Issue #3, April 2013
(Help us keep our newsletter Free,
visit our on-line Collectibles, Baseball & Athletic Gear Store)
**
Interview with Billy Sample, ex Major Leaguer and
Baseball Broadcaster
**
(conducted by Wolfman Shapiro)
(Wolfman's Comments:
I want to personally thanks Mr. Sample for taking time out of
his busy schedule to become our first ex Major League Baseball
Player to speak with us. I don't know how many of your remember
Billy when he played in the late '70s and 1980s but you could
say if you reviewed his statistics he was a good player that
helped the three teams he played for in his career: the Texas
Rangers 1978-1984, New York Yankees in 1985 and the Atlanta
Braves in 1986. His accomplishments included making the Topps
All Rookie team in 1979, was fifth in stolen bases with 44 in
1983, was not easy to strike out and had a career .272 batting
average and .982 fielding average. After he finished his
playing days he became a broadcaster/writer for the Braves,
Mariners and Angels. He also will discuss in his interview
a movie he has helped to create about life in baseball.
The Ultimate Strat Baseball Newsletter is proud to welcome Billy
Sample.)
--------------------
|
Baseball Card of Billy in his Prime when he
played
for the Texas Rangers from his Facebook Pages |
Wolfman:
Billy we are very honored to have you here.
According to the Wiki information about yourself,
when you were younger you were quite athletic and
played in high school Football, Basketball and
Baseball. Why did you decide to focus more on
baseball? Did you stay play all three sports while
in
College?
Billy:
I was a back up on the Debate team as a freshman,
(We the Affirmative, accept the challenge of the
resolve and will prove that U.S. unilateral
intervention into southeast Asia is
unconstitutional-- the topic in 1969) and was in two
plays my junior year. It was that year, with playing
the three sports, that I went home straight from
school only two days in the school year. Though I
think I was a slightly better football player (who's
around to argue) I felt, around the age of fifteen,
I think I had a better chance of going pro as a
baseball player. Though I was a second team
all-state wide receiver, I did not play football at
James Madison University, in part, for fear of
injury. The joke was on me, as I have no cartilage
in the knees due to baseball ... |
Wolfman:
When you were small did you play in little league? How did your
interest start in baseball? Who was or were you favorite
professional baseball players when you were young and which team
did you root for? Did you ever think or believe you could become
a major league ballplayer?
Billy:
I didn't get to play much until my last year in Little League,
in fact, I quit one season. I was playing so little that my
mother allowed me to turn in my uniform, which was not usual as
she didn't allow to stop on anything that we started ... It was
under my coach, Jr. Epperly, a tough taskmaster, that I
developed my initial self-esteem to become a baseball player,
playing third base on the league's winningest team
sponsored by Dr. Pepper. If my diet allows for carbonated sugar
water, I still think of Dr. Pepper first ...
I don't know if I had a favorite team, but I can remember a lot
about the Yankees. Back in those days I only got to see the Game
of the Week, and that's only if I wasn't playing my own games
outside. It was pleasing to see some of those players as I got
involved in the game like Tony Kubek, Bobby Richardson, Clete
Boyer and Joe Pepitone to name a few ...
I guess I did think I could become a major league player.
Growing up in minor league town (Salem, Virginia) may helped as
I could measure what I needed to do to get to the next level,
and sure enough some of the players I watched as a teenager
became teammates, as did Mario Mendoza.
Wolfman:
How did the Texas Rangers find you to draft you? Can you tell us
this story? How long did you play in the minor leagues? It shows
in your on-line career statistics that the Rangers brought you
up in 1978 at 23 years old, so it couldn't have been too long?
Billy:
A lovely man, Joe Branzell was the Rangers' area scout who
drafted me in the 28th round out of high school. I was
disappointed as I was led to believe that I would go somewhere
in the teens, not by Joe, but by other scouts. I told Joe I
didn't know they had that many rounds. Countering my
disappointment, Joe said "Twenty-three teams passed over you
twenty-seven times!", as if to say, don't blame us for drafting
you. I'm sure that this wasn't the first time Joe had
paraphrased that quote. After three years at JMU, Joe and the
Rangers drafted me again, this time in the 10th round. I played
a short season of "A" ball or rookie ball in Sarasota, Florida,
then skipped "A" ball barely went to "Double A" in Tulsa with
the following year to "Triple A" Tucson and then was called up
to the Majors at the end of the "Triple A" season. I had given
myself three to four years to make it, so, I was on schedule.
Wolfman:
Billy for you, what was it like to be a professional player? To
those of us who are either fans or as I told you, play these
simulated baseball games and get to be armchair managers, we
think it is a glorious life. Is it? How did you get along with
your team mates?
Billy:
Well, we are all different, I didn't find it so glorious,
although I think I know how laypeople envision baseball life.
Back then we didn't make a lot of money to enhance the glorious
part of the game. My first contract was $21,000, so, you're
taking home seventeen thousand during the double digit inflation
days of the late nineteen seventies ... let me tell you how far
that didn't go. And this is after years of making no money in
the minors, well, none to speak of, and I don't think the minor
league money has increased all that much ...
Now, the
minimum salary is approaching five hundred thousand, so, after
taxes if the ballplayer is clearing three-fifty (350,000) or so,
then, you can have that income spread throughout the year. Then
you couldn't do that in the late seventies and eighties ... And
yes, my salary increased the next year where I made $35,000 ...
but I still lived in a one room apartment.
Wolfman:
How do the
players get along on a major league team. For example at a
Mariner game I met a pitching rookie who was very friendly and
open to briefly chat with me. But I would think the veteran
players might be a bit harder to have contact with. Do the
players really welcome playing as a team and how important is
this?
Billy:
Imagine a traveling party of thirty-five to forty people in any
profession, with all of the interactions in a high pressure
profession. I am not sure one can characterize such a group as I
played with three different organizations and they all were
different. The personalities were different, though from my
days, the Rangers and Yankees were more similar than either one
was to the Braves in temperament and personalities ... though
the Yankees and Braves were more similar in the high quality of
travel.
Wolfman:
Were there
any some what well known ball players we may know by name who
you became friendly with? Do ex-ball players remain in touch
after their playing days?
Billy:
I
would advise fans to attend any MLB Alumni functions or BAT
dinner functions because to hear the stories and to be around
the players is worth your personal costs of these functions. In
fact, I look forward to hearing the stories myself, it's hard to
leave those functions without crying from laughing. Now, after
saying all of that, I was a loner for the most part, but do
enjoy the camaraderie and the humor. Some of this I captured in
my movie, "Reunion 108", though the movie is not for the
faint of heart, ha or those of high morality.
(Wolfman's Notes - According the movie Facebook page: "Reunion
108"
is a full-length, comedy feature film that promises to be a no
holds bar behind the scenes and in your face look into the world
of professional baseball. If you would like to view the trailer
go to -
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=148383178659826
Additionally I found another interview done with Billy where he
did comment about other MLB players he knew or had contact with
done by Norm Ordaz the middle of April, check it out at:
http://9inningknowitall.com/2013/04/18/beyond-left-field-with-norm-billy-sample/
)
Wolfman:
Now that you are retired - do you miss playing the game? Was it
a good life to live as a ball player and do you receive special
benefits after you stopped playing? What was it like to be a
broadcaster?
Billy:
Nope, really didn't miss playing the game, though I was a victim
of collusion as I wanted to play a couple of more years. What I
really miss is the camaraderie and competition and the
situations like - we are trailing by one run, Wayne Tolleson is
at the plate batting from the left side, his least power side.
I'm on second with two outs. Winfield is cheating in leftfield.
Then Wayne hits a line drive one-hopper to Dave and I have to
score, with Cerone blocking the plate, and I refuse to slide -
this is the kind of competition that is not found in the
non-baseball world
I enjoyed broadcasting, didn't enjoy opening or closing a show
particularly, but to describe the action during a game was
plenty of fun, especially as I knew certain nuances that could
enhance people's appreciation of the game. I felt that way as a
writer/columnist as well.
Wolfman:
Can you share with us any special experiences you had while a
player? Either a special game performance, or an unbelievable
moment where you made a winning hit or an outstanding defensive
play - what would be such a key moment or moments? What do you
remember the
most of your playing days?
Billy:
I made more than my share of diving catches and some were
unbelievable enough that I had to tell myself to make it look
natural at the end of the catch, cause I had no idea how I got
to the ball ... there are some youtube films of some of these
catches ...
Wolfman:
Now you know that our members are involved with Strat-o-matic?
We are told and have read that there are professional players
who have actually played the game and even some
sport casters who this game helped them later in life with their
job. Have you heard of someone that did play Strat-o-matic?
I heard Keith Hernandez (he is has been the Met's broadcaster
for a better part of two decades) mention Strat-o-matic this
week during one of the games. I think I have one of my cards
somewhere, an autograph collector sent it to me.
(Wolfman's
Note - when I spoke to Billy originally on facebook, he knew
about APBA, he didn't agree with his card on that game and also
knew about Strat-o-matic too!)
Wolfman:
If any of our members would like to speak with you, what would
be the best way to contact you?
Billy:
Probably initially through Facebook ... unless they want to
invest in a movie, then they can have my direct line:-))
Actually, the movie should be out in May
My facebook website is at:
https://www.facebook.com/billy.sample.75
Wolfman:
Billy, thank you again for giving us a chance to see about life
as a major league baseball player. We wish you a lot of success
with your new movie and if you ever wish to come visit with us
again, let us know!
----------------------
Wolfman has an Idea:
If
there are any members who have the 1978-1986 SOM Baseball Card
seasons and can scan for me an image of Billy Sample's player
cards in those years I will make sure that he gets it and report
back with any comments or feedback he has. Thanks!!
Contained inside this exciting issue of Ultimate Strat
Baseball Newsletter:
(to view the various interviews, articles, columns and special sections click on
the links {underlined} and this will take you to the appropriate
webpage)
♦
RETURN TO NEWSLETTER MAIN PAGE
♦
INTERVIEW with JEFF POLMAN,
Writer, SOM Website Columnist, Replay Expert.
♦
INTERVIEW with JIM CALLIS and KEN
DAVIDOFF,
Jim is Executive Editor of
Baseball America and Ken is a baseball columnist for the NY Post
♦
EARLY SOM
CONVENTIONS COLUMN with WOLFMAN SHAPIRO --
editor of
"The Ultimate Strat Newsletter" and 2012 CBA Champion.
Wolfman takes us back in
this article to the third national Strat-o-matic
Convention in 1974 held in Champaign-Urbana, IL, at the
University of Illinois as the Wolfman and his buddies organize
their first convention. Wolfman will be
our guide through the first nine conventions going through 1980
of which he was present at each one. We now begin the era from 1974-1980
when the conventions moved to Illinois. We will continue to share one new convention in
each future issue till all of these early ones are published.
♦
INTERVIEW with PETE
NELSON, (STAR),
Board Member of the Star
Tournaments Association, discusses what the Star Tournaments are
all about.
♦
INTERVIEW with WILLY
DOMINQUEZ,
January 2013 STAR Worlds
Champion
♦
INTERVIEW with TERRY
BARTELME,
SOM Gamer, Discusses his
experiences with the Negro and Japanese Players working with
private developers.
♦
COMMISSIONER's CORNER with MARC WASSERMAN --
commissioner of the Cyber Baseball Association (CBA) continues
his column about what it is like to be a League Commissioner. In
this article he discusses the early development of a League's
Constitution, League Themes and Economics.
♦
SOM BASEBALL CARDS QUIZ
- our test of your knowledge of the SOM Baseball Cards,
questions and answers provided by Marc Wasserman. In this issue
we give the answers to
Quiz #2,
explain our new format for this column, introduce some early SOM
Baseball cards from the 1960 and 1961 seasons thanks to Tom
Nahigian who is also interviewed in this issue in his own
section.
♦
INTERVIEW with
TOM NAHIGIAN
--
SOM Gamer, Baseball Card Collector
♦
RECOMMEND
ON-LINE SOM RESOURCES
-- On-line Strat-o-matic and Baseball related websites that offer amazing information, special tools and products to improve
your game play
that we strongly recommend. In most cases, we have had personal contact with
these sources who agree with the principle to work together and help promote each other.
♦
BOOKS TO
DIE FOR and Become a BASEBALL GURU
-- This page
is a new page we are adding for the newsletter that is
specifically about special books we are finding that either will
expand your insights about the game of Baseball, help you in the
creation of your current league teams or with your replays and
learn more about the Strat-o-matic Base Game and Game Company's
history. At the time of the release of this newsletter we
have a special arrangement with Acta Sports to offer our members
a 10% discount. We hope to add more books in the future.
Contact Us for Questions or Submissions:
Wolfman Shapiro
Founder/Editor, the
Ultimate Strat Baseball Newsletter
email:
wolfmanshapiro@gmail.com
facebook:
www.facebook.com/wolfman.shapiro
twitter:
@StratBaseball4U
To Sign Up and Become a Member of this Newsletter
http://www.UltimateStratBaseball.com
(this provides direct emails when our bulletins
and next
issues come out)
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