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Salisbury: Billy Wagner stands tall with the giants of baseball, a Hall of Famer at last

6 hours ago

Mar 4, 2005; Clearwater, FL, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Billy Wagner (13) in action during spring training against the Detroit Tigers at Jack Russell Memorial Stadium. Credit: Lou Capozzola-USA TODAY NETWORK

One day when Billy Wagner was a Phillie, a fan heckled him as he warmed up in the bullpen in San Francisco.
“Hey, midget,” the fan shouted.
Wagner, whose modest height did not match his powerful, 100-mph fastball, continued to throw pitches.
The heckler did not stop bringing the heat, and before you knew it, he had an audience as the fans seated near the bullpen began to laugh at his barbs.
Billy kept on firing.
So did the heckler.
“How tall are you, anyway?” the guy eventually shouted.
Finally, Wagner had enough.
“I’m 5-9,” he spat between pitches. “Six-six when I’m standing on my wallet.”
Mic drop. Wagner was the winner by TKO. The heckler slumped into his seat, the audience now laughing a...

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