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Steven John "Turk" Wendell (born May 19, 1967) is an American former professional baseball right-handed relief pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for four National League (NL) teams, in all or parts of 11 seasons, between and . As a batter, Wendell was a switch hitter, with all three of his lifetime hits coming from the left side of the plate.
Wendell was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 5th round (112th overall) of the 1988 Major League Baseball draft. He made his professional debut with the Pulaski Braves of the Appalachian League in June 1988. Wendell made his first big league appearance on June 17, 1993.
Wendell was a relief pitcher who threw a four-seam fastball, a two-seam fastball, a slider, and a Changeup. He was regarded as having above-average control, average pitch movement, below-average power, and a good Pickoff move.
Wendell was named the most superstitious athlete of all time by Men's Journal.
In both Chicago and New York, Wendell became well known for his many quirky habits and superstitions, including jumping over the foul lines on his way to and from the mound, brushing his teeth between innings, slamming the rosin bag into the mound before facing batters and chewing black licorice. His unique on-field personality made him popular among both Cubs and Mets fans.
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, he signed a minor league contract with the Colorado Rockies. That season, Wendell posted a 7.02 ERA in 12 games before getting sent down to Colorado's Triple A affiliate for a rehab stint, where he similarly pitched poorly in 12 games. The Rockies released Wendell at the end of July.
Wendell signed a minor league contract with the Houston Astros in early , but failed to earn a spot on the team's major league roster in spring training, after which he retired. “It was never stated or announced," Wendell later said.
In a 2010 interview, Wendell ridiculed excuses and apologies from stars who admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs. "When Mark McGwire said he wished he had never played in this era, that ticked me off because he had the same choices I did," Wendell said. "He didn't have to take a shortcut and cheat like that. If he feels that badly about it, give the owners back the money that he took from them."
In early 2001, after Vladimir Guerrero (then playing for the Montreal Expos) took exception to being hit by Wendell, Wendell remarked, "One of the ways to get him out is pitching inside and if he can’t handle being pitched inside, he should go frickin' 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 referred to Cardinals' pitcher Rick Ankiel, whose mysterious loss of control would soon end his pitching career: "When 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!"Torre, Joe and Verducci, Tom. The Yankee Years. Doubleday, 2009, p. 125 and 140.
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," Wendell said in 2000. "I only wanted a few things out of life – a wife, children, to play baseball and to hunt deer." When informed that the Major League Baseball Players Association would not allow him to play for free, Wendell said, "then I'll drop out of the union when the time comes."
In October 2006, he visited troops stationed in Afghanistan as part of the "Heroes of the Diamond Tour". He said he was so inspired by the trip that he enlisted in the Army upon return but was denied active combat duty eligibility because he is color-blind.
Wendell owns Wykota Ranch, Wykota Ranch a 200-acre hunting and fishing camp in Larkspur, Colorado New York Post: Former Met loves ranch life, hates ’roids Wendell's son, Wyatt Wendell, played collegiate baseball for Purdue University. After college he signed as an undrafted free agent with the Arizona Diamondbacks, and joined their minor-league system. His daughter, Dakota, plays collegiate soccer for the Minnesota State University, Mankato Mavericks.
In or around 2003, former Mets teammate Jerrod Riggan named his son after Wendell.
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Categories: 1967 Births, Living People, Major League Baseball Pitchers, Chicago Cubs Players, New York Mets Players, Philadelphia Phillies Players, Colorado Rockies Players, Baseball Players From Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Durham Bulls Players, Greenville Braves Players, Richmond Braves Players, Iowa Cubs Players, Colorado Springs Sky Sox Players, Quinnipiac Bobcats Baseball Players, Falmouth Commodores Players, 20th-century American Sportsmen
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