Les Wallin knew his performance on the field was only a part of how quickly he moved up, but he also knew that was the only thing he could control, according to The Hartford Courant.
"All I can do is play," the Connecticut-native Wallin told The Courant upon his long-awaited promotion to AA New Britain in August 1991. "When they felt it was the right time, they brought me up,"
Wallin made New Britain deep into his fourth pro season. He returned there two seasons later, in his sixth. That sixth pro season proved last as a pro. He topped out there at AA.
Wallin's career began in 1988, signed by the Red Sox as an undrafted free agent out of the University of New Haven.
Wallin started with the Red Sox at single-A Winter Haven. He got into 40 games and hit .205.
He moved to single-A Lynchburg for 1989, then Lynchburg at high-A in 1990. He hit .234 in 114 games at Lynchburg in 1990.
Wallin spoke with The Courant in August 1990 about his progress.
"I started off slow with the average, but it's coming around and there's still time to get it up," Wallin told The Courant then. "I'm just trying to be more consistent than in the past."
Wallin returned to Winter Haven at high-A for much of 1991, then made New Britain. He saw 28 games at New Britain and hit .202. Wallin, however, started 9 for 20 there, The Courant wrote.
"I've decided I'm going to go down swinging while I'm here," Wallin told The Courant.
Wallin played 1992 back at Winter Haven, then split 1993 between high-A Fort Lauderdale and New Britain. He saw 69 games at New Britain that year and hit .231 to end his career.
- Hartford Courant, Aug. 12, 1990: Wallin finally appears ready to make step up to Britsox
- Hartford Courant, Aug. 11, 1991: Wallin taking off at Beehive
- Hartford Courant, Aug. 18, 1991: Patience pays off as Wallin finally gets shot with Britsox
Made the Majors:1,369-33.0%
Never Made Majors:2,776-67.0%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors:557
10+ Seasons in the Minors:337
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