Turk Wendell

Steven John "Turk" Wendell (born May 19, 1967) is an American former professional baseball right-handed relief pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for four National League (NL) teams, in all or parts of 11 seasons, between 1993 and 2004.

As a batter, Wendell was a switch hitter, with all three of his lifetime hits coming from the left side of the plate.

Wendell played his summer baseball during college with the independent Dalton Collegians and in 1987 with the Falmouth Commodores of the Cape Cod League.

Wendell was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 5th round (112th overall) of the 1988 Major League Baseball draft.

He made his professional debut with the Pulaski Braves of the Appalachian League in June 1988.

Wendell was traded by the Braves to the Chicago Cubs in 1991, and pitched in their minor league system for two years before making his major league debut in 1993 in a start against the Cardinals.

Wendell made his first big league appearance on June 17, 1993.

Wendell was a relief pitcher who threw a four-seam fastball, a two-seam fastball, a slider, and a change-up.

He was regarded as having above-average control, average pitch movement, below-average power, and a good pick-off move.

Wendell was named the most superstitious athlete of all time by Men's Journal.

Wendell attended Wahconah Regional High School in Dalton, Massachusetts and then Quinnipiac University, where he is among the school's all-time leaders in strikeouts (single season) and earned run average.

Wendell started three more games in 1993 and appeared as a reliever in three others, finishing the season 1–2 with a 4.37 ERA.

The following season, which was cut short by a strike, he had two starts and four relief appearances and finished the year 0–1 with an 11.93 ERA.

After the 1994 season, Wendell moved permanently to the bullpen and began making regular relief appearances for the Cubs.

His best year for the Cubs came in 1996, when he appeared in 70 games, recording 18 saves and a 2.84 ERA.

Toward the end of the 1997 season, Wendell was traded to the New York Mets, where he spent four and a half seasons.

As a Met, Wendell posted a 3.34 ERA and a 22–14 record in 285 appearances.

He led the team in games pitched in the 1999 and 2000 seasons.

Wendell appeared in the playoffs twice, in 1999 and 2000, and pitched in the 2000 World Series against the Yankees.

In both Chicago and New York, Wendell became well known for his many quirky habits and superstitions, including jumping over the foul lines on his way to and from the mound, brushing his teeth between innings, slamming the rosin bag into the mound before facing batters and chewing black licorice.

His unique on-field personality made him popular among both Cubs and Mets fans.

In the middle of a disappointing 2001 season, the Mets traded Wendell and fellow veteran reliever Dennis Cook to the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for pitcher Bruce Chen and a minor league prospect.

"You can't take the heart of your bullpen out of there without thinking they're throwing in the towel,' Wendell said regarding the Mets' decision. Wendell also expressed excitement at the opportunity to join the Phillies, who were in the midst of an ultimately unsuccessful playoff race at the time. "It's kind of sad to leave a place you're comfortable with, but we're going into a situation where we have a chance to be a part of something very special," Wendell said. "That's what we all work for from the first day of spring training.

It's kind of like a new life."

After missing the entire 2002 season due to an elbow injury, Wendell returned to pitch in 56 games for the Phillies in 2003, with a 3–3 record and a 3.38 ERA.

After the 2003 season, Wendell became a free agent, and was not re-signed by the Phillies.

Instead, he signed a minor league contract with the Colorado Rockies.

That season, Wendell posted a 7.02 ERA in 12 games before getting sent down to Colorado's Triple A affiliate for a rehab stint, where he similarly pitched poorly in 12 games.

The Rockies released Wendell at the end of July.

As a pitcher for the Colorado Rockies in 2004, Wendell became the first major leaguer to publicly accuse Barry Bonds, whose trainer had just been indicted for providing steroids to players, of using performance-enhancing drugs.

"It's clear just seeing his body," Wendell told the Denver Post.

Bonds reacted, telling reporters, "If you've got something to say, say it to my face. Don't talk through the media."

Wendell signed a minor league contract with the Houston Astros in early 2005, but failed to earn a spot on the team's major league roster in spring training, after which he retired.

“It was never stated or announced," Wendell later said.

Wendell repeatedly denounced steroids in baseball and the players he suspected of using them.

In March 2006, Wendell was quoted by the suburban Chicago Daily Herald as saying that former Cubs teammate Sammy Sosa "of course" used steroids.

Wendell alleged that Sosa's home run totals increased significantly only after he began using steroids.

He also stated that "everybody in baseball" (including coaches, managers, and owners) knew about steroid use by players such as Sosa, and that he agreed with the information in José Canseco's book Juiced.

In a 2010 interview, Wendell ridiculed excuses and apologies from stars who admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs.

"When Mark McGwire said he wished he had never played in this era, that [ticked] me off because he had the same choices I did," Wendell said.