20 Questions With All-Star & 1992 World Series Champion Pat Tabler!!!
You may recall that a few weeks ago I offered the ’30-YOC’ faithful the opportunity to join in a private signing being held with former AL All-Star, Pat Tabler.
Well, the signing was held last week and all items that were sent in are now in the mail and should be returned to you shortly.
In addition to that, I was also given the chance to submit a ’20 Questions’ interview for Mr. Tabler.
So, without further ado, here we go….
20 Questions With Pat Tabler
1. Your first big league hit came during your debut in the big leagues on August 21, 1981. Do you have the ball?
- Yes, Absolutely
2. (from Ron, 30-YOC reader) What is your favorite piece of memorabilia that you have from your playing days?
- World Series Ring from 1992
3. Growing up in Ohio, were you a fan of the ‘Big Red Machine’?
- Yes, Huge fan, Bench, Morgan, Rose were all big idols of mine.
4. Who was your favorite player growing up?
- Anyone from the Big Red Machine, they were all favorites.
5. You made the All-Star team in 1987; sharing the locker room with Ripken, Mattingly, Brett, and other incredible American League talents. What is your greatest memory from that event?
- Just feeling like I belonged with those guys for a day was a thrill for me, just feeling like I belonged, even if just for a day.
6. During that All-Star contest, who were you most excited to meet in person that you had never met prior?
- I was on my way back to my hotel room, and I had a bag of balls with me, I was catching the elevator and the elevator doors opened and there was Joe DiMaggio, so I asked Joe to sign a ball for me and he did. That was exciting.
7. (from Steve, author of WhiteSoxCards) Is there a team or a manager, during your career, that you wanted to play for, but never got the chance?
- Sparky Anderson
8. Who would you consider to be the most talented teammate you ever had?
- Not the best baseball player, but definitely the most talented was Bo Jackson, pure talent
9. (from Gerad, 30-YOC reader) Who is the most talented teammate that you played with that never became what you thought he would become?
- Hard to answer
10. During your playing days, (from Chris, 30-YOC reader) what pitcher gave you the most trouble? Which one were you the most successful against?
- I had the most trouble with Jack Morris and Dave Steib
- I had the most success against Jimmy Key and Mike Flanagan
11. The Braves pitching staff you faced in the 1992 World Series was spectacular. Of them, who was the toughest to compete against?
- John Smoltz
12. The 1992 World Series was fantastic. Who was the first player you hugged after the final out was made?
- Can’t Remember…. everyone was going nuts…. I tried to be the first player to reach Mike Timlin…. but it’s hard to remember in such a moment.
13. You have called some legendary ballparks ‘Home’ during your playing days. Which one was the best? Which team had the best fans?
- Wrigley Field is the answer to both.
14. Toronto’s SkyDome was pretty ground-breaking when it debuted. Of the new ballparks, which would you have loved to play in?
- Camden Yards and the “New” Yankee Stadium for sure
15. During your career, you were numbers 19, 10, 30, 35, and 15. Is there any significance to these numbers?
- No significance at all…. those were just the #’s I was given.
16. With a remarkable batting average of .489 (43 for 88) with the bases loaded, do you believe that a player can be ‘clutch’?
- Yes… Definitely …. it is all about the concentration you have at the plate, concentration levels rise to help you succeed.
17. As a member of the Toronto Blue Jays broadcast team, what visiting hitter do you get most excited about seeing? What pitcher?
- Hitters – Robinson Cano and Evan Longoria
- Pitchers – Jon Lester and David Price
18. Name 1 player that is not in the Hall of Fame today that in your opinion should be.
- Jack Morris
19. (from Craig, 30-YOC reader) Should players that are “known” to have used PED’s be allowed entry into the Baseball Hall of Fame?
- Don’t think so
20. (from NIck, author of ForCardsSake) Do you have any regrets in your career?
- No regrets at all…. it was such a thrill for me to be in the big leagues, I can never replace that time I had, the people I met, and the experiences I had along the way.
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Man, this was a lot of fun!!! Pat Tabler gave some very honest and candid answers to my questions – I am thrilled with how this interview turned out!!!
A big ‘Thank You’ to the readers of ’30-YOC’ that helped with the questions.
A bigger ‘Thank You’ to Pat Tabler – without you this could not have been possible.
And the biggest ‘THANK YOU’ goes to my friend Craig who helped set all of this up for me. Thanks Buddy!!!
