David Wells

At 60 years old, David Wells has this physical status:

David Lee Wells (born May 20, 1963), dubbed "Boomer," is an American retired Major League Baseball pitcher.

Wells was considered one of the game's finest left-handed pitchers, particularly during his time with the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays.

He pitched the 15th perfect game in baseball history.

He is ranked only with Kenny Lofton for appearing in the post-season with six teams.

Wells is now a broadcaster on MLB on TBS and the host of The Cheap Seats on FOXSports.com.

Early life

Wells was born in Torrance, California. His parents never married. Eugenia, a member of Hell's Angels who was also known as "Attitude Annie," was raised him. Wells grew up with the belief that his father, David Pritt, was deceased. However, he discovered Pritt was alive and followed him down to begin a new one with him at the age of 22.

Wells, who attended local public schools in Ocean Beach, was relying on his mother, who worked multiple jobs to help him and his four children. He graduated from Point Loma High School, where he played baseball and basketball in 1982, and he spent the majority of his time at the Ocean Beach Recreation Center and Robb Field. Wells was Point Loma High School's star pitcher, and he had a spectacular game his senior year.

In July 1985, Tommy John surgery was done on him.

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Professional career

Wells debuted as a relief for the Toronto Blue Jays in 1987 but did not have a full-time starter until he was 30 years old. Wells, who spent six seasons with the Blue Jays, had a 47-46 record and a 3.88 ERA. Wells was a member of the 1992 World Series champion team, the first time he had a championship ring. During spring training, he was activated by the Blue Jays.

Wells signed with the Detroit Tigers just days after being released by the Blue Jays. Wells made 32 appearances (30 starts) in 1993, with an 11-9 record and a 4.19 ERA. Wells started 16 games in 1994, a season that was cut short due to a strike, ending 5-7 with a 3.96 ERA and 5 complete games. He made his name as a top-flight pitcher in 1995, when he was 32 years old. Wells made his first All-Star Game appearance after starting the year off at 10-3 with a 3.04 ERA for the struggling last-place Tigers.

Wells, C. J. Nitkowski, Mark Lewis, and minor leaguer Dave Tuttle were traded to the Cincinnati Reds on July 31. Wells, a 3.5-year ERA, had a 6–5 record and a 3.59 ERA in Cincinnati.

Wells was traded to the Baltimore Orioles for Curtis Goodwin and minor leaguer Trovin Valdez after the 1995 season. In 1996, he pitched a then-career high 224 innings but ended with an 11-14 record and a 5.14 ERA.

Wells became a free agent with the New York Yankees in 1997, his favorite team due to his lifelong love for baseball legend Babe Ruth. Ruth's long-serving number was denied as he applied for uniform number 3. He ended up taking 33 for the Yankees. Wells was on the ground on June 28, 1997, wearing a genuine 1934 Babe Ruth hat, which he had purchased for $35,000. After the first inning because it didn't comply to uniform requirements, manager Joe Torre made Wells withdraw it. Wells was fined $2,500, which Wells later agreed to pay for the thrill of wearing the hat on the field even for one inning, even though the Cleveland Indians then took the lead by 3–0 as the Cleveland Indians defeated 12-8. Wells pitched well in the Yankees' record-breaking 1998 season after posting a 16–10 record in 1997. He set an 18–4 record, placed fifth in the league in ERA (3.49), and took third place in voting for the Cy Young Award, winning his second World Series ring.

Wells played his 15th perfect game in baseball history on May 17, 1998, when he blanked the Minnesota Twins, 4–0. Wells, along with Don Larsen, whose only flawless game or no-hitter ever played in postseason play until 2004, was the first flawless game played by a Yankee in the 1956 World Series. In 1999, David Cone would play his third Yankee perfect game. Wells said he threw the perfect game while having a "raging, skull-rattling hangover." Jimmy Fallon, a Comedian who partied with Wells the night before the game, backed up this assertion.

Wells came close to winning their second straight game on September 1, 1998. Pitching against the Oakland Athletics, he allowed no walks and just two hits, the first of which came with two outs in the seventh innings, when Jason Giambi battled off an 0–2 count and singled.

Wells, along with Homer Bush and Graeme Lloyd, returned to the Blue Jays as part of Roger Clemens' trade. With wins of 17–10 and 20–8 over the next two years, he continued to triumph north of the border.

Wells appeared on Sports Illustrated before the 2000 All Star Game, during his time with the Blue Jays. Though Wells said it was an honor to be on the front page, Jeff Pearlman wrote "The David Wells Diet: Chips, Beer, and American League batters," a column containing Pearlman's words, arguing that Pearlman's writings reflected on Wells' diet and body shape rather than his achievements.

Wells and pitcher Matt DeWitt were traded to the Chicago White Sox by a contract that was quickly mired in controversies. Mike Sirotka, the White Sox's starting pitcher, was hospitalized at the time and has never pitched in the major leagues again. However, Toronto's general manager, Gord Ash, did not make the decision contingent on the results of a medical examination, but MLB ruled in favour of the White Sox. Kevin Beirne, Brian Simmons, and minor leaguer Mike Williams were all sent by the Blue Jays, and the mistake ultimately cost Ash his job.

The White Sox did not turn out particularly well in 2001, as Wells suffered with back pains in 2001 and pitched only 10023 innings, ending the 2001 season with a 5–7 record and a 4.47 ERA.

Wells returned to the Yankees after a short season with the White Sox, a move that had already been embroiled in controversy as he had not reached an oral commitment to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Despite losing some power from his fastball, he maintained his explosive curveball and his patience, winning an unprecedented 19–7 record in 2002.

Wells was the subject of some controversies prior to the 2003 season, when his autobiography Perfect I'm Not: Boomer on Beer, Brawls, Backaches, and Baseball was released. The book sparked the Yankees' administration, and Wells was fined $100,000 by the team for making disparaging remarks in it. When he pitched his magnificent game, one of them mentioned himself having a hangover. Among the other controversial comments were allegations that he improved his pitching arm as a youth by throwing rocks at homeless people and that his minor league team, the Kinston Blue Jays, segregated stands in 1983, despite abundant evidence to the contrary. In the book, which was presumably penned by a ghost writer, Wells seemed to have been misquoted. However, the problems didn't extend to the field. Wells had a 15-07 record and the Yankees had won another pennant.

Wells won his 200th game of his career on September 28, 2003, the final day of the regular season, for the Clemens, who had won his 300th game of the season earlier this season but was expected to retire from baseball (Clemens). Joe Torre, the regular Yankees, allowed Clemens to play the final game of the regular season, and the Clemens to remove Wells in the eighth inning.

Some Yankees fans had him suspended from pitching during Game 5 of the 2003 World Series. He got off the game but was forced to finish the game with his bullpen. Torre was stuck in the first inning due to a bad backache. In six games, the Yankees lost the game and the series to the Florida Marlins.

Wells was signed as a San Diego Padres free agent on January 1, 2004. Wells began his second stint in the National League with a 3.73 ERA.

Wells landed the uniform number 3 in honor of Babe Ruth on December 11, 2004, following his two-year contract with the Boston Red Sox. Many fans were questioning general manager Theo Epstein's decision after coming off the DL and being blown away in his first return to Oakland — and changing his uniform number from 3 to 16 — David Wells became the same dominating pitcher he was once known as. With a 4.45 ERA, he maintained his 15-7 record. Wells pitched much better than his ERA would suggest, but he had a few bad outings, which caused his ERA to "balloon." Wells asked for a trade back to the West Coast in 2005, but he turned down the offer and resigned himself to a one-year pitching for the Red Sox.

Wells began the 2006 season on the disabled list as he was still recovering from knee surgery. After pitching one game on April 12, he was released on the 15-day disabled list once more. He said that if his knee did not improve, he would retire. Wells made his second appearance against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays on May 26, making his second appearance on the year.

Wells' hopes of playing for a West Coast team and a playoff contender were granted when he was traded back to the Padres for top catching prospect George Kottaras on August 31, 2006.

Wells also applied for free agency after the 2006 season. For players who are already planning on retiring, this is a normal course of action in case one changes his mind. The pitcher's agent had said that he would hold his options open, but his physical health will play a huge role in the final decision on whether or not to return for another season. Wells ultimately decided to remain with the Padres, committing in principle to a one-year contract worth $3 million in base salary with a potential $4 million in incentives.

Wells had been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes on March 18, 2007, according to the media. This form of diabetes is more closely related to lifestyle causes, such as diet, but diabetes-related diabetes may be exacerbated by chronic high blood sugar levels, as insulin resistance can be an improvement of insulin in the aftermath of elevated blood sugar levels over time.

When Chris Young was set to return from the disabled list on August 8, the Padres revealed on August 8 that they would break ways with Wells.

Wells was signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers on August 23, 2007. He made his Dodgers debut against the New York Mets on August 26. He lasted five innings and gave two earned runs to two others. Wells defeated the Los Angeles in second base on a bunt single, scored a run, and earned the victory. He was the first pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers to start a game.

Wells' first multi-hit game of his 21-year career came against his former team, the San Diego Padres, on September 13, 2007. Greg Maddux, a former teammate, scored a single and a double. Wells ended the season with the Dodgers going 4–1 with a 5.12 ERA. Wells also filed for free agency after the 2007 season.

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