DeWayne Wise

Larry DeWayne Wise (born February 24, 1978) is an American former professional baseball outfielder.

He graduated from Chapin High School in 1997 and was selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the fifth round (158th overall) of the 1997 Major League Baseball draft.

He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays, Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds, Chicago White Sox, Florida Marlins, and New York Yankees.

Wise was claimed by the Toronto Blue Jays on December 13, 1999, in the Rule 5 draft without having played a game for the Reds.

He made his major league debut for the Blue Jays on April 6, 2000 against the Kansas City Royals, entering as a defensive replacement in center field and grounding out in his first at-bat.

He struggled to make an impact at the big-league level in 2000, appearing in just 28 games and batting .136 before being sent back to the minors.

After spending the entire 2001 season in the Toronto minor league system, Wise was recalled to the majors in 2002.

He appeared in 42 games and hit his first career home run during this time on July 24.

However, Wise was later demoted to Triple-A again, largely due to his .179 batting average.

He became a free agent after the 2003 season, which he spent entirely in Syracuse, the Blue Jays' Triple-A affiliate.

On October 25, 2003, Wise signed as a minor league free agent with the Atlanta Braves.

He impressed in the Braves' minor league system, batting a combined .309 between the Single-A Rome Braves, Single-A Advanced Myrtle Beach Pelicans, and Triple-A Richmond Braves, earning a call up and his next shot at the big leagues.

Wise batted .228 with six home runs and 17 RBI in 77 games for the Braves in 2004.

After the season, the Braves placed Wise on waivers.

On October 15, 2004, Wise was claimed by the Detroit Tigers.

He spent the entire 2005 season with the Toledo Mud Hens, the Tigers' Triple-A affiliate, where he batted .234 with eight home runs and 34 RBI in 108 games.

The next team to sign Wise was the team who had drafted him in the first place, the Cincinnati Reds.

Wise spent the majority of the 2006 season with the Triple-A Louisville Bats, but he did appear in 31 games at MLB level, batting .184 with an RBI.

The Reds re-signed Wise to a minor league contract for the 2007 season on January 9, 2007.

He again spent most of the season in Triple-A, making just five appearances in the majors.

He was released and granted free agency on October 1, 2007.

After the Reds had opted not to re-sign him and with offers not flooding in, Wise began to explore the possibility of playing in the independent baseball leagues.

However, he received a call from Chicago White Sox and signed a minor league deal on March 5, 2008.

The Triple-A Charlotte Knights were the next stop on his journeyman career.

He was called up the major leagues when Juan Uribe went on the disabled list in May, but was used sparingly before being designated for assignment.

When Paul Konerko, the White Sox first baseman went on the disabled list in late July, Wise was selected for promotion, due to his .319 batting average in Charlotte, ahead of prospect Jerry Owens.

Wise was used mostly as a reserve outfielder/defensive replacement for Ken Griffey Jr.., but impressed at the plate, hitting .288 with two homers and seven runs batted in 35 games before straining his adductor muscle on August 20.

He was placed on the disabled list on August 25 to make room for Joe Crede.

After recovering, Wise's big break came when White Sox All-Star left fielder Carlos Quentin fractured his wrist after fouling off a pitch on September 5.

Quentin would miss the rest of the season, and Wise took Quentin's position in left field.

The White Sox were locked in a tight race for the AL Central with the Minnesota Twins and Wise contributed to the Sox eventually winning the division (after a one-game play-off).

He picked the perfect moment to hit his first career grand slam, a go-ahead, pinch-hit shot in the eighth inning to beat the Detroit Tigers 11–7 on September 14,.

The White Sox made the postseason where they lost to the Tampa Bay Rays in four games.

Wise batted .286 with a homer and 5 RBI during the 2008 ALDS.

On December 12, 2008, Wise agreed to a one-year deal worth $550,000 with the White Sox after he had batted .248 with six homers and 18 runs batted in 57 games in 2008.

He is best known for robbing Gabe Kapler of a home run to preserve Mark Buehrle's perfect game in 2009.

Wise was named by manager Ozzie Guillén as the White Sox opening day center fielder and leadoff hitter for the 2009 season after impressing during spring training.

However, just seven games into the season, he separated his shoulder while making a diving, bases-loaded catch, saving at least two runs.

The catch helped preserve a 10–6 Chicago win, but the resulting injury kept Wise on the disabled list until May 29.

On July 23, 2009, at U. S. Cellular Field, Wise was put in by Guillén as a ninth-inning defensive substitute, and promptly robbed the Rays' Gabe Kapler of a home run with a spectacular, juggling catch, preserving Mark Buehrle's perfect game.