Alan Wiggins

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For his son and basketball player, see Alan Wiggins Jr.

Alan Wiggins
Runs batted in
118
Stolen bases242
Teams

Alan Anthony Wiggins (February 17, 1958 – January 6, 1991) was an American professional baseball player. He was a second baseman and outfielder in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres and Baltimore Orioles between 1981 and 1987. A speedy leadoff hitter, Wiggins had his best season with the pennant-winning Padres in 1984. He batted one slot ahead of Tony Gwynn in the lineup that year, and the pair's offensive production helped the Padres win the National League Championship Series (NLCS) and advance to the World Series.

Wiggins grew up in California and attended

California Angels in 1977. He played in the minor league systems of the Angels and the Los Angeles Dodgers, setting a professional baseball single-season record with 120 stolen bases in 1980. He made his major league debut with the San Diego Padres in 1981, and he became a regular player within two years. In 1983 he set the Padres' single-season stolen base record, a mark that he extended the following season. His 1984 stolen bases total (70) is still a team record as of the start of the 2022 season
.

During his major league career, Wiggins struggled with drug addiction, which resulted in several arrests and suspensions from baseball. His drug problems prompted a 1985 trade from San Diego to Baltimore, where Wiggins spent three seasons. After leaving baseball, he was diagnosed with

professional basketball
players.

Early life

Wiggins was born in

Los Angeles, California,[1]
and his mother, Karla Wiggins, raised him as a single mother. As a child, he played baseball with his friends at a park across from the
hitter and fielder, but his speed stood out to Bodet.[6]

The

California Angels selected Wiggins as the eighth overall pick of the January 1977 MLB amateur draft.[7] In 1977 Wiggins played junior college baseball at Pasadena City College, where he was a teammate of future major leaguers Matt Young and Rod Booker.[8] Bodet, who had moved to the Angels scouting staff just before the draft, joined other Angels staff members and worked out with Wiggins after the team selected him. Angels coach Bob Clear told Wiggins that his excellent speed would help him to a high batting average even if his hitting skills were not that strong: "If you can hit .200, you can run the other eighty points. And if you can hit .280, you can lead off for anybody."[6] Wiggins signed with the Angels in May for $2,500 after what Bodet described as "a tough negotiation".[6][9] According to Bodet, Wiggins' mother "did not trust easily".[6]

Baseball career

Early career

Wiggins played minor league baseball in 1977 for the Angels rookie-league affiliate in

Clinton Dodgers.[2]

In 95 games for Clinton, Wiggins hit .257, stole 43 bases, and converted to a

Lodi Dodgers of the California League in 1980, Wiggins batted .288 and scored 108 runs while stealing 120 bases in just 135 games.[11] He established a professional baseball single-season steals record,[c] surpassing the previous minor league mark of 116 set by Allan Lewis in 1966,[11][13] as well as Lou Brock's major league record of 118 in 1974.[14][15]

After the 1980 season, Wiggins' fourth year in the minor leagues, he was eligible to be selected by other teams in that year's

marijuana while with the Dodgers. "It was known in our organization that he had a problem in the Dodger organization. They didn't want a part of it," Padres manager Dick Williams said.[3]

San Diego Padres

After having spent most of his minor league career as an

first base for the last 45 games of the year after Steve Garvey suffered a broken thumb.[24] Wiggins' stolen bases total broke the single-season team record of 61 set by Richards in 1980.[3][22] Wiggins was named the team's most valuable player that season.[3]

Wiggins was moved to second base in 1984, making room for rookie Carmelo Martínez in the outfield.[25] Until that season, Martínez had been a first baseman, but the Padres already had a strong player there with Garvey, and they wanted to get Martínez into the lineup to improve their outfield's home run production.[23][26] Wiggins retained the leadoff spot in the lineup, hitting ahead of Tony Gwynn.[27] During a May game, Wiggins became the fifth 20th-century MLB player to steal five bases in one game, tying a National League (NL) record.[28] In August, Wiggins unwittingly became a party to a series of fights when he was hit with the first pitch of a game by Atlanta Braves pitcher Pascual Pérez. The teams retaliated against each other throughout the game with brushback pitches and beanballs, and the tension resulted in three fights and several ejections.[29]

Man wearing gray jacket, tie, and sunglasses with his left arm raised
Manager Dick Williams said that Wiggins was the league's most valuable player in 1984.

On the season, Wiggins scored 106 runs, stole 70 bases and led the league with 391

batting titles.[33][34] The duo was one of the biggest reasons behind San Diego's success.[35] The team could score quickly with Wiggins getting on first, stealing second, and scoring on a hit by Gwynn.[36] Wiggins batted .316 in the 1984 NLCS against the Chicago Cubs, going two-for-three with two runs scored in the fifth and deciding game.[37] In the 1984 World Series against the Detroit Tigers, which the Padres lost in five games, Wiggins batted .364 and scored twice. His eight hits were the most of any Padres player in the series.[38] According to manager Dick Williams, Wiggins was "absolutely the most valuable player in the National League in 1984".[39] "Alan Wiggins' role in bringing San Diego the 1984 National League championship wasn't put into proper perspective until the Padres tried to defend their title without him," sportswriter Phil Collier later wrote.[40]

Before the

trade deadline approached, the Orioles were reportedly only offering two minor league players in exchange for him.[44]

On June 27, 1985, Wiggins was traded to the Orioles for pitchers Roy Lee Jackson and Richard Caldwell.[24] Padres owner Joan Kroc said that the team had warned Wiggins that he would not remain with the team if he had further problems with drugs. She stated that it would have been self-serving to keep Wiggins after his relapse when he could instead pursue a fresh start with another team.[45] Nonetheless, Gwynn felt that Wiggins had been shortchanged by the Padres.[45]

Baltimore Orioles

Wiggins spent a few days in the minor leagues before being called up to Baltimore. In his first game with the Orioles, he started at second base and was the team's leadoff hitter, reaching base three times, driving in a run and scoring a run. After the game, Wiggins commented that he felt welcome on the team and did not feel like he was starting out with anything to prove.[46] In 76 games for Baltimore that year, he hit .285, scored 43 runs and finished eighth in the American League with 30 stolen bases.[4] Baltimore fans felt that Wiggins was lazy, as he often stopped running to first base on ground balls and showed a lack of effort on defense.[47] He spent much of his time alone and did not talk to his teammates for much of the season.[39]

Wiggins later said that he had been depressed because he missed his wife and children, who were still living in San Diego.[47] His family moved to a suburb of Baltimore before the 1986 season, but Wiggins still struggled to win over Orioles fans and teammates. When the team asked him to field extra ground balls during spring training, he complied but did so sluggishly. Later in the year, he angered Cal Ripken Jr. when he threw a bat in frustration and the bat struck Ripken in the dugout. In June, Wiggins was tagged out with the hidden ball trick, and he made three errors the next day, including two in the same inning. After the two-error inning, Baltimore fans booed as his picture was revealed on the scoreboard during a "Who Am I" feature at the ballpark. Wiggins was frustrated by the fan response because he had relatives at the game that day. Manager Earl Weaver understood why Wiggins was upset over the timing of the scoreboard feature, but he said that Wiggins "had more chances than anyone who ever wore an Orioles' uniform".[39] He batted .251 with 21 stolen bases and 30 runs scored, played only 71 games, and was reassigned to the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings at one point in the season.[10]

The following season,

third base. The moves seemed to leave Wiggins battling for an outfield spot, but after he hit .413 during spring training, Ripken suggested that he might use Wiggins as a utility player. Just before the season started, Wiggins said he was not happy with Ripken's idea of using him in a utility role, feeling that his spring performance should have secured him a starting position. He believed that he could be an asset in the leadoff batting slot.[48]

At the start of the 1987 regular season, Wiggins spent some time as a designated hitter (DH) and shared second base duties with Burleson.[49][50] Rookie second baseman Billy Ripken joined the club on July 10. Burleson was cut, but general manager Hank Peters said, "We're not bringing [Billy Ripken] up here to sit on the bench."[51] Wiggins was hitting .242 on July 10, and he played mostly DH after the rookie's arrival.[49] In early August, Wiggins received a three-day suspension after he got into an altercation with teammate Jim Dwyer and grabbed the shirt of Ripken Sr.[52]

On September 1, MLB indefinitely suspended Wiggins for a behavior issue, and an anonymous Orioles official told the media that the suspension resulted from a positive drug screen.[53] Wiggins was released from the Orioles on September 29 and the team had to pay him two-thirds of his $800,000 salary for 1988.[54] MLBPA officials announced that they would not issue grievances related to Wiggins' suspension and subsequent release, noting that Wiggins wanted to be released by that point.[55]

Later years

Baseball player Tony Gwynn swinging a bat
Tony Gwynn, Wiggins' teammate and friend on the Padres

Though Wiggins did not give up hope for a return to baseball, he began to study the real estate market after his suspension from the game. In the late 1980s Wiggins started to suffer from health difficulties related to AIDS, though the diagnosis was not publicly disclosed while he was alive. He was receiving deferred payments from his baseball career, and he began to make plans for the financial future of his children.[3] He told one of his former teammates that he was getting into computer work.[56] Gwynn said that he had seen Wiggins in spring 1990 and was struck by his visible weight loss.[17]

In his final months, he sold his home in

intravenous drug use.[57] After lapsing in and out of consciousness for a month, he died at the hospital on January 6, 1991.[58]

Wiggins' family initially attributed his death to lung cancer that had led to respiratory failure.[59] Family members said that he had gotten sick with a cough and that his condition had worsened quickly.[17] Wiggins weighed under 75 pounds (34 kg) at the time of his death. Several days after Wiggins died, a physician disclosed that his health problems were complications of AIDS.[58] He became the first baseball player known to have died from AIDS.[60]

After Wiggins died, longtime Oriole Frank Robinson said, "He was a very bright individual, and you could like the guy. But there was always something there to back you off." Former Padres player Garry Templeton said that he might have been Wiggins' closest friend, but said that he did not know that Wiggins had been ill.[56] Wiggins is buried at Rose Hills Memorial Park in Whittier, California.[1]

Personal life

Wiggins met his wife Angela when they were in junior high school; they both graduated from John Muir High School.[61] The Los Angeles Times reported that Wiggins had experienced marital strife, but that he would not entertain the thought of divorce; he wanted to ensure that his children did not grow up in a single-parent household as he had.[3] Two of Wiggins' three children became professional basketball players. Candice, an All-American at Stanford University, joined the Minnesota Lynx as the third overall pick in the 2008 WNBA draft. She has served as a spokesperson for the Greater Than AIDS campaign.[62] Alan Jr. played at the University of San Francisco and professionally in several countries.[63] His oldest daughter, Cassandra, played college basketball at New York University.[64]

Wiggins and his mother were very close, and her 1983 Alzheimer's disease diagnosis may have contributed to his drug problems. He was devastated that she would not be able to enjoy his success in the major leagues. In the last few years of Wiggins' life, he enjoyed a closer relationship with his father, Albert, and he often took his children on visits to see their grandfather. Wiggins had a very difficult time with his father's death in May 1990.[3]

The Orioles once gave an IQ test, and Wiggins scored higher than everyone except for Weaver. Wiggins' agent, Tony Attanasio, said that Wiggins' intelligence had caused problems in his relationships with teammates. He said that Wiggins had always been reserved and had a difficult time trusting other people.[3] Wiggins enjoyed stubbornly engaging in debates with his teammates, particularly Padres pitcher Eric Show, just to provoke reactions from them. He liked to read books and newspapers, and his teammates were turned off by these displays of his intellect. According to Attanasio, players in Baltimore also resented Wiggins because he replaced Rich Dauer, who had been a well-liked member of the team.[17][58] Lee Lacy was one of Wiggins' few friends on the Orioles. Tony Gwynn suggested that Wiggins was sometimes misunderstood. "To not like Alan Wiggins, is to not know Alan Wiggins," Gwynn said.[3]

Notes

  1. Hialeah High School in Hialeah, Florida.[4][5]
  2. ^ A Los Angeles Times article suggests that the fight and Wiggins' release occurred in 1977, but Baseball-Reference.com shows that Wiggins played with the Angels organization for part of 1978 and that he was released by the organization on June 10, 1978.[3][4]
  3. ^ Jeff Stone broke the record with 123 steals in 1981.[12]

References

  1. ^
    ISBN 978-0-7864-4239-3
    .
  2. ^ a b "Wiggins set record with 120 steals". Reading Eagle. Associated Press. October 19, 1980. p. 100.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Nightengale, Bob (January 13, 1991). "A troubled life, a lonely death: Former Padre star Alan Wiggins is remembered by friends who lost touch with him after drugs ruined promising career". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on April 17, 2017.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Alan Wiggins Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on January 14, 2018. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
  5. ^ "Alan Wiggins". The Baseball Cube. Archived from the original on September 30, 2015. Retrieved August 19, 2015.
  6. ^
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  7. ^ "Alan Wiggins". Pasadena Sports Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on January 30, 2018. Retrieved January 29, 2018.
  8. ^ "Former PCC baseball coach Lani Exton passes away at 76". Pasadena City College. April 23, 2013. Archived from the original on April 13, 2015. Retrieved February 4, 2018.
  9. Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  10. ^ a b c d e "Alan Wiggins Minor League Statistics & History". Baseball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on December 16, 2017. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
  11. ^ a b Murray, Vince (November 5, 1980). "Roadrunner League registration Nov. 15". Star-Banner. p. 10B.
  12. ^ "Stolen base records may fall". Lodi News-Sentinel. July 19, 1983. p. 10.
  13. ^ Cooper, J. J. (June 11, 2012). "Reds' Billy Hamilton gives minors first record chase in decades". BaseballAmerica.net. Archived from the original on September 25, 2015.
  14. ^
    Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  15. ^ "Stone attains record". Lawrence Journal-World. Associated Press. August 31, 1981. p. 15.
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  17. ^ a b c d Ira Berkow (January 15, 1991). "Sports of the times; Wiggins touched the hot iron". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 13, 2018. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
  18. ^ a b "Police arrest Padres' Wiggins". Boca Raton News. Associated Press. July 22, 1982. p. 2B.
  19. ^ "Sports people; break for Wiggins". The New York Times. May 1, 1985. Archived from the original on December 22, 2017.
  20. ^ "Alan Wiggins, once called 'the fastest man on two..." UPI.com. July 22, 1982. Archived from the original on September 3, 2015.
  21. Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  22. ^ a b "San Diego Padres Top 10 Batting Leaders". Baseball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on December 23, 2017. Retrieved September 2, 2015.
  23. ^ a b Maisel, Ivan (April 2, 1984). "San Diego". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015.
  24. ^ a b "Ex-Oriole Alan Wiggins dead at 32". The Washington Post. January 8, 1991. Archived from the original on January 14, 2018.
  25. ^ Proctor, Darrell (July 24, 1984). "Streaking Padres". Evening Independent. p. 5-C.
  26. ^ Distel, Dave (July 5, 1986). "Martinez was left in bad position". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016.
  27. ^ Distel, Dave (March 25, 1985). "Padres' Gwynn is a big hit: National League batting champion was busy in winter". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016.
  28. ^ Tully, Mike (May 18, 1984). "Wiggins steals his way into record books, paces Padres". The Courier. p. 14A.
  29. ^ Foster, Jason (August 12, 2015). "31 years ago today, the Braves and Padres had the greatest brawl ever". Sporting News. Archived from the original on December 16, 2017.
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  31. ^ "All-Time Padres Hitting Stats By Season". MLB.com. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
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  33. ^ Hewitt, Brian (March 31, 1989). "Padres 1989: 84' revisited?: Memories: World Series was a disaster, but it was fun getting there". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on January 27, 2013.
  34. ^ Center, Bill (October 7, 2001). "The greatest Padre: Career timeline: '84". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Archived from the original on April 8, 2014.
  35. ^ Bloom, Barry (March 16, 1985). "Lineup experiment doesn't faze Gwynn". Evening Tribune. p. B-1. And perhaps that one-two punch was the biggest reason why the club won its first NL title.
  36. ^ Chass, Murray (August 25, 1985). "Baseball; Padres' offense is weakened by the departure of Wiggins". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 9, 2015.
  37. ^ "1984 National League Championship Series, Game 5". Baseball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on December 16, 2017. Retrieved January 29, 2018.
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  39. ^ a b c Weyler, John (June 27, 1986). "Starting over, again: Alan Wiggins, dogged by a troubled past, tries to establish a future with Baltimore". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on June 13, 2022.
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  41. ^ Appleman, Marc (February 12, 1985). "Padres' Wiggins signs for four years". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 7, 2016. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
  42. ^ Cobbs, Chris (April 23, 1985). "He's in the lineup, but not on basepaths: Batting slump has robbed Alan Wiggins of his chances to steal". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 24, 2015.
  43. ^ Jim Kaplan, Ivan Maisel (May 20, 1985). "The commissioner gets tough". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015.
  44. ^ "Wiggins poses problem". The New York Times. June 12, 1985. Archived from the original on December 16, 2017.
  45. ^ a b Gildea, William (July 1, 1985). "Questions remain in Alan Wiggins saga: No one knows how much he can contribute to Oriole pennant hopes". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 14, 2022.
  46. ^ "Wiggins stars in debut for Orioles". Chicago Tribune. July 6, 1985. Section 2, page 3.
  47. ^ a b Cohen, Andy (March 6, 1986). "A straight path for Wiggins, could guide Orioles to Series". Sun-Sentinel. Archived from the original on December 15, 2017.
  48. ^ Browne, Jeff (April 1, 1987). "Demoted Wiggins has no use for utility role". Sun-Sentinel. Archived from the original on December 22, 2017.
  49. ^ a b "1987 Batting Gamelogs". Baseball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on January 14, 2018. Retrieved August 1, 2015.
  50. ^ Justice, Richard (June 29, 1987). "Burleson sore about playing time". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on March 13, 2016. Retrieved August 1, 2015.
  51. ^ Justice, Richard (July 11, 1987). "Orioles cut Burleson, call up Billy Ripken". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on January 13, 2018.
  52. ^ Justice, Richard (August 9, 1987). "Wiggins walks back to Orioles, anticipates move". The Courier. p. 3B.
  53. ^ Newhan, Ross (September 1, 1987). "Wiggins is suspended: 'Behavior'". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 7, 2016.
  54. ^ "Orioles release Wiggins". Deseret News. September 30, 1987.
  55. ^ "No grievance to be filed in Wiggins case". Los Angeles Times. October 1, 1987. Archived from the original on March 7, 2016.
  56. ^ a b Baker, Kent (January 9, 1991). "Wiggins recalled as an angry talent". The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on September 2, 2017.
  57. ^ "HIV and AIDS through the years". Los Angeles Times. November 3, 1996. Archived from the original on February 24, 2017.
  58. ^ a b c "Wiggins had AIDS, report says". Chicago Tribune. January 15, 1991. Archived from the original on January 13, 2018.
  59. ^ "Alan Wiggins succumbs to pneumonia, cancer". The Dispatch. January 8, 1991. Retrieved June 10, 2015.
  60. ISBN 978-1-62368-734-2
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  61. ^ "Model Talent (Part I of II)". NBC News. September 23, 2003. Archived from the original on December 15, 2017. Retrieved February 5, 2018.
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  63. ^ Odeven, Ed (August 9, 2013). "All-around star Parker joins Wakayama Trians". The Japan Times. Archived from the original on December 15, 2017.
  64. ^ Driscoll, Tara (March 5, 2003). "Dad lives in her memory / Family bonds strong for NYU's Wiggins". Newsday. Archived from the original on December 15, 2017.

External links

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