Andrew Walling: Who Are You Without the Game?

Rhett Parker: welcome back to another episode of Surviving U Sports. I'm your host, Rhett Parker, and today, sort of a special guest for me, ⁓ it's someone that I built a relationship with coached, and his name is Andrew Walling, ⁓ and he has had quite the career, and you're still playing? ⁓ and you're getting ready for big league spring training camp. Welcome to the show. Andrew Walling: Yeah, thanks for having me. Appreciate you reaching out and look forward to chatting it up a little bit today. Rhett Parker: Yeah. And, and let's just not run into like your story. Very interesting because you grew up, I mean, not in a big town, like they're the travel ball scene for you. Talk about that because you did not take the, I'm playing for Trotsky or I'm playing for the big clubs, even, even locally route. Andrew Walling: No, growing up it was all through just the local Cal Ripkens playing Babe Ruth, finding a group of buddies that really all enjoyed baseball. really until later in high school, I really just kind of stuck around Longview and played ball with those guys. And we still played really high level baseball. We'd go out and play in times, even coming up to Ravensdale and playing at your tournaments, still got to have plenty of competition. Rhett Parker: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Andrew Walling: It wasn't until a later on in the high school career that it became a little more apparent that like baseball was going to be an option after just the youth and high school. So that initial path though was I grew up playing with guys that I went to school with elementary, middle, high school all the way through. So that was something that I'll always get to kind of carry with me is those memories with those guys. Rhett Parker: And I mean, to put it into context, if you throw the ball 92 to 95 miles an hour in high school and you're left handed, especially, hey guys, you can play for whoever you want to play for it. It like it, you're the, are the, the poster child for that. Like you're, you're, you're a dude and you didn't have to run all over the country to go, to go be a dude. And I would say that Andrew Walling: it's Rhett Parker: knowing your parents a little bit. I mean, your dad would go to some of these events and ⁓ just look around and go, what are all these crazy baseball people doing? ⁓ And think the baseball was just like a cool thing because he's not a baseball guy. And he, I actually think that really helped you, right? Andrew Walling: Okay. Yeah. Yeah, him being a guy that was learning it as I did, I think that was really big. Him having that objective focus to like, he's not a part of it. He never lived it per se. He played sports growing up, but he was never a baseball guy. So he'd kind of look around and we both learned as we went of like, sometimes we would both be dumbfounded. What is going on here? What is this event? How are these people reacting to this different stuff? Because frankly, I didn't know that I was necessarily someone who was above and beyond the level that I was at just in terms of talent. Like you said, I was able to throw it pretty hard at a younger age. I really had no idea. I just played the game because it was fun. I enjoyed doing it on a regular basis and meeting the different people I get to play with. It was just that little bit that I think kept me going. instead of it a and death type of thing even at just a young age, I got to have fun with it. think that was the biggest piece was more so than anything, it's ⁓ just traveling, made it about the game more so than anything. Rhett Parker: Yeah. And you we, took a trip and to, to North Carolina where I think we were 16 and, you used to, mean, in high school, you're really proficient and a really good hitter as well. And, and, I remember you like closed the game against one of the Evo shield teams. Then you had a home run in a game and, Duke and North Carolina are pulling you off to the side and like, Hey, here's scholarship. Cause we're playing at their, at their, at their fields. ⁓ Andrew Walling: Yeah. Rhett Parker: And I mean, it just, do kind of remember like the moment you're like, man, I'm pretty good, and, and it was a cool thing ⁓ for to see, ⁓ you kind of go through that. And then obviously you played area codes and, ⁓ but I don't think, that your career hasn't just done this, right? I, in high school, Andrew Walling: Not even close. Rhett Parker: You weren't drafted. Talk about that for a little bit. Andrew Walling: Yeah, high school that going into that senior year, that summer I tore my UCL. So pitching at a college showcase, ⁓ summer ball came back from, I really kind of a banged up kid all through high school. ⁓ Just couldn't quite catch a break, just some odd thing here with my, with a broken bone or whatever it might've been. And then the UCL went. that junior summer. So I spent my senior year of high school rehab in a torn UCL. And that one was, it was not very fun to miss that, that high school year of that last year ball with those guys. But also it, it kind of took, put me through a little bit of a whirlwind going into the next step of college. And still was very thankful to Oregon state who I had committed to that they were going to say, man, like, yeah. get your surgery done, we're gonna take you to come onto campus. But ⁓ as soon as that surgery kinda happened, you could throw a pro ball out the window. And so it was like, okay, we're gonna take the long route, think, ⁓ longer in terms of not going right out of high school. ⁓ there was a few more lessons to be learned along the way. I think that was the beginning of the path that, like you said, the trajectory was not just straight up from there. was a lot of ups and downs and... lessons learned along the way that has gotten us kind of here. Rhett Parker: Right. And, again, talked about being an Oregon State commit, and playing locally and not, ⁓ your dad didn't the bank to do this and do that and run all over the country. Because ⁓ again, when you're good, and you just have to be left handed to it helps. ⁓ You're gonna have a spot. ⁓ And ⁓ and mean, hate to say it like this, but it's true that you almost have to prove you're bad. Andrew Walling: ⁓ Rhett Parker: to not have a spot if you throw a harboring left hand. Like you almost have to like prove that you're not good, But doesn't work for everybody, right? And ⁓ let's start there. ⁓ Let's talk about your Oregon State experience because I know you enjoyed it, but. ⁓ Andrew Walling: it. ⁓ Rhett Parker: There was definitely some feelings that weren't great as you progress through that. ⁓ Andrew Walling: Yeah, it was tough. think this in the most simple way possible, there was not a lot of easy sailing and ⁓ that was partially in my own fault. ⁓ I think work in terms of understanding what it really took to be good at that level, I don't think I was quite yet quite there yet either. And so I had to learn that lesson for myself in terms of, hey, what it actually takes to be a division one college athlete or even the next step of the pro level is it's the attention to details, the daily commitment to how well are you going to execute each little thing. That is still something I look back on those days of like, but I think that the tougher part for me was I didn't really know where to start. Like you kind of said, I didn't really come from baseball background. So a lot of it was just me kind of picking things up along the way and trying to get any information I could when it was possible. And I think that was something that just in terms of development, I think it kind of ran its course at Oregon State just in terms of what I was able to do. And frankly, I wasn't good enough to be on the field at the time. I wasn't the product that they could put out. It's a very prestigious program and there's phenomenal players that go through there. So. That was what kind of led me to, Hey, this COVID shutdown, it's probably a little bit of a blessing in disguise. Like I'm going to get a year of eligibility back. that's where reached out to you. And we got, got in contact with coach Parker out in Oklahoma. Yeah. Yeah. Yep. He's rapid. That's our guy. ⁓ got in contact with those guys and really understood kind of the path I wanted to take from there was like, I knew I needed to learn how to develop these skills for myself. Rhett Parker: ⁓ I got I got my little rock shirt on Coach Parker. Andrew Walling: more so than trying to just lean on a new coach and try to new gimmick every little time. And I think that that I can really pinpoint is that's where I fell in love with the process. And I think that's something that can get lost a little bit all the way through is it's not always just results oriented. Yes, at the end of the day, did you win? Did you get all the home runs? Did you get the strikeouts? Of course, that's the cool stuff. But if there's anything that I can take from those little blips of my career, it's I can really pinpoint is that's where I fell in love with the process. that's something that can get lost a little bit all the way through is it's not always just results oriented. But if there's anything that I can take from those little blips of ⁓ my career, it's It's all the stuff off the field. It's all the stuff off the field. It's what are the hours you're putting in beforehand? What's the mentality you're trying to create afterwards? What's a plan that you can develop for yourself so you can just continue to excel? And they put it really in place for me to have that opportunity. Like you need to have a place that you can fail without feeling fear. ⁓ And so I think that was something that really stood out to me about those guys when I went down there and talked to them is like, I'm going to have an opportunity to fail, not to say I'm expecting to fail or show up and be poor. But I think in baseball, because so often you do fail, you have to have that ability to know that someone's not just going to ruin your day. Like it's that that's that fear piece that we can either create for ourselves or someone on the outside coach, mom, dad, whatever it might be. I think that's that's something that I had really an opportunity to just kind of play with freedom. And that was those game changing. Rhett Parker: And, and to put it into context for people, you're talking about a guy that was left handed that hit a hundred miles an hour, multiple times at Eastern Oklahoma junior college. Having the ability to talking about having the ability to fail and you don't get the same opportunities and this sort of goes into recruiting and picking the right path for yourself. If you fail at Oregon state, especially, mean, you're talking about 2019. Andrew Walling: Mm-hmm. Rhett Parker: ⁓ even like the opportunity in there, the rosters were bigger back then too. Like ⁓ you're going to get a ton of those. There's no room for it ⁓ at state. And I think that's why, going to, to, play for coach Parker is a really good friend of mine. No relation though. Sorry, Matt, we're not going to, we're not going to be related. ⁓ and then coach Oni who's the pitching coach at West Virginia now. I mean, Andrew Walling: Awesome. ⁓ Thanks. Thanks. Rhett Parker: just because a junior college coach doesn't mean that you're a worse coach than somebody at a big school. ⁓ It doesn't that at all. And these guys are really good teachers, really good coaches, ⁓ and leaders of men. And, and we're talking about a guy that is talking about failing at a junior college. Who's ⁓ a guy mean, how many I don't remember anymore. But I mean, you had ⁓ David Sandlin, went to Oklahoma who's Andrew Walling: ⁓ huh. Rhett Parker: I don't know, think he's what, AAA? Andrew Walling: He just got traded to the White Sox. He's going to be a big leader this year. Rhett Parker: Okay. Big league guy, Christian McGowan, who's is he still with Phillies? Andrew Walling: Mm-hmm. Yeah, he's currently on our org. He'll be back on the field this year, double, triple-A very quickly. Rhett Parker: Okay, Andrew Waller who AAA big league camp guy went like on the same junior college team guys. They're all still playing and you're talking about, a 2018 high school grad. I think those I think one was an 18 one was a 19. They're still playing and their path was to go to a junior college in Oklahoma where I've never been there, but I can't imagine there's a lot going on around there. Yeah. Andrew Walling: Thank Thank No, it's baseball. That's it was best decision I ever made. And it was a ⁓ very much so a baseball decision. And that in that aspect is like, it's small town, very, very close knit community. Like, you're there to do your job and get some stuff done and learn some more about yourself. And I think you make a great point like need to become more of a man. ⁓ Just get those skills, be able to live on your own in some harsher conditions and understand that you can get out on the other side of that. Rhett Parker: For sure, for sure. So we go through Eastern Oklahoma. we talked about and you probably had the wrong agent you definitely did. Because I obviously was hearing hearing things about being on time. I was like, I know him like that ain't true. Andrew Walling: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Rhett Parker: But you didn't get drafted. And this is where we really get into, you you've started to have some trials and tribulations of. Andrew Walling: should be Rhett Parker: In Toriou UCL. Go to, so you don't get drafted out high school, you go to Oregon State. Works out in certain ways, doesn't work out in others. Now you're at a junior college in Nowheresville, Oklahoma, but it's the best thing for you. And you commit to Mississippi State. Andrew Walling: Yes. Rhett Parker: which was super exciting at the time. Talk to me about that because I think this is really important for probably more athletes and even parents to hear your perspective. Andrew Walling: Thank you. Mm-hmm. Yeah, think I was ecstatic to be going there. Once the draft stuff kind of fell through, I think my outlook in terms of what I was going to go try to do at Mississippi State became a little too big in terms of, okay, well, I lost out on this, so I need to go get more instead of just continuing to be myself and play the game that I was already excelling at at junior college. Because the game really does stay the same. People you're playing against change. Where you're playing it changes. But the game's the same. ⁓ And I think that was the beginning of the end in the sense of having success and really starting to kind of get into a pretty dark place. ⁓ I'd be lying to you if I said it was easy going. I think there's still plenty of positives I take from... from my experience there and it was a great city and the people I was around on a day-to-day basis were also just, it was really good teammates. But I think I put a lot of undue pressure on myself to be like, okay, I have to be a first rounder now. Like I just missed out on X amount of money, this amount of opportunity, like this is my last shot, I'm a senior now, like I gotta, this is do it or don't, instead of looking at it from a view of freedom a little bit. I started to develop the yips pretty bad. ⁓ And then it was a constant search every day of how do we get through that and maybe learn how to play baseball and throw a strike again. And that started to really blur the line of who I was. It started to kind of get into that, we get into that more mental health conversation of, I mean, I was definitely really down. Probably you could call it depression. ⁓ I'm sure you can. ⁓ So it was a hard thing to go through just day to day. I didn't look forward to go into practice because it was almost a fear thing. I was afraid. I didn't want to go out there and keep failing. And we'll circle back to kind of like the Oregon State thing is there's not a lot of opportunities to fail at those types of schools. ⁓ There's pretty deep rosters and there's not a lot of opportunity to go around and those coaches need to win. Rhett Parker: Yeah. Andrew Walling: And so if you can't be a guy that they can rely on and show up and help win ball games, you're probably going to get to watch a lot of baseball. And that only accelerated the fact that I was more down on myself. I was searching for identity as well. Like I didn't know who Andrew was. I just knew who Andrew the baseball player was there. Um, because that was the whole reason I was going to go out there was, all right, I'm to go to a big school. I'm going to compete at a high level. and I'm gonna get drafted even higher. And I think I should have just stopped it at, I'm gonna go to a bigger school and I'm gonna compete at a high level. I think that just in hindsight being 2020, right? I think that small mindset change has a lot of different outcomes for me at Mississippi State, but that's not how it went. And things got pretty heavy out there. And so I think I ended up throwing like two innings throughout the whole season. Rhett Parker: Yeah. Andrew Walling: One was at the very beginning and then one was at the end and like a 20 run blowout where it's like, okay, we've got no one left. Like give the kid a shot, I guess. ⁓ And then it was just kind of over and I was like, holy crap. What, where did the year go? What I was, I was contemplating hanging them up. if we're all good. Like it was, okay, this is, it's now to the point that this is no longer just a game. It's, it's not the most rewarding to me mentally or physically. Rhett Parker: Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah, I remember. Yeah. Andrew Walling: And I don't know if I want to do it. And that's, I had a conversation with both mom and dad and they said, hey, don't, don't let it go yet. ⁓ go, go try to just play the summer, like just finish the summer circuit and just see what happens. And so I was fortunate enough to get an invitation to go out and play in the draft league in Pennsylvania for the, for Williamsport. And I got to find the love for it again. It's where it became a game again. And I saw my ability kind of start to shine through and come back. And it's just a little confidence building pieces. And I finished pretty strong there. And then the plan was to just go try to play a grad year at Utah Valley and play another year of baseball and be like, OK, this is probably going to be the last one. I'm going to go somewhere I think is really pretty in the country. And I'm going to just enjoy it. And so I think that in itself. Rhett Parker: And remember Andrew Walling: Helped the mindset so much, but then that summer going after the league had ended the Draft went by didn't get my name called again. And then after begging people Begging people to sign me Just anyone, please The Phillies called and I they weren't even someone I had a contact with and they came out of the woodworks and said hey Like we've got an opportunity here for you Would you be interested and I bit at it? Rhett Parker: I'm right. Yeah, right. Yeah. Give me a shot. Andrew Walling: immediately. So, okay, now we go. And it became the dream all over again. I think without like the mental health piece was it was really tough in Mississippi State. But without that year, I don't think I'm not where I am. Rhett Parker: Well, I, yeah, you're not where you are. But I want to touch on a couple of things because I think what would really tore me up and, and, I people there's going to be people on the podcast as we're, as we're growing this thing where I don't have a relationship with them. A lot of people we've had on I have relationships with, but there wasn't any support for you out there. Andrew Walling: Thank you. Rhett Parker: Like there was no one that was like, Hey, it's okay. You're a good kid that was in your everyday orbit. And I have had this conversation with you. I've had this conversation with a lot of people that are in professional sports or might be in professional sports. And I, and I already know the answer, but I want people to hear this. How many people stopped reaching out to you? Andrew Walling: Thank Rhett Parker: or stop trying to be your friend or in your world once it looked like you were going to be done a lot is going to be my guess because that's the way that it is when you're an athlete and it's so sad to me because I'm over here paying attention and I can't I can't have close relationships with everybody right but I got my guys and some of them I've said this Andrew Walling: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Rhett Parker: pilots, they're firefighters, our boy Damon Stubbs getting married in 30 days is a sheriff. And I it tore me up to watch you kind of go through like, who am I? And and and and I'm sitting there like, who cares about you as a baseball player, you're going to and whether you play for 10 more years, or one, you're Andrew Walling: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Thanks. Rhett Parker: to have a positive impact on society. And I'm telling you that again, I told you that since you were 16. ⁓ it I remember ⁓ mom texted me is like, Hey, were you checking with my book? Well, you know, I sort of have them. She's like, No, no, check in on so I remember ⁓ are my wife has never met you ⁓ your family or anything. But like, was like, ⁓ don't even know how to get to Starkville, Mississippi. But if this guy says he needs me, I'm going Andrew Walling: Thank you. Thank Rhett Parker: And that's how important mental health is, But I think the key to take that you're not alone. There are people in your life, your family, your friends, hopefully mentors that care about you. ⁓ And ⁓ I'm saying this, you is not you, but Andrew Walling: . Yeah. Rhett Parker: For people that are going through these types of things, it's so important to know that baseball or soccer or basketball or football doesn't define who you are. It's just a part of, it's a part of who you are, but it doesn't define who you are. And, that's what got me was there was no support because you didn't produce enough, and I don't know the guys out there, whatever. I'm, I'm, I'm not trying to call anybody out, but like, Andrew Walling: It's. Rhett Parker: take those bad things that happened, the failure, the tough times and ⁓ you it ⁓ and where you're at. And I think it's so important and why I wanted to have you on here is that ⁓ it's Everything's good. Look, I mean, look, ⁓ and you're playing or doing something else to, to be a productive member of society right now, ⁓ you're ⁓ It's ⁓ Andrew Walling: Okay. ⁓ It's interesting. Rhett Parker: And and I really appreciate opening up because it's it's friggin hard man. I mean, people just don't know how friggin hard I even look at some of the parents, you know that I deal with it, you want their kid to do x, y, z. And I'm like, you think this is gonna be like a walk in the park? Dude, what's gonna happen when you get released? You have an injury where your career might be over and instantaneous, you got to think, okay, well, what am gonna do with my life? And Andrew Walling: Okay. Rhett Parker: It's a really powerful thing to talk about, yeah, I really do appreciate that because the Sports Leadership Foundation that I have that's tied with this podcast is about mental health awareness for young athletes and access to play. And your story for me is probably way up there with people that I know. Andrew Walling: Thank Rhett Parker: And the perseverance man, I just I'll give you just all the credit in the world because it truly is. ⁓ It's truly amazing. So, God, where do we take the podcast from here? where do we go? So. Move on, ⁓ we go to the draft league, you know, ⁓ first year of pro ball. Andrew Walling: Thank you. . Thank Rhett Parker: Two, two, yeah, right. Andrew Walling: So 22 I was signed and I played like that last month in in Lo A and then 23 would have been like the first I got to experience spring training and then go through a first first full affiliate season Rhett Parker: Yeah. And I mean, you've had a lot of success, obviously. 24 was you were in double A had a ton of success last year, another bump last year a little bit. Right. Andrew Walling: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Came into the year a little banged up, but really wasn't super worried about it in terms of would I make it through, right? And I think that goes back to the trials and tribulations prior, is like, it becomes very much so day by day in terms of you can't worry about what's three weeks down the line or even tomorrow. That little bit of like shoulder rehabilitation for myself and then... Even another hiccup after the first month of the season went back on the IL, had to come back again and build back up. And then you're kind of fighting and calling like you got to catch up to the rest of the guys. The rest of these guys are mid-season forms. So you got to figure it out. You got to go. And I still found my way back into the mix and started throwing high leverage innings again. And I think it would have possibly been derailed if I didn't have that prior experience of going through. Rhett Parker: Mm-hmm. Right. Andrew Walling: either the hard time in Mississippi State or going through my UCL injury. It's all building blocks in terms of what's allowing me to keep going and thrive in the professional sphere. Rhett Parker: And I not at the same level that you did, but division one and college and even getting hurt and not being able to hit anymore. ⁓ And I, couldn't was drafted a couple of times as a hitter and then pitched an Indy ball and I, but I was never ever healthy and I had hips, bad knees. I, again, I, I, ⁓ I look at all those ⁓ and going to university of Andrew Walling: Hmm. Thank Rhett Parker: was the worst baseball decision for me. Met my wife there. Never would change that for anything. Anything. Because I don't go there, my life looks completely different. And I have a great life. And I think we're saying the same thing. Yours is probably a little bit more magnified. In some contexts, but like, man, it all shapes us, right? We go through these tough things and Andrew Walling: Thank you. Thank Rhett Parker: coaches we don't maybe necessarily like or all these things and man, it shapes who we are, ⁓ and that ⁓ just, people to take that from this episode, from my perspective of, it's okay to be down, but, but, but being down because you're failing at sports doesn't define who you are. ⁓ so, all right, as we wrap this up Andrew Walling: Thank you. Hmm Thank Rhett Parker: give me a takeaway. that you want people to hear could be athletes, be coaches, could be parents, because we are trying to survive you sports. You will be surviving again down the road as a parent where I'm at right now going, what the heck is going on here? Just like your dad Jeff did. But let's give ⁓ us your biggest takeaway that you want people to have from this episode. Andrew Walling: Thank ⁓ I think for myself, just if I can reflect on when I was younger is it was not about how everyone else around me was doing. And in those moments, it seems massive. It seems like this kid's home runs, this kid's doing this, this kid's doing that. Even in my own experience, some of the guys I've had opportunities to instruct and just kind of have a little bit of an influence on what they're doing in baseball, the ones that have thrived the most and I've seen the most growth from become really good about accepting the failure, but also understanding that they want to just adjust the next time. So it's not necessarily, ⁓ I went out there and I had eight strikeouts today and I hit a home run. was, no, I went out there and I did, I executed my plan. Like I went out there and I said, I'm going to stay on the outer half of the zone today. I did that. All right. I'm going to stay through this ground ball today. I did that. And then they also talk about their parents rewarding that, like the effort and the ability to lock in on that process piece. So I think at least for myself, that's something I really see stands out in different guys in the youth, the youth realm. and some of the best coaches I've been around and some of the best parents I've been around. They all share those qualities where it becomes more about, how hard did you try today? How well were you prepared? And then it's not a failure if you didn't do it right. It's, okay, let's now go back to the drawing board and figure out why it went wrong. Instead of making that define you, make how you respond to it define you. Rhett Parker: And I gotta get you to get you over down to Camas, next you're out here, because I'm trying to preach process over result. ⁓ And especially in age, it's a lot harder. ⁓ I mean, it's just result, result, result. ⁓ yeah, I know. Andrew Walling: Thank you. It's all posted in front of us all the time. It's just slammed in our faces too. mean, even professional guys in the professional sphere, like we see it all the time and it's hard to disconnect and be like, no, no, no, no, this is, what did I do today? What can I do for myself today? Rhett Parker: Right, right. And man, you get to that big league level and but I mean, might as well just shut your social media down. I mean, because that's part of the process Andrew Walling: Mm-hmm. Rhett Parker: and I think ⁓ people can take a lot that. ⁓ But man, ⁓ your story really powerful. ⁓ It has always ⁓ stuck with me ⁓ maybe I don't use by name a but I do tell about your story to try to help kids that are going through stuff sometimes. and I wish you the best. ⁓ Andrew Walling: Awesome. Rhett Parker: this year and ⁓ you I always always look for those box scores, ⁓ which is amazing, but I really appreciate you coming on. Andrew Walling: Yeah, thank you for having me. Honored. Happy to talk with you anytime, Rhett Parker: Awesome. Awesome. And yeah, hopefully we keep us going long enough. You know, when you're surviving youth sports in the same way that I am as a parent, you know, we'll get you back on here and maybe grandpa Jeff, you know, to have to have one giant walling podcast. But no, I think it's great, man. I appreciate you. Andrew Walling: Okay. Thank you.