Walding mulls coaching future
Mitch Walding is a 26-yearold third baseman with 43 days of major-league experience and a member of the Phillies’ 40-man roster.
The California native is a stellar defensive player who has a history at the upper levels of the minor leagues of being a streaky hitter.
This season has been no exception at Triple-A Lehigh Valley. No matter how things are going at the plate, Walding is working in the cage before games and remains focused in the field.
Here’s a Q&A with the Phils’ 2011 fifth-round pick:
First car: “Chevy Tahoe, all black, got it in high school. It was used. Probably my favorite car I ever had.”
First job: “I refereed little kids’ basketball games. I was probably a sophomore, junior in high school.”
First tattoo: “No tattoos ever.”
First baseball memory: “Playing in the back yard with my dad, him tossing me balls when I was really young. From actually watching an MLB game, I remember going to a San Francisco Giants game when [Barry] Bonds was on a tear. I was there and saw his 71st home run in person. That was pretty cool.”
Worst weather you’ve played in: “There have been so many games. I don’t know where to begin. There was one I played in low-A against the Marlins organization. I don’t even remember where the stadium was. It was lightning. It was pouring the entire game. I don’t even know why we were playing. It was ridiculous that we were out there actually playing.”
Most treasured memorabilia growing up: “Michael Jordan signed jersey. My dad has a huge collection of baseball memorabilia. He has signed balls. He’s got Mantle, Gehrig. He’s a big Packers fan so he’s got Brett Favre everything. He’s got Griffey’s bat. … The Jordan jersey is actually in a box in a closet somewhere. It was my grandfather’s. I found it and left it in there so nobody would be able to find it and I could keep it.”
What did you do with your first baseball check: “I got a good look at it and saw the taxes. It was pretty depressing. I just put it in my fund and invested it. It was great to see, then realize where it was all going.”
Golf, video games or pingpong: “I’m going to have to go with golf because I know I’m going to play it a lot more when I’m older. Not a huge video games guy. Ping-pong is cool for the clubhouse, but I think golf in the long haul will be the one.”
Most stressed you’ve ever been on a baseball field: “Probably this year when I was going through my strikeout streak. It was definitely a rough moment in my career where I kind of felt helpless. I knew there was something going on outside of what I was trying to do. I thought I was putting in the work to get better. It wasn’t really turning out for about a week, but it’s worked its way out. That’s probably the low point in my career.”
When baseball is done, what will you do: “I think I’d want to coach. I don’t think I’d want to coach in professional baseball. We’ll see where it goes. I think I’d like to go back and get my degree and maybe try to do the college baseball route, or maybe high school. I don’t know if I see myself on a bus anymore, dealing with that whole thing. But that’s down the road.”
Worst minor-league living arrangement: “I’ve had quite a few. I had one where Jake Thompson, Andrew Knapp and Tyler Goeddel had an apartment in Clearwater, Florida. They were in big-league camp. I was going to play for the Threshers that year. They’re like, ‘Hey, why don’t you take over the lease? You could just move right in.’ I thought it was great, an easy transition.
“It was not an easy transition. There was all kinds of paperwork. It was a big ordeal. Jake Thompson also had this ginormous beanbag that he left behind. His dog ripped it apart. He left it there. His dog also left about four pounds of dog poop on the balcony and just mounds of dog poop all over the place and did not pick it up and just left it there for me to pick it up. I just about lost it. I tell him to this day, ‘Thanks, man. Appreciate it. What were you thinking?’”
Funniest on-field conversation you had: “I hit a ball in spring training. It was the last game of spring training before we head on the flight to come up here. It was probably two, three years ago. It was a 10 o’clock [intrasquad] game on a back field in Clearwater. I hit a ball in the gap. I absolutely crushed this ball. The sun is coming up over the field. I know I crushed this ball, but you can’t really see it. I get to second base. I’m thinking for sure it’s a double. They’re throwing the ball in. I couldn’t see them catch it. I’m at second base, and they’re like, ‘We caught the ball.’
“I start taking a few steps off to go back to the dugout. The second baseman goes to tag me and I’m like, ‘Whoa.’ I jumped on second base and am like, ‘Am I safe or out?’ The second baseman is like, ‘No, I’m just messing with you. You’re out.’
So I took a few more steps off, and he goes to tag me. I get back on second base and am wondering what’s going on. The umpire is laughing, thinking this is hilarious. The game doesn’t mean anything. [Derek Campbell] is messing with me. I don’t know whether I’m safe or out. So, finally, after 3, 4 minutes of everyone dying laughing, I’m just like, ‘Forget it,’ and go back to the dugout. I was out on the original play.”