The 100 Greatest Royals of All-Time

#38 Wally Joyner

1992-1995
518 Games .293/.371/.434
44 HR 271 RBI

I believe Wally Joyner is the greatest Mormon in Royals history, that is, until John Buck puts together some monster seasons. Wally looked more like an accountant than a ballplayer. He had a baby-face and a gentle demeanor and did not have a body-builder physique like so many other sluggers. Nonetheless, he was one of the more feared power hitters in the league for his first two seasons. Mysteriously, that power would disappear for much of the rest of his career. He was never a great power hitter with the Royals, but he was still valuable as a player who could get on base at a great rate and provide excellent defense.

Wally went to high school in suburban Atlanta, but like many Mormons, attended college at Brigham Young University. He was selected in the third round of the 1983 draft by the California Angels. Wally hit for a high average in the minors, but was not a huge home run threat. After the 1985 season, he played winter ball in Puerto Rico. There he met hitting instructor Jose Manuel Morales, who had Joyner develop his upper body strength and modify his hitting stance.

Joyner won the Angels starting first baseman job in 1986 and got off to a sensational start. He soon became a fan favorite with the nickname "Wally World", after the fictional amusement park in "National Lampoon Vacation."* He became the first rookie to be voted into the All-Star Game and tied for the Home Run Derby crown. He became a minor celebrity, although that came with its risks. In August in Yankee Stadium, he was grazed by a knife thrown from the stands. He ended the year with a .290 average, 22 home runs and 100 RBI. Wally finished second only to Jose Canseco in Rookie of the Year balloting.

Joyner would have a monster home run season in 1987, as many hitters did. The ball was juiced* that year as many hitters like Larry Sheets, Dale Sveum, Matt Nokes and Wade Boggs had abnormal spikes in home run production. Joyner enjoyed the spike, clobbering 34 home runs, third in the league, and knocking in 117 runs.

*-Was the ball juiced? I don't know if I've ever heard a sufficient explanation for the loopy numbers of 1987.

In 1988, the offense came back down to earth and Joyner's power dropped precipitously. He hit just 13 home runs, although he hit a career high .295. His numbers would slump the next two seasons, although he would revive his career in his contract year in 1991 with a career high .301 average, 21 home runs and 96 RBI.

Joyner was still a huge fan favorite with Angels fans, but an icy relationship with Angels General Manager Whitey Herzog and owner Jackie Autry led him to look elsewhere when he filed for free agency that winter. Joyner turned down a four year $16 million deal with the Angels to sign a one year $4.2 million deal with the Kansas City Royals.

"Am I foolish to turn down so much guaranteed money? A lot of people would say yes, but this was never about money. . . . I needed time and space to get away." "I'm absolutely thrilled to have an opportunity to play with the Kansas City Royals."

Wally passed the opportunity to sign a long-term deal with the thinking he would increase his value with a great 1992 season and sign a more lucrative deal elsewhere. Joyner got off to a hot start with the Royals and in June, with his average near .300, he signed a three year extension worth $13.8 million.

He then went on a terrific slide, hitting just .233 over June and July. He ended the year hitting just .269 with a pathetic .386 slugging percentage and just nine home runs. Even worse, his defense began to slide late in the year. He committed three errors in a game against Detroit, and made a mental gaffe late in the year when he trotted off the field after only two outs had been recorded.

"I would be out in the field thinking about the next inning when I'd be up and hitting a double to right-center. I started to press, started to try and do too much."

Joyner bought a house in Kansas City in the off-season and rebounded in 1993 with a terrific season. He led the team in doubles with 36, walks with 66 and runs scored with 83. His .377 on-base percentage was tops on the club and he rebounded to slug .467 with fifteen home runs.

"I don't really consider myself a home-run hitter. I'm a contact hitter with some home-run power."

That winter, Joyner was diagnosed with spondylosis, an abnormal vertebral fixation that had been giving him back problems for the last two seasons. With George Brett retiring, Joyner was expected to hit third in the lineup and produce runs. The Royals also expected him to anchor one of the league's best infield defenses along with Jose Lind, Greg Gagne and Gary Gaetti.

After a strong start, Joyner strained his left shoulder in June. The injury limited his power, but it also caused him to be more selective and make more contact.

"I'm being selective. I'm not going to be able to swing at a lot of pitches. I'm not going to be able to swing a lot because of my shoulder so I have to be selective."

He would hit just eight home runs, but his average would reach a career high at .311. His .386 on-base percentage was eclipsed on the team only by Rookie of the Year Bob Hamelin.

Highest On-Base Percentage, Royals History (min. 1000 PAs)
1. Jose Offerman 1996-1998 .385
2. Kevin Seitzer 1986-1991 .380
3. Danny Tartabull 1987-1991 .376
4. Darrell Porter 1977-1980 .375
5. John Mayberry 1972-1977 .374
6. Wally Joyner 1992-1995 .371

After the work stoppage of 1994, the Royals went into cost-cutting move, leaving Joyner as one of the few high-priced veterans left on the ballclub for 1995. He again led the team in hitting at .310, on-base percentage at .394, doubles with 28, and walks with 69. He continued his slick fielding, committing just three errors all season. His playing time triggered a $5 million option for 1996. The Royals, looking to cut costs, dealt Joyner to San Diego for infielder Bip Roberts.

"I'm going to miss Kansas City. My family and I had a great time here, and we made a lot of friends. I'm looking forward to San Diego because I'm familiar with southern California, but I will always remember my experiences here. The Royals treated me with a lot of class.''

Joyner would play six more seasons with the Padres, Braves and Angels before retiring in 2001 with over two-thousand career hits and a lifetime .289 average.

"I still felt great when I was on deck, felt great walking back to the dugout. It was what was in between that wasn't so great anymore."

In 2005, Joyner admitted to having briefly used steroids with teammate Ken Caminiti in 1998. In 2007, he was mentioned in The Mitchell Report as having used steroids in his career, although it qualified his use as minimal.

Wally was hired by the San Diego Padres to be their hitting instructor in 2007, but surprised many when he resigned last fall. He now appears in infommercials espousing the wonders of Xocai Chocolate, and has acted in a few movies for the Church of Latter Day Saints as well as the thriller "The Darwin Conspiracy" (plot: The frozen body of a prehistoric, but super-advanced, human leads scientists to start covert DNA experiments for the development of a new race of super beings!!!! Oh, and it also stars Willie Gault and Steve Garvey. How did this not win an Oscar?)

I think many people will harp on the fact that Joyner lost his power and portray him as a disappointment for never recapturing that power. That would ignore the fact that the guy was a great contact hitter who could draw walks and play slick defense. He was a good, not great hitter and by all accounts a great clubhouse guy.

Now as for acting...