball right hand and chucks, and I'm like, wow, that's good.
And so I picked up a ball right handed and
I threw it in the stands and he looked at
me and I said, I said, I'm naturally right handed.
(33:33):
And so you know, me and Darryl Kyle used to
flip gloves because he was a natural lefty and I
was a natural right yeah, And so we flipped gloves
and darbp and shag.
Speaker 1 (33:44):
Wow. How as again, I said, we're gon, We're gonna
finish up in the next five minutes or so. How
hard was it when you got the call? By the way,
your reaction I sent you my reaction. Guys, we take
the somebody tape me reacting to Wags getting in the
Hall of Fame, and I yelled fuck so loud the
(34:05):
whole neighborhood. I thought they were going to send some
a police officer because I was so excited. I said
it the wags, but I told him not to listen
to it around his family because I didn't want to
be a degenerate.
Speaker 2 (34:14):
Yeah, they never heard any of that.
Speaker 1 (34:18):
But was that a foegone conclusion for you to wear
the astros hat? And if so, why well?
Speaker 2 (34:23):
I think the Astra's hat was pretty much the foregone
conclusion because I came up, I spent the most time.
My three of my four kids are Histonians. You know.
Bagwell is one of the biggest influential guys in my career.
And you know, most position players don't hang with pictures,
(34:46):
but he always treated me like a position player. And
the moments we had there with Moisi Salube, Jeff Knt,
Mike Hampton, Shane Reynolds, the guys in our bullpen, Doug Henry,
all these guys had such a tremendous influence on me
(35:06):
that it would have been hard for me to go
in as not as nothing. You know, and I think
I've learned so much about the game from the business
standpoint because when I left Houston. I was so bitter
because of being traded and not understanding and that once
I got through that and my son got drafted, now
(35:31):
I can say those things. Listen, It's part of the game.
Don't think nothing personal. So I'd learned so much going
through that, and the day I got that call, No
matter what you're going through, what you think that call
is like the I mean, I bet you, Parnie, I
drink twenty Tito's and Red Bulls. I mean I was,
(35:57):
I mean I would. It was the dangerous thing. I
would be just walking around the house that day and
just start tearing up, just being So.
Speaker 1 (36:05):
We were texting that day and I said to you
too early to start drinking, and you said, no, that
was the truth, Hey, because I started drinking. I started
drinking waiting for the call.
Speaker 2 (36:15):
I bet you. I started drinking Teto's at twelve, but
just because the anxiety, the anxiety of getting like the
year before, I was coaching my high school team and
the NBC Nightly News shows them because hey, we just
want to follow you, you know, in case this thing
(36:36):
works out, and see, you know, they had showed up.
There's really nothing I could do, and so I went
through that, and then they stopped me during practice to go, hey,
you didn't make it. You got a response that was
and to sit there in front of all those kids
and have to be like suck back tears, sunk back
(36:57):
the frustrations and that was the hardest thing. And then
it was this year.
Speaker 1 (37:01):
It was five. It was five votes five. I knew
you were going to make it like like you deserve it,
and anyway, continue.
Speaker 2 (37:10):
The kiss of death was the kiss of death for
me that I was worried about. Everybody says, well, you
got that close, You're a shoe in for next year.
Nobody's ever not got in with that. And I was like, well,
there's going to eventually be won, because that's just how
Murphy's Law works. And so but when that phone call
came the relief that I felt, I mean for my
for myself, for my family, because I know how stressed
(37:33):
they had been, because I'd been stressed and I'm walking
around the house and they can tell how uptight it was.
I mean, the night that I got that phone call
was the best night of sleep I've had in months.
I mean, because the next I mean, he has difficult
and I'm back. But that was and that's when that
(38:00):
that whole thing went down with my family. Uh, you know,
but just such a relief for me and my family.
Now now it's the honor and privilege to be able
to walk out there and represent them.
Speaker 3 (38:15):
MP last one for you, Oh man, I mean that
that that's that's the good stuff. As you think about
that moment, all those people, like, you know, going to
the hall and walking in, like, what's what's how what?
I know you've been to the Hall before. I know
you have such reverence for the place. How is that
different just walking in knowing all that.
Speaker 2 (38:34):
Well, it's funny because I wouldn't go to the Hall
of Fame until I was included, So I've never been
to the Hall of Fame. Come and I said.
Speaker 1 (38:44):
Is the most thing I've ever heard. That's perfect? Man,
that's great. So that's great.
Speaker 2 (38:51):
Yeah, and that that was I was so bullheaded. But
now what an idiot. I'm such an idiot. I should
have been. I should have into that. That is one
of the most unique things. I walked through there with
CC Sabathia and we we I mean just going through
and seeing the history of the game, holding Joe Demago's
(39:14):
bat with his glove, seeing Babe Bruce uniform, his locker,
hank ayons locker, seeing all these things. You if you're
not in love with the game, when you walk out
of that place, you will be in love with that
game because I tell you, I came out there and
I'm looking at things, looking at you know, uh Maris's
(39:36):
uh rings that he had cut up to make a
bracelet for his wife. I mean the things that they
did back then that today would be like, I'm not
cutting my chimps my rings up because they've got diamonds
in to give to my wife. You know, you know
I will get on now. I mean there was, there was,
(39:56):
and when they talk about the Golden Age of baseball
and how all ultimate was, you know that fifties to
the late eighties is when you really had that passion
and you had the relationship with fans, and you could
see it because you know, from the days that you
(40:18):
could walk down the street with Mickey mann on Billy Martin,
you could walk down the street and have a conversation
and people are doing stuff and you didn't have a
problem signing autrogress. Today it's like, well, I'm not going
to sign because by soign I don't get paid, and
so everything's so different today. And you know, I've always
felt I think the greatest compliment I've ever gotten was
(40:40):
from Bruce Suitor and he told me, he goes, you know,
you could have played in our ear you could have played.
That's the greatest compliment I've ever gotten. And you know,
I hate that he won't be there.
Speaker 1 (40:51):
Yeah, I have one of his jerseys here at the
seventh inning stretch, Billy, I'm at our beach house in Sandbridge.
I have a Bruce suitter powder blue braves jersey autographs
here at seventh in these stretch. That last question, last
question that we'll let you go. I promise. Yeah, you're
a Hall of Famer, you're a state championship, four time
(41:11):
winning baseball coach, You're a great husband, great father, but
you're also the father of a major League baseball player.
What does that feel like?
Speaker 2 (41:21):
Go, Well, it's fun to be a part of his
journey and to actually be able to talk him through
those moments. As a family, we're all super proud of
all of our kids, and it's different for everybody. But
I know when you put on a uniform and the
(41:42):
last name says Wagner. The expectations are a little bit different,
you know, And I'm sure Glavin's kids had to do
it and things like that, but you know, no matter
what goes on, there's an expectation. So being able to
go with him and be with him and hear his
COMversations and and see his opening his very first four
(42:04):
games uh in Anaheim, and see him just smile so much,
that was that was what it's all about.
Speaker 1 (42:12):
Well, we're gonna let you go there, you Joe T.
Jot back from the dead against hockey. He's not like
this at a buffet, I promise you that. But we're
so proud of you. I'm really I'm really proud to
tell people that you and our friends and I'll do
anything for you. Uh, and we really appreciate you. MP.
(42:32):
Thank you, Joe T. Thank you. We missed cheats. And
with that inning number five, Season two Party Time, you
never know what's going to happen, and today in inning
number five, we talked about a box of shit. Thank
you for listening to this inning of Party Time presented
by Butch Light and Performance Food Service. Please follow us
(42:56):
on all your social media channels and also like us,
subscribe us tell all your friends about us, hell even
tell people you don't like about party time, and also
follow us on our social media at party time.
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