Eric Wedge
Eric Wedge | |
---|---|
Catcher / Manager | |
Born: Fort Wayne, Indiana, U.S. | January 27, 1968|
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
MLB debut | |
October 5, 1991, for the Boston Red Sox | |
Last MLB appearance | |
July 29, 1994, for the Boston Red Sox | |
MLB statistics | |
Batting average | .233 |
Home runs | 5 |
Runs batted in | 12 |
Managerial record | 774–846 |
Winning % | .478 |
Teams | |
As player
As manager
| |
Career highlights and awards | |
|
Eric Michael Wedge (born January 27, 1968) is an American former baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) catcher and manager.
As a player, Wedge attended
Wedge managed in the
Collegiate playing career
Wedge played catcher and center field for Wichita State University from 1987–1989, leading the school to a 68–16 record and the College World Series championship in 1989. He hit .380 for the Shockers that year, led the NCAA in walks and total bases and finished second in runs, RBI, and home runs.[citation needed] Wedge's performance earned him first-team All-America honors,[3] the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year award[4] and he was runner-up to Ben McDonald for the Rotary Smith Award for College Baseball Player of the Year.[1]
In 1988, he played
Professional playing career
The
In 1992, he appeared in 27 games for Boston (20 as a designated hitter, 5 as a catcher and 2 as a pinch hitter), hitting .250.In November 1992, the
The Rockies released Wedge at the end of spring training in 1994 and he was re-signed by the Red Sox on May 2.[7] He split catching duties with Scott Hatteberg for Pawtucket that season and made his final big league appearances with Boston in July, going 0-for-6 in two games as a designated hitter. He returned to Pawtucket for the 1995 season and again split catching duties with Hatteberg.
Wedge played his final two seasons with the
Managerial career
Minor leagues
Wedge made his managerial debut in 1998 with the Columbus RedStixx of the South Atlantic League, leading the Cleveland single-A affiliate to an overall record of 59–81. In 1999, he was the manager of Cleveland's Carolina League affiliate in Kinston. His team took first place during the first half of the season with a 37–32 record and second place during the second half with a 42–26 record. After the season, he was named the Carolina League Manager of the Year.
The Indians promoted Wedge to manager of the double-A
Cleveland Indians
On October 29, 2002, Wedge was named the 39th manager of the Cleveland Indians. Over his first three years as manager, the Indians improved steadily from fourth place in the American League Central Division with a 68–94 record in 2003, to 80–82 and third place in 2004 and to 93–69 and second place in 2005. The 93 wins in 2005 were the eighth most in the more than hundred-year history of the franchise and the team narrowly missed qualifying for the playoffs for the first time since 2001 when they were eliminated on the last day of the season. In the American League Manager of the Year balloting for 2005, Wedge finished as runner-up to Ozzie Guillén.[8]
The 2006 season was a disappointing one for Wedge and the Indians. Entering the season, they were expected to compete for the division title, but got off to a poor start and were essentially out of the race by mid-season, trailing the division-leading Detroit Tigers at the All-Star break by 18+1⁄2 games. They finished the season in fourth place with a 78–84 record, 18 games behind the Central Division champion, Minnesota Twins.
Wedge and the Indians had more success in the
On September 30, 2009, the Cleveland Indians announced that Wedge would not be retained as manager after the season ended.[9]
Seattle Mariners
On October 18, 2010, Wedge was named the Mariners manager, and agreed to a three-year contract.[10] In 2011, the team finished 67–95, in last place in the AL West Division, 29 games out of first place.[11] The following year he led the team to a 75—87 finish, another last place finish.[12] Wedge suffered a stroke in July 2013 and missed 28 games.[13] On September 27, 2013, Wedge announced he would not return as the Mariners manager for the 2014 season, declining their contract offer for a one–year contract extension.[14]
Toronto Blue Jays
On February 6, 2016, Wedge was hired as a player development advisor by the Toronto Blue Jays.[15] He interviewed for the vacant New York Yankees managerial position in November 2017.[16]
Wichita State Shockers
On May 29, 2019, Wedge was named head baseball coach of the Wichita State Shockers.[17] On December 8, 2022, the school announced he would not return as coach.[18]
Major League managerial record
- As of April 12, 2015
Team | Year | Regular season | Postseason | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Games | Won | Lost | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
CLE | 2003 | 162 | 68 | 94 | .420 | 4th in AL Central | – | – | – | – |
CLE | 2004 | 162 | 80 | 82 | .494 | 3rd in AL Central | – | – | – | – |
CLE | 2005 | 162 | 93 | 69 | .574 | 2nd in AL Central | – | – | – | – |
CLE | 2006 | 162 | 78 | 84 | .481 | 4th in AL Central | – | – | – | – |
CLE | 2007 | 162 | 96 | 66 | .593 | 1st in AL Central | 6 | 5 | .545 | Lost ALCS (BOS) |
CLE | 2008 | 162 | 81 | 81 | .500 | 3rd in AL Central | – | – | – | – |
CLE | 2009 | 162 | 65 | 97 | .401 | 4th in AL Central | – | – | – | – |
CLE total | 1134 | 561 | 573 | .495 | 6 | 5 | .545 | |||
SEA | 2011 | 162 | 67 | 95 | .414 | 4th in AL West | – | – | – | – |
SEA | 2012 | 162 | 75 | 87 | .463 | 4th in AL West | – | – | – | – |
SEA | 2013 | 162 | 71 | 91 | .438 | 4th in AL West | – | – | – | – |
SEA total | 486 | 213 | 273 | .438 | 0 | 0 | – | |||
Total[19] | 1620 | 774 | 846 | .478 | 6 | 5 | .545 |
Collegiate coaching record
Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Wichita State Shockers (American Athletic Conference) (2020–2022) | |||||||||
2020 | Wichita State | 13–2 | 0–0 | Season canceled due to COVID-19 | |||||
2021 | Wichita State | 31–23 | 18–13 | 3rd | The American Tournament
| ||||
2022 | Wichita State | 21–36 | 9–15 | T-6th | The American Tournament
| ||||
Wichita State: | 65–61 | 27–28 | |||||||
Total: | 65–61 | ||||||||
National champion
Postseason invitational champion
|
Broadcasting career
Wedge joined Baseball Tonight on ESPN as a Studio Analyst for the 2014 and 2015 seasons alongside Ozzie Guillén and Dallas Braden.[20] Wedge's analysis was featured in a segment called "Cutting The Wedge."
Personal life
2018 marked Wedge's fourteenth year hosting a baseball camp organized by World Baseball Academy and sponsored by Automotive Color & Supply Corp at The ASH Centre in Fort Wayne, IN. Also in January 2007, he was inducted into the Indiana High School Baseball Hall of Fame[21] and in February 2007, he was inducted into the Kinston Professional Baseball Hall of Fame.[22] In total, Wedge has been inducted to 16 Hall of Fames.
Wedge and ex-wife Kate have a daughter and a son. Wedge resides in Wichita, KS.[23]
References
- ^ a b "Cleveland Indians: Media Guide 2007" (PDF). Major League Baseball. pp. pgs. 56–57. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 28, 2007. Retrieved April 26, 2007.
- ^ "Blue Jays Hire Eric Wedge as Player Development Advisor". MLB.com. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
- ^ "Official 2007 NCAA Baseball Records Book" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. 2007. pp. p. 174. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 27, 2007. Retrieved April 26, 2007.
- ^ "Eric Wedge (Baseball, 1987–89)". Wichita State University. Archived from the original on January 16, 2009. Retrieved April 26, 2007.
- ^ "Cape League Hall of Fame to Add Eight Members". capecodbaseball.org. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
- ^ "Milwaukee Brewers 13, Boston Red Sox 4". Retrosheet.org. Retrieved April 26, 2007.
- ^ "Eric Wedge Statistics". Sports Reference, Inc. Retrieved April 26, 2007.
- ^ Hill, Justice B. (November 9, 2005). "Wedge finishes second in balloting". MLB.com. Archived from the original on October 25, 2007. Retrieved April 26, 2007.
- ^ Castrovince, Anthony (September 30, 2009). "Indians dismiss Wedge, coaching staff". Cleveland Indians. Archived from the original on October 14, 2013. Retrieved September 30, 2009.
- ^ Stone, Larry (October 18, 2010). "It's official: Eric Wedge is Mariners' manager". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on June 22, 2011.
- ^ "2011 American League Team Statistics and Standings". Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved January 3, 2013.
- ^ "2012 American League Team Statistics and Standings". Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved January 3, 2013.
- ^ Kate Wedge discusses Eric Wedge's recovery from stroke
- ^ Eric Wedge won't return to M's
- ^ Liddell, Mackenzie (February 6, 2016). "Blue Jays hire Eric Wedge as player development advisor". Sportsnet. Retrieved February 6, 2016.
- ^ Hoch, Bryan (November 10, 2017). "Yanks interview former M's, Tribe skip Wedge". MLB.com. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
- ^ Heying, Travis. "Former Shocker, MLB manager Eric Wedge hired as next WSU baseball coach". kansas. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
- ^ "Statement from Wichita State Athletics". Retrieved December 9, 2022.
- ^ "Terry Francona". Baseball Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved December 20, 2014.
- ^ "Guillen, Wedge join 'Baseball Tonight' crew". ESPN.com. March 24, 2014. Retrieved May 11, 2016.
- ^ "Wedge, Miller, Aldridge named to Indiana Hall of Fame". The (Fort Wayne) News-Sentinel. November 2, 2006.
- ^ "Cleveland Manager Eric Wedge Coming to Kinston for Hot Stove". Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved April 26, 2007.
- ^ [1]
External links
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or Baseball Reference, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet
- Eric Wedge managerial career statistics at Baseball-Reference.com
- MLB.com bio page at the Wayback Machine (archived May 19, 2011)
- Eric Wedge at the SABR Baseball Biography Project