Baseball profile: Billy Wagner—Philadelphia Phillies

Baseball Digest, Oct, 2005 by Rick Sorci

FULL NAME: William Edward Wagner

AGE, HT., WT.: 34, 5-11, 201

HOME: Crozet, Virginia

STATUS/FAMILY: Married with three children

NICKNAME: Wags

LIFE OUTSIDE OF BASEBALL: A lot simpler than playing baseball. I relax and spend time with my family on our six-acre farm.

PEOPLE WHO INFLUENCED ME THE MOST/WHY? I'd say Mike Magnante, Donne Wall and Xavier Hernandez. They taught me how to be humble, to stay on an even keel and how to respect the game. It's helped me get through some tough times.

BEST ADVICE ANYONE EVER GAVE ME: My high school (Tazewell, Virginia) baseball coach, Lou Perry, who told me to stay humble, work hard, and continue to improve. He helped me appreciate the game a lot.

PLAYERS--PAST AND PRESENT--I'D PAY TO WATCH PLAY BASEBALL: In the past, Dale Murphy and Bob Gibson. Today, Roger Clemens and Carlos Beltran.

HOBBIES: I like hunting, fishing and golf. But I also have a small alapaca (similar to a llama only tamer) farm that takes up a lot of my time.

FAVORITE ACTOR/ACTRESS: Tom Cruise and Sally Fields

FAVORITE MOVIE: The Last Samurai

FAVORITE TV SHOW: Small Bill

FAVORITE MUSIC: Country

FAVORITE FOOD: Beans and cornbread

FAVORITE BALLPARKS: Wrigley Field and Fenway Park

FAVORITE PROFESSIONAL SPORTS TEAM OUTSIDE OF BASEBALL: Houston Texans

BEST TIME OF MY LIFE/WHY? With the Astros, being a part of the no-hitter in 2003 against the Yankees. It was my first trip to Yankee Stadium--the Bronx Zoo. When I came in the game, the fans were chanting my name. Then I finished up the no-hitter. It was great. It'll probably never happen again.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT: That I haven't played in a World Series.

PLAYERS I LEARNED THE MOST FROM: Mike Magnante and Xavier Hernandez

SPORTS HERO WHEN I WAS YOUNG: Dale Murphy

THE CHARACTERISTIC I ADMIRE MOST IN A PERSON: Accountability and honesty

THE TRUEST SIGN OF SUCCESS: Humility

THE MOST IMPORTANT ATTRIBUTE A BASEBALL PLAYER NEEDS: You have to be mentally there. Your talent is there, but you have to be there mentally, too.

IF I COULD CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT BASEBALL IT WOULD BE: Make the fields bigger.

IF NOT A BASEBALL PLAYER, I WOULD HAVE BEEN: A police officer

BEHIND MY BACK THEY SAY: That I'm blunt and to the point.

TOUGHEST BATTER I'VE EVER FACED: Anybody that comes up to the plate with a bat. There's a long and distinguished line of them. I've never looked at one being more important than the other. Every guy in this day and age is tough.

LIFE AFTER BASEBALL: A lot simpler. I think it will be a lot easier for me to relax and enjoy my wife and three kids.

MY MOST EMBARRASSING BASEBALL EXPERIENCE: One time in Houston, I came into the game thinking there were two outs, but there was only one. I got the batter out, jumped off the mound and headed for the dugout. Then I realized there was just two outs. I looked over at Jeff Bagwell at first base and he gave me this look like, "What's wrong with you?" That was pretty embarrassing climbing back on the mound.

MY MOST MEMORABLE GAME: Without a doubt, the no-hitter at Yankee Stadium. Six pitchers combined to throw a no-hitter at Yankee Stadium. It hadn't been done in 50 years (no-hitter against Yankees in Yankee Stadium). I got the last three outs. I faced Jorge Posada, Bubba Trammell and Hideki Matsui--two punch outs (strikeouts) and a groundball to Bagwell, who tossed the ball to me for the last out.