The ‘King Fish’ Tim Salmon Chat Transcript

With great pleasure AngelsWin.com the internet home for Angels fans brought to you a live chat with all-time Angel great Tim Salmon at 2 PM PST on May 13th, 2010. 

Tim Salmon is one of the most loved and popular all-time Angels’ players in the history of the franchise. This is the first time an Angels’ player either former or current has chatted live with the fans on a fan site. As always,  AngelsWin.com strives to bring you insider, exclusive coverage and features of the current team, organization, farm club, player journals and live interaction with Angels personnel or former players.

So without further adieu, here’s the chat transcript from today’s live chat with Mr. Angel himself, Tim Salmon.

Chuck Richter: Make sure to purchase Tim’s new autobiography Always An Angel and get it signed this weekend at the following locations below. All proceeds will benefit the Tim Salmon Foundation.

Saturday, May 15, 2010

12:00 PM

Borders

429 S. Associated Rd.

Brea, CA 92821

Sunday, May 16, 2010

12:00 PM

Costco

900 S. Harbor Blvd.

Fullerton, CA 92832

Chuck Richter: The chat will begin at 2 PM PST. Tim should be arriving around that time. If you’d like to get your questions queued up, go ahead and post them now. They will not show up until they’ve been approved and processed by the chat moderator.

Tim Salmon: Hello this is Tim. We’ll get started here in a few minutes.

Chuck Richter: First question to Tim…

Tim, would you ever consider a return to baseball as a coach? Hitting Coach?

Tim Salmon: Adam, yes I would. It all boils down to my family at this point though. I really enjoy coaching my two boys in youth sports so any coaching at the ML level won’t be for a few more years.

Have the Angels approached you about retiring the #15?

Tim Salmon: Ryan, no not yet. I know the clubhouse personnel won’t hand out my number to any young players at the moment though. If it happens that would be great. But, I don’t think it will be for a few more years.

What guys from the late 90’s/Early 2000’s teams do you stay in contact with?

Tim Salmon: Adam, not as many as you would think. We’ve all moved on to normal-busy lives. I do stay in touch with Chad Curtis, Orlando Palmiero, Shawn Boskie, Eck, Ersty, and GA.

What is your favorite Angels jersey/logo that you played in?

Tim Salmon: C_HB, I really love the current jersey’s. The red really stands out and give the team a different identity than in the past. But, saying that, my first jersey worn in 2002 is a close second. It had a classic look that I remember seeing as a kid.

Tim, thank you for appearing here on Angelswin.com. Could you tell us who your biggest mentor was on the farm and also up here at the ML level?

Tim Salmon: Jeff, It would have to be Joe Madden for sure. He sat at my table when I signed out of college, held my hand through the minors, and was my biggest encourager in the big leagues. But, there were many others along the way like Gene Richards and Lenny Sakata that really helped me at different times.

Outside of anything that happened during the 2002 season because it is too obvious. What is your most memorable moment in the bigs?

Tim Salmon: Tim, probably the night Cal Ripken Jr. broke Lou G. record for consecutive games. That night was truly amazing. Taking part in such an historic night was a huge highlight in my career.

Tim, other than Angel Stadium what was your favorite Major League park to play in?

Tim Salmon: Billy, that depends. From a success standpoint it was Texas because the ball flies in the heat. But, purely from a ambiance or ascetic point of view, probably Yankee Stadium or Fenway park. For obvious reasons, they history behind these two parks makes for an exciting style of play.

What is your favorite memory from your 1993 Rookie of the Year season?

Tim Salmon: Spiritof2002, Wow your really testing my memory. Lets see, my first child was born! Probably experiencing the day to day lifestyle of playing in the major leagues. Every city we went to was new and fresh. Experiencing the different ballparks and comparing it against my pre-conceived ideas I had about them. Taking the field with so many of my childhood heroes was pretty cool.

What has been the driving force behind your success on and off the field?

Tim Salmon: Kaipo, my type A personality. I’m such a perfectionist. But, to me it has always been an integrity and faith issue to always give my best effort in anything I do.

Who is the best player you ever played alongside and/or against?

Tim Salmon: Lou, tough to narrow down to one. Bo Jackson was probably the most gifted athlete to play along side with. Superman basically. What he could do on artificial hips at the end of his career was amazing. Might have been the best ever if he never got hurt in football. Ricky Henderson a close second. Just a specimen!

While you were growing up, what was your favorite baseball team and who were your favorite players?

Tim Salmon: Bob, the other team in L.A. Dare I say Dodgers in this forum? Growing up during the 70’s in So. Cal. the Dodgers were the talk of the town. Steve Garvey was my hero. Every time I swung a bat as a kid, that’s who I was imitating. His number 6 was the most popular number to get on a team and unfortunately I never got to wear it. As a side note, I just met him for the first time last month at an Angel game.

You got to see Barry Bonds up close in the 2002 World Series, given the accusations of PED use by Bonds, does that cloud your perception of him and his accomplishments?

Tim Salmon: Nate, yes to some extent. When you talk about Barry, you have to remember all the MVP’s and that he was HOF bound before the period of time he got real big. So while I think some of his last years might have skewed his overall production in the record books, he in my mind will always be a HOF candidate because he was an awesome player for many years before all the acquisitions.

Tim, thanks again for taking the time to talk to us here at AngelsWin.com! The Halos are off to a rough start so far this season. Can you tell us what the typical player is feeling right now? Are they down? Are they just waiting for things to turn around? Are they pressing? If you could give advice, what would you tell them?

Tim Salmon: Geoff, yes on all fronts. Everyone is looking for answers and something to build on every day. Unfortunately, it will take a collective effort, so getting all cylinders firing can be a struggle. The funny part about the game is this: When it clicks in everyone will quickly forget about the struggles. So, who knows, a week or two from now, things might be different and they could be the talk of the game changing everyone’s predictions. Just have to wait and see. Scosh is a much better motivator than me. I know he is telling everyone to worry about one game at a time, one inning, one at bat, one pitch. Simplify your focus to the things you can control.

More of a comment then a question, but I was always one of those kids waiting after games for an autograph and you coming out pens blazing, wrist bands, batting gloves… I just want to say thank you. You have no idea how awesome that was

Tim Salmon: Clayton, thanks for that. I always appreciated the fans and recognized I couldn’t meet every request. But, I really enjoyed handing those items out to the kids and seeing the response I got back. I guess I always saw myself as a 10yr old on the other side of the fence and how much it would mean to me.

Thanks for joining us today, Tim. As an outspoken Christian, how do you handle non-believers who might question your faith or make fun of you for believing?

Tim Salmon: Timmah, well I think all Christians are wired a little different to deal with this kind of question. For me I was never preachy, I always believed my actions spoke louder than any words could say. Given this and my stature on the team I think gave me more credibility in the clubhouse than some other Christian players. I think most people in general can respect the character and integrity Christianity is teaching. What turns people off is when Christians aren’t displaying it, and in turn questioning others behavior. Everyone needs to remember that Christians aren’t perfect (only Jesus was) but, they’re forgiven! We’re all going to mess up living in a sinful world.

Which pitcher(s) did you step into the box against and think to yourself “I can’t believe I’m hitting against this guy!” Which pitcher(s) were the toughest you faced over your career?

Tim Salmon: Geoff, Nolan Ryan, Roger Clemens, really a lot of the old timers I faced early in my career. By far the toughest might come as a surprise though! Jamie Moyer! I dreaded facing him, especially after facing Randy Johnson the night before. His Bugs Bunny change-up spun me into the ground more than once. Ersty and I would always check the rotation two weeks out to see if we had to face him when we traveled to Seattle. Nobody else could command such attention when I played.

Tim, what went through your mind when a pitcher intentionally walks the guy in front of you? Do you remember one event where you got the best of that situation?

Tim Salmon: Eric, it always depended on how I was swinging the bat. Unfortunately, when they walk the guy in front of you, you must not be swinging it too well. So in most instances I never remember feeling overly confident. Competitive of course, but never in a cocky way. In fact, I can’t recall any pitcher or situation I ever took lightly or felt like I owned the pitcher. Having a healthy respect for my opponent made me focus my efforts all the time.

Will you get involved in MLB again in some capacity, maybe even in broadcasting?

Tim Salmon: AIR, like a similar response earlier, I would love the opportunity to test the waters in a variety of ways at the ML level. I think it would be lots of fun. I just cannot commit to the 6-8 month baseball schedule at the moment. My time now is devoted to my family and their needs.

Tim, in your career you played for several different managers with different styles. What was the one thing you took away from each as a player?

Tim Salmon: David, well, I suppose you want a comment on each….and I had a few. Buck was old school and I try to remember some of the old school ways when I played. Lach-was a players manager and I always appreciated the way he treated us like men. Collins unfortunately makes me remember that holding back the truth to please everyone will back fire on you. Scoish has shown me that team chemistry is such a vital ingredient to winning. I’m sorry I skipped some of the intern managers.

What is the best practical joke you ever saw in the clubhouse or on the road?

Tim Salmon: Rob, three man lift. Conning an unsuspecting player into taking part in a feat of strength demonstration, the person is locked down on the ground, unable to move, as the team showers him with any and every disgusting thing to be found in the clubhouse. Hope you have a good imagination.

Chuck Richter: OK guys, we’re at 3:00 PM. Tim has a busy schedule and we’re set to end at 3. So, it’s up to Tim if he can take anymore questions and go longer.

Tim Salmon: Chuck lets go for one more. Do your best to find a good one.

Chuck Richter: OK, here goes..

How was your experience(s) visiting troops overseas?

Tim Salmon: Karolyn, okay that’s a good one to end on. What an unbelievable experience! It definitely brought things into perspective. The men and women over there were great. They are so committed to their jobs serving our country. The over whelming message they all sent home with me was to tell people they’re making a difference in peoples lives over there. They were so dis-appointed in the negativity much of the mainstream media was sharing. I totally expected to hear stories of fear and missing families at home, but the over-whelming majority I met said they would sign up again. Very different from what we hear in the newspapers. I guess you have to understand the mindset of anyone that joins the military. The chance of serving in a conflict overseas is question they all have all considered and answered when they signed up. Our military men and women are awesome!

Chuck Richter: And lastly, real quick Tim. Since the book signing is this weekend and there will be purchases. What do you hope people can take away from reading your book?

Tim Salmon: Everyone, I hope you all have a chance to read my book. Early responses have been very positive. I set out for it to be a fun read that every Angel fan would enjoy. Everything is from a positive perspective so you will be disappointed if you expected something different. Please come out this weekend and pick up a copy. All proceeds go to my foundation which benefits many charities in OC. Thanks and hope to see you this weekend. Oh btw. You can go to my website (timsalmon.com) later in the week and order a copy online.

Chuck Richter: Great questions and answers. This has been fantastic, Tim. I can speak for all of the Angels fans who participated today and say, Thank You, Mr. Angel. There are hundreds of questions and comments still in the queue so I would say to those who didn’t get their questions answered, buy and read the book. Your answer is probably in there.

Much thanks and best wishes, Tim.

Respectfully,

AngelsWin.com

Thursday May 13, 2010 3:17 – Chuck Richter