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–Photo provied by Rance Mulliniks.
RJ Latronico:
Good morning Mr. Mulliniks. This is
Richard Latronico, the Publisher of Vox Pop Influentials
magazine. Thank you for agreeing to be a part of our feature
story on Central Valley Sports Legends and for taking time to
talk with us over the phone.
Rance Mulliniks:
Good morning. You’re welcome.
RJ Latronico:
Let's just start by talking a little bit
about your early years.
Rance Mulliniks:
I was born in Tulare and raised in
Woodville. I graduated in 1977 from Monache High School in
Porterville.
RJ Latronico:
You made your major league debut in 1977
with the California Angels, correct?
Rance Mulliniks:
That is correct.
RJ Latronico:
What was your first game like in the big
leagues?
Rance Mulliniks:
My first night in a major league
uniform was in Minnesota, against the Twins. I joined the
Angels while they were on the road. The starting pitcher for
the Angels in that ball game was Nolan Ryan. It was very
exciting. Don Baylor was a member on the team along with Bobby
Bonds and Frank Tanana. Rod Carew was playing with the Twins
at the time. I did not participate in the game that night, but
it was quite a rush to just be there; to be in the dug out
with these major league players.
RJ Latronico:
Those names are amazing. You played with
the Angels for how many years?
Rance Mulliniks:
I was in the organization for six. I
played approximately two years at the major league level with
Angels. Between the 1979 and 1980 season, myself along with
another player, were traded to the Kansas City Royals. I
played with the Royals in 1980 and 1981 but then was traded to
the Blue Jays right before the start of the 1982 season.
RJ Latronico:
Was there one particular incident or event
that motivated you to get into professional ball? Was there
time in your life when you said to yourself, “I am going to
play professional baseball?”
Rance Mulliniks:
As far back as I can remember, probably
somewhere around six or seven years old, my goal was to be a
major league baseball player. I was encouraged by a number of
people. Number one was my father. He had played a little bit
of professional baseball at the minor league level and truly
loved the game. He spent a tremendous amount of time with me
to help me to achieve my goal. With his encouragement, I was
confident I wanted to play professional baseball but it wasn't
something that I needed to be pushed to do. I was motivated to
pursue my goal from a very young age. I was willing and ready
to work at baseball; just hours on end to try to achieve that
goal.
RJ Latronico:
What did you find was the toughest thing
about the professional baseball life?
Rance Mulliniks:
The toughest thing about professional
baseball was the travel. Number two was the mental grind of
playing every day, especially at the major league level.
Professional players are under constant pressure to excel in
order to stay at the major league level. I was fortunate
enough to play on a number of teams that were involved in post
season play. There was always a tremendous amount of pressure,
day in day out, to win.
RJ Latronico:
Looking back at your record, you've
demonstrated great patience at the plate posting on-base
percentages near 400. How did you do that? You were then named
to Sports Illustrated's Dream Team as Utility Infielder. Was
there any kind of insight to your successful batting
average?
Rance Mulliniks:
I'll refer back to all of the hours and
years I spent with my father before I ever got into
professional baseball. Working and trying to be accomplished
as a baseball player. During batting practice, one of the
things my father always stressed to me was patience at the
plate. Which by definition means, condition your self to
recognize what is a strike and what isn't a strike. Growing
up, that advice became engrained in me and most certainly
helped.
A second technique was to use the entire field. All good
hitters, there are exceptions to the rule, but almost all good
hitters use the entire field. I think that's what led to my
good on-base percentage. I hit over three hundred on three
different occasions at the major league level.
Finally, I was fortunate enough to be instructed by Cito
Gaston when I was traded to Toronto. Cito had a very unique
way of teaching in terms of the mental approach to hitting. A
number of coaches focus on the mechanical or physical aspect
of the swing. Cito taught me with a mental approach. It was
only after I began putting his philosophies into practice and
refining them that I became what I refer to as a professional
hitter. I understood what I needed to do and what it took for
me to be successful at the major league level as a hitter.
Those three things were what enabled me to have a career at
the major league level.
RJ Latronico:
That really happened when you went to the
Blue Jays, correct?
Rance Mulliniks:
Yes, it did. In 1978, early on in the
season, I suffered a very bad back injury. During the 1979
season, I spent most of the year trying to get back to where I
was pre-injury. I spent two years in Kansas City as a back up
there. When I was traded to Toronto, I got the opportunity
again to play on a regular and consistent basis.
RJ Latronico:
You're currently working as a commentator
for Rogers Sportsnet?
Rance Mulliniks:
As an Analyst, that is correct. I
really enjoy it. It's great for a couple reasons. Number one,
I get to be around the ball park and that atmosphere. Number
two, I get to sit and talk about baseball, which is something
that I love. I wouldn't call it a job, it is always a
pleasure. I look forward to getting to the ball park and I’m
often there four hours before game time. Some of that involves
doing some homework and talking with players and various
members of coaching staffs. I just hope that in the future, I
will be able to continue to do it. This year I'm doing thirty
nine games. I would definitely like to do double that, if
possible. I would work a complete full schedule if it were
offered.
RJ Latronico:
Do you do other things outside of that
job?
Rance Mulliniks:
Yes, I do. I'm in real estate. I work
for Century 21 Jordan Link there in Visalia. When time allows
for me to, I give as much time as I can to the COS baseball
program as an assistant.
RJ Latronico:
Looking back at your athletic career, can
you put your finger on anything in particular that has
transferred over to your business life that has made you
successful?
Rance Mulliniks:
To be a successful athlete and to
excel, you have to apply yourself. Whether it’s a specific
sport or everyday life, to be successful you must apply
yourself. I don't want to say that I would ever be as good at
anything else as I was as a baseball player. Ultimately I was
able to reach my highest success in baseball. I can't say that
I would ever do that again in any other type of career choice.
However, the concept of work ethic and applying yourself works
in anything you choose to excel at in life.
RJ Latronico:
When you chose to retire from playing
professional baseball, was it tough to call it quits and go
back to the real world?
Rance Mulliniks
No, it wasn't. I was fortunate enough to play nineteen
years professionally. Actually I started playing organized
baseball at age seven. I retired from baseball at age thirty
six. I had played almost thirty years of baseball. When I
retired, I didn't miss playing. I missed being around the
atmosphere of the game and some of the relationships that I
had established during my playing days, but I didn't miss
playing. I think what happened to me was I just lost my desire
to continue to do what I needed to do to perform at the major
league level.
RJ Latronico:
If you could offer some advice to kids in
the Central Valley who aspire to go into the big leagues, what
would that advice be?
Rance Mulliniks:
Get your education. That's number one.
The odds of having a career at the major league level is so
stacked against you that it's unrealistic to guarantee someone
they’ll make it to the big leagues. Get your education first.
However, I would also say, don't ever let anybody tell you
that you can't achieve it. Just give it everything you've got.
Work at it very hard. Leave no stone unturned. Seek out the
best advice that's available. Don't be afraid to try different
things. I see so many young players that are reluctant to try
change. Don't be afraid of change. Be patient with change.
Give things a chance to work for you.
RJ Latronico:
If you had to do it all over again, would
you do any thing differently?
Rance Mulliniks
I would have finished my education first before I went into
professional baseball.
RJ Latronico:
Thank you for your time Rance. It truly
has been a pleasure.
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