Top Blue Jays Player #31: David Wells
Position: Pitcher
Seasons With the
Jays: 8 (1987-92, 1999-2000)
All-Star Game
Selection: 2000
Stats: Games Pitched 306 Innings Pitched 1148.2
Wins/Losses 84-55 Saves
13
ERA 4.06 Strike
outs 784
Games Started 138 Games
Finished 65
Complete Games 18 Shutouts 2
David Wells was taken in the
second round of the 1982 Amateur Draft by the Toronto Blue Jays and his two
stints with the Blue Jays was a mix of solid pitching and personality clashes.
His bad-to-the-bone image and carefree attitude didn’t sit well with many Jays’
fans and his clash with one of his managers soured management on him as well.
However, that doesn’t take away from the fact that Wells was a competitive
pitcher and helped make the club successful during his time there.
He made his big league debut in
1987 as a relief pitcher and didn’t land in a starting role until 1990. During
his first three seasons in the bull pen, he won 14 games, lost 12 and saved
seven. In 1990, he got his first serious crack as a starting pitcher, starting
25 games while pitching 18 times in relief. Combined, he posted a 3.14 ERA, had
an 11-6 won/loss record and struck out 115 batters in 183 innings pitched. He
completed eight of his starts, showing the signs that would blossom into his
reputation as a work horse during his career.
Wells bounced back-and-forth
between the bull pen and starting role again in 1991 and it was this season that
his no-nonsense, don’t-give-a-damn attitude started to sprout. While posting a
record of 15-10, he saved one game, had an ERA of 3.72 and a heated
confrontation with manager Cito Gaston would start to raise concerns over his
attitude.
On August 10, during a 12-7 loss
to the Boston Red Sox, Wells was the starting pitcher and was getting lit-up by
Boston. In the fifth inning, after allowing five runs on nine hits, Wells was
about to be replaced on the mound. As Gaston got closer to the mound, he held
out his hand for Wells to give him the ball, indicating he was about to be
relieved. But Wells refused to hand over the ball, instead saying something to
Cito that obviously irritated the skipper. When Cito said something back to
him, Wells fired the ball down the left field line and walked off the field, an
blatant gesture of insubordination. After the game, both men had no comment and
the incident seemed to be a one-off.
However, the following season,
there was another flair up. On August 20, Wells was the starting pitcher
against the against the Milwaukee Brewers. He gave up one hit after another. While
it was obvious he wasn’t having his best pitching day—he had given up eight
runs in four innings—Cito didn’t relieve him. He never got out of the fifth and
when his day was finally finished, his pitching line included 13 runs allowed,
all earned, 11 hits, four walks, two hit batters and seven doubles.
Despite his feud with the
manager, and his poor overall performance in 1992 (7-9 record, 5.40 ERA and
only 14 starts) Wells was still included in the post-season roster and pitched
well in the World Series, helping the Jays to their first championship. In four
games, he pitched 4 1/3 innings of scoreless ball and teamed with catcher, Pat
Borders, on a pivotal out in the clinching game against the Atlanta Braves. In
the seventh inning, with Atlanta speedster Otis Nixon on base, Wells kept Nixon
close enough to the first base bag that when he finally attempted to steal, he
didn’t get a good jump and Borders threw him out at second to end the inning.
During Spring Training in 1993,
Wells was traded to the Detroit Tigers. He was disappointed as he loved playing
in Toronto and wanted to help the team in their quest to another championship.
He spent the next three seasons in Detroit, Cincinnati and Baltimore before
landing with the New York Yankees in 1997. In 1998, he had a record of 18-4,
threw a perfect game and helped the Yankees win the World Series.
During the offseason, he was
traded back to Toronto for Roger Clemens. Wells was a more dominant starter in
his second stint with the Jays. In 1999, he posted a 17-10 record, led the
American League in complete games (7) and innings pitched (231 2/3). In 2000 he
was even better leading the AL in wins (20), and complete games (10) again. But
his final season was mired in controversy again as he complained to the media
about the lack of baseball knowledge the fans in the city of Toronto possessed.
It was obvious he missed being with the Yankees as the New Yorkers were in the
middle of a dynasty that saw them win four World Series in five years.
After the 2000 season, he was
traded to the Chicago White Sox in the infamous Mike Sirotka deal. (Sirotka was
seriously injured and the White Sox obviously hid the fact they were dealing
the Jays some damaged goods. However, MLB did not intervene and the deal stood.
Sirotka never pitched again.)
Wells was pretty much a journeyman
pitcher through the rest of his career, pitching seven more years for the White
Sox, the Yankees again, San Diego, Boston, back to San Diego and finally the
Dodgers.
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