It came out of nowhere. Home early from the Cape Cod Summer League in 2002 and contemplating a professional baseball contract after being drafted in the 21st round by the Oakland Athletics, all Wally Pontiff Jr. wanted to do was play blackjack. Met with skepticism from his dad, Wally Pontiff Sr., the 21-year-old quickly reassured his father. “Dad, I have will power,” Pontiff Jr. said. So father and son sat side-by-side in Harrah’s New Orleans into the witching hours of Wednesday morning, July 24, 2002, testing their luck and strengthening an already stout father-son bond. Hours later, Wally Sr. heard the six words that still stop him in his tracks. Sitting in a work meeting, he answered a frantic call from a neighbor. “You need to come home,” the neighbor told him. “You lost one of your boys.” The player who former LSU coach Skip Bertman called “everybody’s All-American” was gone, stricken in his sleep by sudden cardiac arrest, brought on by hypertrophic cardiomyopathy – a genetic disease that causes a thickening of the heart muscle. Discovered that morning by his then-16-year-old brother Nick, Pontiff left behind his parents, Wally Sr. and Terry, Nick and his sister Haley. “He had an intuition inside himself to come home [early] and spend time with the family,” Nick said. A stellar hitter in his three years as a Tiger, Wally Jr. hit .344 during his three seasons, was named to the 2000 and 2001 Baton Rouge Regional All-Tournament Teams and was an integral part of the Tigers’ 2000 College World Series championship team. Clutch hits aside, Wally Sr. said his son cherished his time as a Tiger and the friendships he made were prevalent throughout his life. “He had tremendous faith and loved the friendships of his teammates and people he was around,” Wally Sr. said. “He was a better man than a baseball player.” Ten years later, both Nick and Wally Sr. have fond memories of a “faith-filled” brother and son that both agreed put his love for others before himself. “He was a 21-year-old boy who had accomplished more in 21 years than most people do in a lifetime,” Nick said. “His love for others and his faith shone through everything in his life.” The outpouring of support began almost immediately, as the Pontiff house was swarmed with phone calls and letters from those Wally Jr. impacted. As the family endured its “worst nightmare,” they got a profound glimpse of the breadth of the spectrum their son and brother inspired. “We had no idea how many people Wally touched,” Nick said. “We had no clue how important he was to the people in Louisiana.” A quiet, humble leader, Wally Jr. was “blown away” at how many people came to watch him play, and according to his father, never turned down an opportunity to visit a fan or sign an autograph. Wally Sr. pointed to a post-game conversation he had with his son after a poor game merely six months before his death. “He told me, ‘Dad, I’ve never had a bad day at LSU,'” Wally Sr. said. “‘If I go 0-for-4 or 4-for-4, I’m still the same son you sent here.'” Now memorialized by the Wally Pontiff, Jr. Foundation that donates money to charities and non-profit organizations within the Metairie and state community, Wally Jr.’s image is maintained through the annual Wally Pontiff, Jr. Baseball Classic at Zephyr Field and the Wally Pontiff, Jr. Golf Tournament. The Foundation has made numerous donations to both LSU and Jesuit High School – where both Wally Jr. and Nick attended high school. Metairie Playground – where the boys practiced and played as they grew up – was also re-named Wally Pontiff Junior Playground. “We’re able to give back to where Wally wanted,” Wally Sr. said. Beyond the monetary donations, the entire Pontiff family remains overcome with gratitude for the community that has lifted them up. “We lost a wonderful son,” Wally Sr. said. “But we gained a great community.” While Wally Jr.’s mom, Terry, said “the pain never goes away,” the memories and letters the family receives help to bring comfort, even if some are still too difficult to read. Watching Nick – a four-year letterwinner who made the SEC Honor Roll all four seasons – excel from 2006-2009, and attending Tiger ball games at Alex Box Stadium is something Wally Sr. said the family cherishes. “I hope we continue to do that until the day they put us in the grave,” Wally Sr. said. As the family continues to grieve and remember a humble, faith-filled man, there is one particular immortalization that still surprises Wally Sr. Former LSU star pitcher and current Kansas City Royal Louis Coleman phoned Wally Sr. one afternoon after he was called up to the major leagues. Coleman, who never played with or even knew Wally Jr. and was close friends with Nick, wanted to memorialize a man he never met. “[The Royals] asked if [Louis] wanted to change numbers,” Wally Sr. said. Coleman chose 31.
 
____ Contact Chandler Rome at [email protected]