Mark Wohlers
| Mark Wohlers | |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | |
| Born: January 23, 1970 Holyoke, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| August 17, 1991, for the Atlanta Braves | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 28, 2002, for the Cleveland Indians | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 39–29 |
| Earned run average | 3.97 |
| Strikeouts | 557 |
| Saves | 119 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
| |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Mark Edward Wohlers (born January 23, 1970) is an American former professional
Early life
Wohlers grew up "dirt poor" in Holyoke, Massachusetts. His parents divorced when he was nine years old and he was raised primarily by his mother, Irene. He began working at fourteen years old, washing dishes in a restaurant until midnight. Wohlers committed to play college baseball for the Maine Black Bears before graduating from Holyoke High School in 1988.[1]
Career
Wohlers was selected in the eighth round of the 1988 amateur draft by the Braves. He went on to make his major league debut with the Braves on August 17, 1991. On September 11, Wohlers teamed with fellow Braves hurlers Kent Mercker and Alejandro Peña for a combined no-hitter against the San Diego Padres; Wohlers pitched two innings in relief of Mercker. The 13th no-hitter in Braves franchise history, attendance was 20,477 at Fulton-County Stadium in the 1–0 shutout win. [2]
After spending the following three seasons as a setup pitcher, Wohlers was given the job as a closer in 1995. He went on to record 97 saves over the next three seasons, also saving the 1–0 victory in the clinching Game 6 of the 1995 World Series, establishing himself as one of the best closers in the majors.
Wohlers' success would not last forever. In Game 4 of the
He began the following season in a similar fashion: in two outings he recorded an ERA of 27.00 in 2⁄3 of an inning, with 6 walks. The Atlanta faithful, although frustrated with Wohlers' seemingly constant fastballs to the backstop or behind batters, rallied behind the embattled pitcher and would fervently cheer him on whenever he was in the game. After being recalled from Richmond, he entered a game and recorded a strikeout, his first in months, and received a rousing standing ovation from the crowd at Turner Field.
On April 16, 1999, the Braves traded Wohlers to the
In his first season with the Indians, Wohlers recorded an ERA of 4.79, with seven saves, three
Personal life
Wohlers' first wife, Nancy, filed for divorce in Fulton County Superior Court in July 1998. Their daughter, Austyn, was born in 1996.[1]
In the early morning of March 1, 2011, Wohlers' home in Milton, Georgia, caught fire, burnt down in under an hour, and was considered a "total loss" by the local fire department. However, some of Wohlers' sports memorabilia was recovered from his basement. He has credited his wife, Kimberly, with getting him, his two sons, and youngest daughter out of the house in time.[4] His eldest daughter was not present at the time of the fire.
Wohlers and his wife currently run an Atlanta real estate business called Team Wohlers, at Solid Source Realty.[5]
In popular culture
Wohlers was one of three Atlanta Braves to appear on
See also
References
- ^ a b Diaz, George (March 21, 1999). "Mind Over Matters". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved January 2, 2018.
- ^ 100 Things Braves Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die: Revised and Updated, Jack Wilkinson, Triumph Books, Chicago, 2019, ISBN 978-1-62937-694-3, p.172
- Augusta Chronicle. Associated Press. July 19, 1998. Retrieved January 2, 2018.
- ^ "Yahoo Sports MLB".
- ^ "Alpharetta Real Estate, Milton Homes for Sale". Archived from the original on July 30, 2012. Retrieved July 7, 2012.
- ^ "Baseball Dreams Come True". Saturday Night Live. NBC. Retrieved December 19, 2016.
External links
- Career statistics from Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors)