Turk Wendell
Encyclopedia
Steven John "Turk" Wendell (born May 19, 1967 in Pittsfield, Massachusetts
, United States
) is a former Major League Baseball
right-handed relief pitcher
from to .
Wendell was drafted by the Atlanta Braves
in (a 5th round selection) and made his professional debut with the Pulaski Braves of the Appalachian League
in June 1988. He made his first major league appearance on June 17, 1993.
Wendell was named the most superstitious athlete of all time by Men's Fitness
.
, where he is among the school's all-time leaders in strikeout
s (single season) and earned run average
. Wendell played his summer baseball during college with the independent Dalton Collegians and with Falmouth in the Cape Cod League.
, a two-seam fastball
, a slider
, and a change-up
. Wendell was commonly seen as having above-average control, average movement, below-average power, and a good pick-off
move.
in , and pitched in their minor league system
for two years before making his major league debut in 1993. Wendell got off to a rocky start, pitching in only 13 games in the 1993 and seasons combined, posting a 1-3 record and a 7.30 ERA.
, where he spent three and a half seasons. Wendell was extremely well liked by Mets fans, given his friendly personality, sense of humor, outspoken nature, and frequent antics (see below).
In his Met career, spanning over five seasons, Wendell posted a solid 3.34 ERA and a 22-14 record in 285 appearances
. He led the team in games pitched
in the and seasons.
As a Met, Wendell appeared in the playoff
s twice, in 1999 and 2000, including an appearance in the 2000 World Series
.
, where he spent the remainder of the season. After missing the entire season due to an elbow injury, Wendell returned to pitch in 56 games for the Phillies in , with a 3-3 record and a 3.38 ERA.
After the 2003 season, Wendell became a free agent
, and was not re-signed by the Phillies. Instead, Wendell signed a minor league
contract with the Colorado Rockies
, where he spent an injury-plagued season moving back and forth between the major league squad and various minor league rehab assignments. Wendell was released by the Rockies toward the end of the 2004 season.
Wendell signed a minor league contract with the Houston Astros
in early , but was unable to earn a spot on the team's major league roster in spring training
, and announced his retirement in March, 2005.
problem. When asked about Barry Bonds
, one of the most controversial figures in the debate, Wendell said that Bonds "obviously" took steroids, noting the fact that Bonds's trainer had admitted to giving steroids to baseball players and that Bonds's physical appearance strongly suggested steroid use. Bonds responded aggressively, telling Wendell, "You got something to say, you come to my face and say it and we’ll deal with each other. Don’t talk through the media like you’re some tough guy."
This was not the first time Wendell had been known to ruffle some people's feathers, however. In early 2001, after Vladimir Guerrero
(then playing for the Montreal Expos
) took exception to being hit
by Wendell, Wendell remarked, "If he doesn't like it, he can freakin' go back to the Dominican and find another line of work."
Less than a month later, Wendell was ejected from a game against the St. Louis Cardinals
for throwing behind batter Mike Matheny
. After the game, Wendell asked rhetorically, "When [Rick] Ankiel
is out there and he throws balls everywhere, why don't they throw him out of the game?"
On the eve of the 2000 World Series between the Yankees and the Mets, Wendell is quoted as having said "Yankee Stadium? I don't give a hoot about it. We've played there before. It won't be a surprise. The Yankees have tortured us for years and years, and beating them would be sweet for me." During the Yankees celebration of their win, it is reported that every five minutes, someone would call for a toast "To Turk Wendell!"
In numerous interviews, Wendell repeatedly told reporters that he wanted to play his last season in baseball for free. "I want my last season to be a testament to the game," said Wendell. "I only wanted a few things out of life -- a wife, children, to play baseball and to hunt deer." When he was informed that the Players Association
(the union
for major league players) would not allow him to play for free, Wendell said, "Then I'll drop out of the union when the time comes."
In March 2006, Wendell was quoted by the suburban Chicago Daily Herald
as believing that former Cubs teammate Sammy Sosa
"of course" used steroids. Wendell alleged that Sosa's home run totals increased significantly only after he began using steroids. He also stated that "everybody in baseball" (including coaches, managers, and owners) knew about steroid use by players such as Sosa, and that he agreed with the information in José Canseco
's book Juiced
.
work during and after his career. Wendell was particularly dedicated to working with children through various organizations
. Despite his explicit desire to not receive media
coverage of his volunteer efforts (Wendell stated that he didn't want any recognition or notoriety for what he did), Wendell was given the "Good Guy Award" by the New York Press Photographers Association in 2000, in honor of his considerable contributions.
In October 2006, he visited troops stationed in Afghanistan as part of the "Heroes of the Diamond Tour."
Pittsfield, Massachusetts
Pittsfield is the largest city and the county seat of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the principal city of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Berkshire County. Its area code is 413. Its ZIP code is 01201...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
) is a former Major League Baseball
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...
right-handed 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...
from to .
Wendell was drafted by 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....
in (a 5th round selection) and made his professional debut with the Pulaski Braves of the Appalachian League
Appalachian League
The Appalachian League is a Rookie-class minor league that began play in 1937 with one year of inactivity in 1956. From 1937 to 1962, it was a Class D League. Teams are located in the Appalachian regions of Virginia, North Carolina, West Virginia and Tennessee...
in June 1988. He made his first major league appearance on June 17, 1993.
Wendell was named the most superstitious athlete of all time by Men's Fitness
Men's Fitness
Men's Fitness is a men's magazine published by American Media, Inc and founded in the United States in 1987. The premier issue featured Michael Pare from the television series The Greatest American Hero....
.
College career
Wendell attended Quinnipiac UniversityQuinnipiac University
Quinnipiac University is a private, nonsectarian, coeducational university located in Hamden, Connecticut, United States at the foot of Sleeping Giant State Park...
, where he is among the school's all-time leaders in strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
s (single season) and earned run average
Earned 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...
. Wendell played his summer baseball during college with the independent Dalton Collegians and with Falmouth in the Cape Cod League.
Major league career
Wendell was generally regarded as a workhorse relief pitcher who threw a four-seam fastballFour-seam fastball
A four-seam fastball, also called a rising fastball, a four-seamer, or a cross-seam fastball, is a pitch in baseball. It is a member of the fastball family...
, a two-seam fastball
Two-seam fastball
A two-seam fastball is a pitch in baseball and a variant of the straight fastball. The pitch has the speed of a fastball, but the general movement of a screwball...
, a 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....
, and a change-up
Changeup
A changeup is a type of pitch in baseball. Other names include change-of-pace, Bugs Bunny change-up, the dreaded equalizer, and simply change. The changeup is sometimes called an off-speed pitch, although that term can also be used simply to mean any pitch that is slower than a fastball...
. Wendell was commonly seen as having above-average control, average movement, below-average power, and a good pick-off
Pickoff
In baseball, a pickoff is an act by a pitcher or a catcher, throwing a live ball to a fielder so that the fielder can tag out a baserunner who is either leading off or about to begin stealing the next base....
move.
Rocky start
Wendell was traded by the Braves to the Chicago CubsChicago 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...
in , and pitched in their minor league system
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...
for two years before making his major league debut in 1993. Wendell got off to a rocky start, pitching in only 13 games in the 1993 and seasons combined, posting a 1-3 record and a 7.30 ERA.
Becoming a solid reliever and fan favorite
From 1994 on, however, Wendell improved to a 3.88 ERA in 187 game appearances for the Cubs. Toward the end of the season, Wendell was traded to the New York MetsNew 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...
, where he spent three and a half seasons. Wendell was extremely well liked by Mets fans, given his friendly personality, sense of humor, outspoken nature, and frequent antics (see below).
In his Met career, spanning over five seasons, Wendell posted a solid 3.34 ERA and a 22-14 record in 285 appearances
Games pitched
In baseball statistics, games pitched is the number of games in which a player appears as a pitcher; a player who is announced as the pitcher must face at least one batter, although exceptions are made if the pitcher announced in the starting lineup is injured before facing a batter, perhaps while...
. He led the team in games pitched
Games pitched
In baseball statistics, games pitched is the number of games in which a player appears as a pitcher; a player who is announced as the pitcher must face at least one batter, although exceptions are made if the pitcher announced in the starting lineup is injured before facing a batter, perhaps while...
in the and seasons.
As a Met, Wendell appeared in the playoff
Playoff
The playoffs, postseason, or finals of a sports league are a game or series of games played after the regular season by the top competitors, usually but not always with a single-elimination system, to determine the league champion or a similar accolade.In the U.S...
s twice, in 1999 and 2000, including an appearance in the 2000 World Series
2000 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 21, 2000 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New YorkThe opener fell on two anniversaries. Twenty-five years prior, Boston Red Sox's catcher Carlton Fisk ended Game 6 of the 1975 World Series with his famous home run off the left field foul pole in Fenway Park in Boston to beat...
.
Plateau and decline
In mid-, Wendell was traded to the Philadelphia PhilliesPhiladelphia 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...
, where he spent the remainder of the season. After missing the entire season due to an elbow injury, Wendell returned to pitch in 56 games for the Phillies in , with a 3-3 record and a 3.38 ERA.
After the 2003 season, Wendell became a free agent
Free 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....
, and was not re-signed by the Phillies. Instead, Wendell signed a minor league
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...
contract with the Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
, where he spent an injury-plagued season moving back and forth between the major league squad and various minor league rehab assignments. Wendell was released by the Rockies toward the end of the 2004 season.
Wendell signed a minor league contract with 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...
in early , but was unable to earn a spot on the team's major league roster in spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
, and announced his retirement in March, 2005.
Speaking his mind
Wendell made a name for himself not only through his pitching and personality, but through his outspoken nature as well. One of the most notable examples came in 2004, during the heart of the public debate over Major League Baseball's steroidSteroid
A steroid is a type of organic compound that contains a characteristic arrangement of four cycloalkane rings that are joined to each other. Examples of steroids include the dietary fat cholesterol, the sex hormones estradiol and testosterone, and the anti-inflammatory drug dexamethasone.The core...
problem. When asked about Barry Bonds
Barry Bonds
Barry Lamar Bonds is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. Bonds played from 1986 to 2007, for the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants. He is the son of former major league All-Star Bobby Bonds...
, one of the most controversial figures in the debate, Wendell said that Bonds "obviously" took steroids, noting the fact that Bonds's trainer had admitted to giving steroids to baseball players and that Bonds's physical appearance strongly suggested steroid use. Bonds responded aggressively, telling Wendell, "You got something to say, you come to my face and say it and we’ll deal with each other. Don’t talk through the media like you’re some tough guy."
This was not the first time Wendell had been known to ruffle some people's feathers, however. In early 2001, after Vladimir Guerrero
Vladimir Guerrero
Vladimir Alvino Guerrero is a free agent Major League Baseball right fielder and designated hitter.In , he was voted the American League MVP...
(then playing for the Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
) took exception to being hit
Hit by pitch
In baseball, hit by pitch , or hit batsman , is a batter or his equipment being hit in some part of his body by a pitch from the pitcher.-Official rule:...
by Wendell, Wendell remarked, "If he doesn't like it, he can freakin' go back to the Dominican and find another line of work."
Less than a month later, Wendell was ejected from a game against 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...
for throwing behind batter Mike Matheny
Mike Matheny
Michael Scott Matheny is the manager of the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball. He is also a former baseball catcher, playing for four different teams during his thirteen years in the major leagues...
. After the game, Wendell asked rhetorically, "When [Rick] Ankiel
Rick Ankiel
Richard Alexander Ankiel is a Major League Baseball outfielder who is currently with the Washington Nationals. He bats and throws left-handed....
is out there and he throws balls everywhere, why don't they throw him out of the game?"
On the eve of the 2000 World Series between the Yankees and the Mets, Wendell is quoted as having said "Yankee Stadium? I don't give a hoot about it. We've played there before. It won't be a surprise. The Yankees have tortured us for years and years, and beating them would be sweet for me." During the Yankees celebration of their win, it is reported that every five minutes, someone would call for a toast "To Turk Wendell!"
In numerous interviews, Wendell repeatedly told reporters that he wanted to play his last season in baseball for free. "I want my last season to be a testament to the game," said Wendell. "I only wanted a few things out of life -- a wife, children, to play baseball and to hunt deer." When he was informed that the Players Association
Major League Baseball Players Association
The Major League Baseball Players Association is the union of professional major-league baseball players.-History of MLBPA:The MLBPA was not the first attempt to unionize baseball players...
(the union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
for major league players) would not allow him to play for free, Wendell said, "Then I'll drop out of the union when the time comes."
In March 2006, Wendell was quoted by the suburban Chicago Daily Herald
Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, Illinois newspaper)
The Daily Herald is a daily newspaper based in Arlington Heights, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. The newspaper is distributed in the northern, northwestern and western suburbs of Chicago...
as believing that former Cubs teammate Sammy Sosa
Sammy Sosa
Samuel Peralta "Sammy" Sosa is a Dominican former professional baseball right fielder. Sosa played with four Major League Baseball teams over his career which spanned from 1989-2007....
"of course" used steroids. Wendell alleged that Sosa's home run totals increased significantly only after he began using steroids. He also stated that "everybody in baseball" (including coaches, managers, and owners) knew about steroid use by players such as Sosa, and that he agreed with the information in José Canseco
José Canseco
José Canseco Capas, Jr. is a Cuban-American professional baseball manager, outfielder, and designated hitter for the Yuma Scorpions of the North American League and former Major League Baseball player. He is the identical twin brother of former major league player and current teammate Ozzie Canseco...
's book Juiced
Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant 'Roids, Smash Hits & How Baseball Got Big
Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant 'Roids, Smash Hits & How Baseball Got Big is a 2005 book by Jose Canseco and his personal account of steroid usage in Major League Baseball. The book is autobiographical, and it focuses on Canseco's days as a major leaguer, his marriages, his daughter, and off-field...
.
Contributions off the field
Wendell was also well renowned for doing a substantial amount of charityCharitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
work during and after his career. Wendell was particularly dedicated to working with children through various organizations
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
. Despite his explicit desire to not receive media
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
coverage of his volunteer efforts (Wendell stated that he didn't want any recognition or notoriety for what he did), Wendell was given the "Good Guy Award" by the New York Press Photographers Association in 2000, in honor of his considerable contributions.
In October 2006, he visited troops stationed in Afghanistan as part of the "Heroes of the Diamond Tour."