Is Wagner the first D3 baseball player to make the Hall of Fame?

That is what is going around social media!

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Looks like that’s right. Best player I’m seeing other than Wagner is Joe Nathan. He was a really good player but not close to a hall of famer.

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Quick story.

Long time ago when Billy was in AA I was by the players parking lot at the dome after a game.

I saw Terry Collins and asked him if he saw what Billy Wagner did the day before…(he had a line of like 3IP with 9 k’s)
With a snide attitude he said “I don’t worry about guys in the minors.”
I said “you should, he’d be the best pitcher on your staff tomorrow “
And he shot me a stupid look and said “ok boss” as he walked away.

Terry Collins was a tool….

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The only thing that is strange to me is this:

How did a guy with 100 mph stuff….end up in D3?

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I know he was a position player for a long time and not a full-time pitcher in HS.

I believe I also read at one time that he sat 88-90 in HS when he did pitch.

All that velo happened in college….and you didn’t transfer all over the place back then.
He probably could have transferred after a year or two but why?

If you are that high level the scouts will find you.

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I read he was 5’5, 135 lbs when he graduated from HS. He could have only thrown so hard at that size.

He ended up 5’10, 180lbs.

I also believe he had control issues.

I read an article about Wags many, many years ago that said in college he’d hit guys with pitches and cause internal bleeding.

I never forgot that. I believe it said he’s also the all-time NCAA leader in Ks/9 with like 18.