Friday, July 24, 2015

#458 David Wells

About the Front: Check out the rear view of David Wells! (Heard it as soon as I said it.) Much like Bob Wickman, Wells is a pitcher who really, um, filled out later in his career.

About the Back: Man, am I entertained by the mental image of David Wells surfing.

Triple Play:

1. He idolized Babe Ruth, and wore his number 3 during a late-career stint in Boston. He also wore #33 with the Yankees and four other clubs, and once wore one of the Babe's old baseball caps for a start with the Yanks.

2. Wells was a late bloomer, making three All-Star teams and posting a 176-104 record in 13 seasons after turning 32. His prior career record to that point was 63-53.

3. David hurled a perfect game for New York against the Twins on May 17, 1998, whiffing 11 batters. He famously admitted in his autobiography to being hung over and "half-drunk" during the game from the previous night's activities.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: In 1996, during Wells' short stay in Baltimore, one of my classmates ended up sitting by the lefty on an airplane. He said that Wells really seemed like a nice guy.

Bill James Said: "Released by the Jays in the spring because Cito was tired of his overweight biker act, Wells signed with the Tigers and looked like a steal after a 6-1 start, but slumped in June and July and went down with a sore shoulder in August." He finished 11-9 with a 4.19 ERA in 1993, good for a 103 ERA+.

On This Date in 1993: July 24. Enjoy a Calvin and Hobbes strip, why don'tcha?

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