Billy Wagner
Encyclopedia
William Edward Wagner nicknamed "Billy the Kid", is a retired Major League Baseball
relief pitcher
. He pitched for the Houston Astros
(1995–2003), the Philadelphia Phillies
(2004–2005), the New York Mets
(2006–2009), the Boston Red Sox
(2009), and the Atlanta Braves
(2010). Wagner is one of the few Major League relief pitchers to accumulate a total of 400 or more saves in his baseball career.
Wagner went to school in the Tazewell school system, and he graduated from the Tazewell High School
, where he was named the Baseball Player of the Year in 1990. He next attended Ferrum College
, a quite small college in Virginia
, and in his one year as a student-athlete there, he recorded a record of 16 wins and four losses. Wagner also set single-season NCAA
records for strikeouts per nine innings, with 19⅓ in 1992, and fewest hits allowed per nine innings, with 1.88.
Wagner was selected in the first round of the Major League Baseball draft in June 1993 by the Houston Astros
, and he played exclusively as a starting pitcher
in minor league baseball
. In 1994, Wagner led all minor league pitchers – in every league – in strikeouts, with 204.
Wagner made his first Major League appearance with the Astros, as a late-season promotion from AAA baseball, on September 13, 1995, pitching against one batter late in a 10–5 defeat by the New York Mets
. This was his only opportunity to pitch for the Astros that season.
, in twelve starts for the AAA Tucson Toros
. His baseball contract was purchased by the Astros on June 2, 1996, and Wagner was then assigned exclusively as a short-relief pitcher by the Astros manager
. He finished the Major League season with nine saves in 13 opportunities, allowed 28 hits
, and he struck out 67 hitters in 51⅔ innings – giving him a rate of 11.7 strikeouts per nine innings pitched. His opponents had a batting average
of .165 against him.
In 1997, Wagner played his first full season in the Major Leagues. He accumulated 23 saves from 29 save opportunities, and he struck out 106 batters in 66⅓ innings. This set a Major League record of 14.4 strikeouts per nine innings, which broke the old record of 14.1 set by the former Cincinnati Reds
relief pitcher Rob Dibble
in 1992 (with 110 strikeouts in 70⅓ innings).
Wagner struck out the side 13 times in his 66 innings pitched, and his season total of 106 strikeouts set a Houston Astros record for relief pitchers.
In 1998, Wagner posted a 4–3 won–loss record with a 2.70 ERA and 97 strikeouts in 60 innings pitched. He saved 30 games, which was the third-best single season in team history. He converted 19 consecutive save chances between his first blown save against the Los Angeles Dodgers
, on April 12, and then his second one facing the St. Louis Cardinals
on July 11. On July 15, while trying to cling to an 8–7 lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks
, he was struck by a batted ball on the left side of his head behind his ear. Wagner was alert and conscious on the ground, and his vital signs remained good.
He was carried off the baseball diamond on a stretcher, and it was found that he had suffered a concussion. He spent the night in the hospital. On the next day, he flew home to Houston, and he was also immediately placed on baseball's 15-day disabled list
. Wagner worked on his balance and coordination for weeks before he was cleared by the team physician
s to embark on a rehabilitation assignment with a minor-league team. After pitching there in three games, Wagner was recalled to the Astros on August 6, and he completed the rest of the baseball season there without incident.
Wagner had an outstanding 1999 season. He captured the Relief Man of the Year Award in the National League
. He saved 39 games and struck out 124 in 74 innings (15 SO/9), establishing a new major league record for strikeouts per 9 innings (50 innings minimum), including the side 15 times. Wagner posted a 4–1 record with an ERA of 1.57, and had more saves than hits allowed (in 74⅔ innings, he allowed 35 hits).
The 2000 season started off in typical fashion for Wagner, who saved three of the Astros' first four wins
while retiring 16 of the first 20 batters he faced. However, after recording a save on May 4 against the Chicago Cubs
, he suffered back-to-back blown saves on May 12–13 against the Reds. While he was still occasionally throwing 100 m.p.h. as measured by radar
, he wasn't throwing his slider
at 85 to 90 m.p.h. as much as had. Wagner continued to struggle before going on the disabled list with a torn flexor tendon in his pitching arm and would miss the final three and a half months of the season. He finished with 2–4 record, a 6.18 ERA, and six saves in 15 opportunities, striking out 28 and walking
18 in 27⅔ innings. He would rebound in 2001. Coming off elbow surgery, he posted a record of 2–5 with 39 saves in 41 chances, and an ERA of 2.73. He was one of the leading candidates for TSN Comeback Player of the Year
in the National League. In 62⅔ innings, he struck out 79 hitters.
In 2002, Wagner went 4–2 with a 2.52 ERA, 88 strikeouts, and 35 saves in 75 innings. Then, he enjoyed his best season in 2003, when he reached career-highs in saves (44), innings pitched (86) and games (78), and got 105 strikeouts while leading the league in games finished
. In that year, he also cemented his status as the hardest-throwing man in baseball by leading the major leagues with 159 pitches at 100 mph or above. Second on the list was starter Bartolo Colón
with 12.
On June 11, 2003, Wagner closed out a no-hitter
thrown by a record six pitchers. To date, it is the most recent Astros no-hitter.
During the closing weeks of the 2003 regular season and well into the days following the World Series, Wagner had pinned himself into the limelight on and off the record making some very derogatory remarks of the Astros team, blaming the front office for not building a playoff worthy team. This attitude did not brush off well with owner Drayton McLane or general manager Gerry Hunsicker, who invested millions of dollars into the hard throwing lefty, and instantly began exploring trade routes. On November 3, Billy Wagner was informed that he had been traded to the Philadelphia Phillies. His exit interview was in poor taste to the Astros viewpoint.
after the 2005 season and signed a four-year, $43 million contract and a one-year club option with the New York Mets.
In a May 7, 2006 interview, Wagner stated that he was confronted by all of his former Phillies teammates in September 2005 after Wagner criticized their performance in the media by repeatedly saying that the Phillies had "no chance" of making the playoffs, with Phillies left fielder
Pat Burrell
reportedly calling Wagner a "rat." The confrontation reportedly was one of several factors that drove Wagner from Philadelphia in the 2005–2006 offseason.
Wagner had a good first half of the season in 2007. He was successful in 17 out of 18 save chances, and his ERA was 1.94. July was his best month, when he recorded eight saves in eight chances; did not allow a run scored; and he won the D.H.L. "Delivery Man of the Month" Award. During this month, Wagner's ERA was 0.00, he gave up two hits, and he pitched enough innings to be equivalent to a complete game
pitched. His performance in 2007 was earned him a slot on the National League All-Star Team
.
The second half of Wagner's baseball season was not nearly as successful. He was converted 13 out of 17 save chances, and his ERA was 3.90. Wagner's pitching performance declined during the final two months of the season. On August 30, Wagner failed to save the crucial fourth game of a four-game series between the Phillies and Mets. The final result was four game sweep by the Phillies in this series. This sweep turned out to be the difference in the season: the Mets finished one game behind the Phillies at the end of the regular season. One more win against the Phillies would have placed the two teams in an end-of-the-season tie, and both teams into the playoffs.
Wagner had an ERA of 6.23 in August of that season, and he suffered from back spasms during September.
On May 15, 2008, Wagner expressed tirade full of profanity
against his teammates and coaches following the Mets' 1–0 loss in a game against the Washington Nationals
. Some people have speculated that this was directed in particular toward his teammates Carlos Beltran
and Carlos Delgado
about their not being available for interviews with the press following games. However, Wagner's pitching performance in April, May, and June was good enough to find him chosen by the All-Star Game's National League manager for his pitching staff.
During this All-Star Game, Wagner, pitching late in the game, surrendered a game-tying double to the American league's third baseman
, Evan Longoria
, and then the National League lost the ballgame in 15 innings.
In September 2008, the Mets announced that Wagner had torn the ulnar collateral ligament
of his left elbow and also his flexor pronator tendon
. These injuries required major reconstructive surgery
. This surgery, and its recovery, put Wagner out of play for a calendar year.
Wagner had a guaranteed-payment baseball contract, and he was paid a total of $10.5 million by the Mets in 2009. For the baseball year 2010, his contract gave the Mets an option to pay him $8.0 million for the season, or else to pay him a $1.0 million to terminate the contract.
In the news conference following the announcement of his major elbow injury, Wagner vowed that he would return to playing Major League Baseball. Although he had previously stated that he would not pitch anymore following 2009, Wagner amended this by saying that he did not wish to end his baseball career in this fashion – ending it on a major injury. He also said that he had dreams of winning a World Series
, and also of reaching a total of about 420 saves in his career.
However, Wagner stated furthermore that he had "played his last [baseball] game as a Met". Wagner explained that it would not make good business sense for the Mets to guarantee him $8.0 million for 2009, pitching or not pitching.
Despite these statements, Wagner remained on the Mets' 40-man roster on the disabled list at the beginning of the season in 2009, and still drawing his salary. He pitched for the first time in 2009 for the Mets late in the season on August 20, in a game against the Atlanta Braves. He pitched one inning with two strikeouts and giving up no hits or walks.
and Eddie Lora, and with the added stipulation that the Red Sox could not exercise his $8 million option for 2010, but they could offer him salary arbitration. The Red Sox did offer Wagner arbitration, but Wagner declined so the Red Sox received the 1st round draft pick from the team that signed Wagner (Atlanta Braves) and a sandwich pick
in the 2010 rookie draft.
agreed on a one-year contract worth $7 million that included a $6.5 million vesting option for the 2011 season. On April 30, 2010, Wagner revealed that he would retire at the end of the 2010 season to spend more time with his family. In a game against the Detroit Tigers on June 25, 2010, Wagner achieved his 400th career save. After the game, he told reporters that he still plans to retire after the 2010 season. On Sunday, July 11, 2010, Wagner was selected as an injury replacement to the 2010 National League All Star roster. Wagner declined the invitation due to an ankle injury.
He played his final major league game on October 3, 2010 and retired on a good note, striking out the final four batters he faced - the last three of which struck out looking.
Wagner retired to Crozet, Virginia
following the 2010 season but has still yet to file his retirement papers and until he does he is still listed as an active player on the Braves roster because his retirement is yet to become official.
On February 12, 2011, Wagner reiterated his intention to retire, stating, "I’m totally content with not playing baseball," Wagner said. "I love watching it, I love talking about it. If I miss anything, it would be some of the guys I played with and actually competing on the field, but other than that, you can keep it."
On March 30, 2011, the Braves officially released Wagner.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
relief pitcher
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
. He pitched for the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
(1995–2003), the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
(2004–2005), the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
(2006–2009), the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
(2009), and the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
(2010). Wagner is one of the few Major League relief pitchers to accumulate a total of 400 or more saves in his baseball career.
Career
Wagner was a natural-born right-handed person, but after breaking his right arm twice in accidents as a young boy, he taught himself to throw baseballs using his left arm by throwing thousands of balls against the wall of a barn, and then fielding the rebounds, and repeating.Wagner went to school in the Tazewell school system, and he graduated from the Tazewell High School
Tazewell High School
Tazewell High School is a public secondary school in Tazewell, Virginia, United States. It is part of Tazewell County Public Schools and is located on 627 Fincastle Road...
, where he was named the Baseball Player of the Year in 1990. He next attended Ferrum College
Ferrum College
Ferrum College is a private college in Ferrum, Virginia, USA, in the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains of Southwest Virginia. Ferrum College has the second-oldest environmental science program in the nation and was ranked 41st by US News and World Report in Comprehensive Colleges–Bachelor's for 2006....
, a quite small college in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, and in his one year as a student-athlete there, he recorded a record of 16 wins and four losses. Wagner also set single-season NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
records for strikeouts per nine innings, with 19⅓ in 1992, and fewest hits allowed per nine innings, with 1.88.
Wagner was selected in the first round of the Major League Baseball draft in June 1993 by the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
, and he played exclusively as a starting pitcher
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
in minor league baseball
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
. In 1994, Wagner led all minor league pitchers – in every league – in strikeouts, with 204.
Wagner made his first Major League appearance with the Astros, as a late-season promotion from AAA baseball, on September 13, 1995, pitching against one batter late in a 10–5 defeat by the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
. This was his only opportunity to pitch for the Astros that season.
Houston Astros
Wagner began 1996, once again in the minor leagues as a starting pitcher, but he finished the season by becoming a relief pitcher for the Astros. He accumulated a 6–2 won–loss record with a 3.28 ERAEarned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
, in twelve starts for the AAA Tucson Toros
Tucson Toros
The Tucson Toros are a professional baseball team based in Tucson, Arizona, in the United States. They are owned by Tucson Baseball, LLC with Jay Zucker as chairman of the board. Sean Smock is the team's general manager....
. His baseball contract was purchased by the Astros on June 2, 1996, and Wagner was then assigned exclusively as a short-relief pitcher by the Astros manager
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
. He finished the Major League season with nine saves in 13 opportunities, allowed 28 hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
, and he struck out 67 hitters in 51⅔ innings – giving him a rate of 11.7 strikeouts per nine innings pitched. His opponents had a batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
of .165 against him.
In 1997, Wagner played his first full season in the Major Leagues. He accumulated 23 saves from 29 save opportunities, and he struck out 106 batters in 66⅓ innings. This set a Major League record of 14.4 strikeouts per nine innings, which broke the old record of 14.1 set by the former Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
relief pitcher Rob Dibble
Rob Dibble
Robert Keith Dibble is a former Major League Baseball pitcher and television analyst.-Personal life:Dibble is a graduate of Southington High School in Southington, Connecticut...
in 1992 (with 110 strikeouts in 70⅓ innings).
Wagner struck out the side 13 times in his 66 innings pitched, and his season total of 106 strikeouts set a Houston Astros record for relief pitchers.
In 1998, Wagner posted a 4–3 won–loss record with a 2.70 ERA and 97 strikeouts in 60 innings pitched. He saved 30 games, which was the third-best single season in team history. He converted 19 consecutive save chances between his first blown save against the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
, on April 12, and then his second one facing the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
on July 11. On July 15, while trying to cling to an 8–7 lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
, he was struck by a batted ball on the left side of his head behind his ear. Wagner was alert and conscious on the ground, and his vital signs remained good.
He was carried off the baseball diamond on a stretcher, and it was found that he had suffered a concussion. He spent the night in the hospital. On the next day, he flew home to Houston, and he was also immediately placed on baseball's 15-day disabled list
Disabled list
In Major League Baseball, the disabled list is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players.-General guidelines:...
. Wagner worked on his balance and coordination for weeks before he was cleared by the team physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
s to embark on a rehabilitation assignment with a minor-league team. After pitching there in three games, Wagner was recalled to the Astros on August 6, and he completed the rest of the baseball season there without incident.
Wagner had an outstanding 1999 season. He captured the Relief Man of the Year Award in the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
. He saved 39 games and struck out 124 in 74 innings (15 SO/9), establishing a new major league record for strikeouts per 9 innings (50 innings minimum), including the side 15 times. Wagner posted a 4–1 record with an ERA of 1.57, and had more saves than hits allowed (in 74⅔ innings, he allowed 35 hits).
The 2000 season started off in typical fashion for Wagner, who saved three of the Astros' first four wins
Win (baseball)
In professional baseball, there are two types of decisions: a win and a loss . In each game, one pitcher on the winning team is awarded a win and one pitcher on the losing team is given a loss in their respective statistics. These pitchers are collectively known as the pitchers of record. Only...
while retiring 16 of the first 20 batters he faced. However, after recording a save on May 4 against the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
, he suffered back-to-back blown saves on May 12–13 against the Reds. While he was still occasionally throwing 100 m.p.h. as measured by radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
, he wasn't throwing his slider
Slider
In baseball, a slider is a pitch that breaks laterally and down, with a speed between that of a curveball and that of a fastball....
at 85 to 90 m.p.h. as much as had. Wagner continued to struggle before going on the disabled list with a torn flexor tendon in his pitching arm and would miss the final three and a half months of the season. He finished with 2–4 record, a 6.18 ERA, and six saves in 15 opportunities, striking out 28 and walking
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
18 in 27⅔ innings. He would rebound in 2001. Coming off elbow surgery, he posted a record of 2–5 with 39 saves in 41 chances, and an ERA of 2.73. He was one of the leading candidates for TSN Comeback Player of the Year
The Sporting News Comeback Player of the Year Award
The Sporting News Comeback Player of the Year Award is the oldest of three annual awards in Major League Baseball given to one player in each league who has reemerged as a star in that season. It was established in 1965...
in the National League. In 62⅔ innings, he struck out 79 hitters.
In 2002, Wagner went 4–2 with a 2.52 ERA, 88 strikeouts, and 35 saves in 75 innings. Then, he enjoyed his best season in 2003, when he reached career-highs in saves (44), innings pitched (86) and games (78), and got 105 strikeouts while leading the league in games finished
Games finished
In baseball statistics, a relief pitcher is credited with a game finished if he is the last pitcher to pitch for his team in a game. A starting pitcher is not credited with a GF for pitching a complete game...
. In that year, he also cemented his status as the hardest-throwing man in baseball by leading the major leagues with 159 pitches at 100 mph or above. Second on the list was starter Bartolo Colón
Bartolo Colón
Bartolo Colón is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. He played in Major League Baseball from 1997 to 2009 and again in 2011...
with 12.
On June 11, 2003, Wagner closed out a no-hitter
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
thrown by a record six pitchers. To date, it is the most recent Astros no-hitter.
During the closing weeks of the 2003 regular season and well into the days following the World Series, Wagner had pinned himself into the limelight on and off the record making some very derogatory remarks of the Astros team, blaming the front office for not building a playoff worthy team. This attitude did not brush off well with owner Drayton McLane or general manager Gerry Hunsicker, who invested millions of dollars into the hard throwing lefty, and instantly began exploring trade routes. On November 3, Billy Wagner was informed that he had been traded to the Philadelphia Phillies. His exit interview was in poor taste to the Astros viewpoint.
Philadelphia Phillies
Wagner was traded to Philadelphia before the 2004 season, only to have his season shortened by a strain in his hand. He had the best ERA of his career in 2005 and again led the league in games finished. Wagner became a free agentFree agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
after the 2005 season and signed a four-year, $43 million contract and a one-year club option with the New York Mets.
In a May 7, 2006 interview, Wagner stated that he was confronted by all of his former Phillies teammates in September 2005 after Wagner criticized their performance in the media by repeatedly saying that the Phillies had "no chance" of making the playoffs, with Phillies left fielder
Left fielder
In baseball, a left fielder is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
Pat Burrell
Pat Burrell
Patrick Brian "Pat" Burrell , nicknamed "Pat the Bat," is a Major League Baseball outfielder who is currently a free agent. He stands tall and weighs . He bats and throws right-handed...
reportedly calling Wagner a "rat." The confrontation reportedly was one of several factors that drove Wagner from Philadelphia in the 2005–2006 offseason.
New York Mets
Wagner finished 2006 with 40 saves and a 2.24 ERA and recorded his milestone 300th career save. His performance contributed to the New York Mets first division championship in 18 years. However, Wagner did not have a hot post-season performance: he recorded three saves, but he lost one game and allowed six runs in the 5⅔ innings that he pitched – an ERA of 10.40.Wagner had a good first half of the season in 2007. He was successful in 17 out of 18 save chances, and his ERA was 1.94. July was his best month, when he recorded eight saves in eight chances; did not allow a run scored; and he won the D.H.L. "Delivery Man of the Month" Award. During this month, Wagner's ERA was 0.00, he gave up two hits, and he pitched enough innings to be equivalent to a complete game
Complete game
In baseball, a complete game is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher.As demonstrated by the charts below, in the early 20th century, it was common for most good Major League Baseball pitchers to pitch a complete game almost every start. Pitchers were...
pitched. His performance in 2007 was earned him a slot on the National League All-Star Team
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
.
The second half of Wagner's baseball season was not nearly as successful. He was converted 13 out of 17 save chances, and his ERA was 3.90. Wagner's pitching performance declined during the final two months of the season. On August 30, Wagner failed to save the crucial fourth game of a four-game series between the Phillies and Mets. The final result was four game sweep by the Phillies in this series. This sweep turned out to be the difference in the season: the Mets finished one game behind the Phillies at the end of the regular season. One more win against the Phillies would have placed the two teams in an end-of-the-season tie, and both teams into the playoffs.
Wagner had an ERA of 6.23 in August of that season, and he suffered from back spasms during September.
On May 15, 2008, Wagner expressed tirade full of profanity
Profanity
Profanity is a show of disrespect, or a desecration or debasement of someone or something. Profanity can take the form of words, expressions, gestures, or other social behaviors that are socially constructed or interpreted as insulting, rude, vulgar, obscene, desecrating, or other forms.The...
against his teammates and coaches following the Mets' 1–0 loss in a game against the Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
. Some people have speculated that this was directed in particular toward his teammates Carlos Beltran
Carlos Beltrán
Carlos Iván Beltrán is a Major League Baseball outfielder.-Early life:In his youth, Beltrán excelled in many sports, with volleyball and baseball being his favorites. At his father's urging, he gave up volleyball to concentrate on baseball when he was seventeen...
and Carlos Delgado
Carlos Delgado
Carlos Juan Delgado Hernández is a retired Puerto Rican professional baseball player. With 473 home runs and 1,512 RBI, he holds the all-time home run and RBI records among Puerto Rican players....
about their not being available for interviews with the press following games. However, Wagner's pitching performance in April, May, and June was good enough to find him chosen by the All-Star Game's National League manager for his pitching staff.
During this All-Star Game, Wagner, pitching late in the game, surrendered a game-tying double to the American league's third baseman
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
, Evan Longoria
Evan Longoria
Evan Michael Longoria is a Major League Baseball third baseman for the Tampa Bay Rays. Formerly, Longoria was a star infielder for the Long Beach State University baseball team, the Cape Cod League MVP, and the Big West Co-Player of the Year.He made his major league debut for the Rays in , and...
, and then the National League lost the ballgame in 15 innings.
In September 2008, the Mets announced that Wagner had torn the ulnar collateral ligament
Ulnar collateral ligament (elbow)
The ulnar collateral ligament is a thick triangular band consisting of two portions, an anterior and posterior united by a thinner intermediate portion....
of his left elbow and also his flexor pronator tendon
Tendon
A tendon is a tough band of fibrous connective tissue that usually connects muscle to bone and is capable of withstanding tension. Tendons are similar to ligaments and fasciae as they are all made of collagen except that ligaments join one bone to another bone, and fasciae connect muscles to other...
. These injuries required major reconstructive surgery
Tommy John surgery
Tommy John surgery, known in medical practice as ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, is a surgical procedure in which a ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with a tendon from elsewhere in the body...
. This surgery, and its recovery, put Wagner out of play for a calendar year.
Wagner had a guaranteed-payment baseball contract, and he was paid a total of $10.5 million by the Mets in 2009. For the baseball year 2010, his contract gave the Mets an option to pay him $8.0 million for the season, or else to pay him a $1.0 million to terminate the contract.
In the news conference following the announcement of his major elbow injury, Wagner vowed that he would return to playing Major League Baseball. Although he had previously stated that he would not pitch anymore following 2009, Wagner amended this by saying that he did not wish to end his baseball career in this fashion – ending it on a major injury. He also said that he had dreams of winning a World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
, and also of reaching a total of about 420 saves in his career.
However, Wagner stated furthermore that he had "played his last [baseball] game as a Met". Wagner explained that it would not make good business sense for the Mets to guarantee him $8.0 million for 2009, pitching or not pitching.
Despite these statements, Wagner remained on the Mets' 40-man roster on the disabled list at the beginning of the season in 2009, and still drawing his salary. He pitched for the first time in 2009 for the Mets late in the season on August 20, in a game against the Atlanta Braves. He pitched one inning with two strikeouts and giving up no hits or walks.
Boston Red Sox
On August 21, 2009, it was reported that the Boston Red Sox claimed Wagner off waivers from the Mets. After initial reports suggested Wagner would invoke his no-trade clause to veto a trade, he agreed to be traded on August 25 for Chris CarterChris Carter (left-handed hitter)
William Christopher "Chris" Carter , nicknamed "Animal", is an American professional baseball infielder and outfielder.-High school:...
and Eddie Lora, and with the added stipulation that the Red Sox could not exercise his $8 million option for 2010, but they could offer him salary arbitration. The Red Sox did offer Wagner arbitration, but Wagner declined so the Red Sox received the 1st round draft pick from the team that signed Wagner (Atlanta Braves) and a sandwich pick
Sandwich Pick
Sandwich pick is a term for a type of draft pick awarded to Major League Baseball teams for the loss of free agents who meet the minimum requirements by the Elias Rankings...
in the 2010 rookie draft.
Atlanta Braves
On December 2, 2009, Wagner and the Atlanta BravesAtlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
agreed on a one-year contract worth $7 million that included a $6.5 million vesting option for the 2011 season. On April 30, 2010, Wagner revealed that he would retire at the end of the 2010 season to spend more time with his family. In a game against the Detroit Tigers on June 25, 2010, Wagner achieved his 400th career save. After the game, he told reporters that he still plans to retire after the 2010 season. On Sunday, July 11, 2010, Wagner was selected as an injury replacement to the 2010 National League All Star roster. Wagner declined the invitation due to an ankle injury.
He played his final major league game on October 3, 2010 and retired on a good note, striking out the final four batters he faced - the last three of which struck out looking.
Wagner retired to Crozet, Virginia
Crozet, Virginia
Crozet is a census-designated place in Albemarle County in the U.S. state of Virginia. It is situated along the I-64 corridor approximately west of Charlottesville and east of Staunton. Originally called "Wayland's Crossing", it was renamed in 1870 in honor of Colonel Claudius Crozet, the...
following the 2010 season but has still yet to file his retirement papers and until he does he is still listed as an active player on the Braves roster because his retirement is yet to become official.
On February 12, 2011, Wagner reiterated his intention to retire, stating, "I’m totally content with not playing baseball," Wagner said. "I love watching it, I love talking about it. If I miss anything, it would be some of the guys I played with and actually competing on the field, but other than that, you can keep it."
On March 30, 2011, the Braves officially released Wagner.