DeWayne Wise

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DeWayne Wise
New York Yankees – No. 45
Outfielder
Born: (1978-02-24) February 24, 1978 (age 46)
Chapin, South Carolina
Bats: Left
Throws: Left
debut
April 6, 2000, for the Toronto Blue Jays
Career statistics
(through May 6, 2012)
Batting average.220
Home runs22
Runs batted in82
Stolen bases36
Teams
Career highlights and awards

Larry DeWayne Wise (born February 24, 1978, in Columbia, South Carolina) is an American professional baseball outfielder who currently plays for the New York Yankees. He graduated from Chapin High School in 1997 and was selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the fifth round of the 1997 amateur draft.

Professional career

Toronto Blue Jays (2000-2002)

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. He struggled to make an impact at the big-league level, appearing in just 28 games in the 2000 season, batting a paltry .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 home run during this time, before being demoted 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' AAA affiliate.

Atlanta Braves (2004)

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 Class-A, Class-A Advanced and AAA, earning a call up and his next shot at the big leagues. Wise batted .228 in 77 appearances for the Braves in 2004, with 6 home runs.

Detroit Tigers (2005)

After the 2004 season Wise was placed on waivers by the Braves and claimed by the Detroit Tigers. He spent the entire 2005 season with thée Toledo Mud Hens, the Tigers' AAA affiliate, where he batted .234 before being released.

Cincinnati Reds (2006-2007)

The next team to sign Wise was the team who had drafted him in the first place, the Cincinnati Reds. He spent the majority of the 2006 season in Louisville at AAA level, but he did appear in 31 games at MLB level. The Reds resigned Wise to a minor league contract for the 2007 season, which again he spent mostly in AAA, making just 5 appearances in the Majors. He was released and granted free agency on October 1, 2007.

Chicago White Sox (2008-2009)

Wise playing for the Chicago White Sox in 2008

After the Reds had opted not to resign him and with offers not exactly flooding in, Wise began to explore the possibility of playing in the independent baseball leagues. He didn't have to, however, as he received a call from Chicago White Sox and signed a minor league deal on March 5, 2008. Charlotte, the White Sox Triple-A affiliate, was the next stop on his journeyman career. He was called up the major leagues when Juan Uribe went on the DL in May, but used sparingly before being sent back down. When Paul Konerko, the White Sox first baseman went on the DL in late July, Wise was selected for promotion, due to his .319 batting average in Charlotte, ahead of Sox 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 RBI in 35 games before straining his adductor muscle[disambiguation needed] and going on the DL August 25. 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, Wise was taken off the DL and figured to see more playing time taking 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 centainly 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, 2008.

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 in the 2008 ALDS.

The White Sox and Wise agreed to a one-year deal worth $550,000 after he had batted .248 with six homers and 18 RBI in 57 games in 2008. 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 spectacular 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 early June.

On July 23, 2009, at U. S. Cellular Field, Wise was put in by Guillen as a 9th-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.[1] To thank Wise for his play Mark Buehrle gave him a bottle of Crown Royal XR in a cloth bag embroidered with his name and the date of the perfect game.[2]

On July 30, 2009, the team's first home game after the perfect game, the White Sox unveiled a sign reading "The Catch" at the top of the left field wall, at the location where Wise had made his catch. Wise came into that game as a defensive replacement in the 9th and hit a game-winning single in the bottom half of that inning to give the White Sox a win over the Yankees.

Second stint with the Toronto Blue Jays (2010)

On October 9, Wise opted for free agency rather than accepting an outright assignment to Class AAA Charlotte.[3] He signed with the Philadelphia Phillies on November 25, 2009, and prior to the 2010 season was assigned to their Class AAA affiliate, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs.[4]

In 2010, he exercised the June 1 opt-out date in his contract to become a free agent.[5] On June 5, 2010, the Blue Jays signed outfielder DeWayne Wise to a minor league deal.

Florida Marlins, third stint with the Blue Jays (2011)

On January 12, 2011, the Florida Marlins signed Wise with an invitation to spring training.[6]

On March 30, Wise exercised his out clause after failing to make the Marlins' Opening Day roster. The Marlins released him, making him a free agent. On April 11 after the Blue Jays center fielder Rajai Davis was placed on the 15 day DL, Wise was signed by the Blue Jays to a minor league contract. However, he was released on June 9.[7]

He signed a minor league contract with the Florida Marlins on June 15.[8] He was called up on June 17. On August 26, the Blue Jays claimed Wise off waivers.[9] Wise made his 2011 Blue Jays debut on August 29, playing center field against the Tampa Bay Rays. On October 6, he elected free agency.[10]

New York Yankees (2012)

On January 4, 2012, Wise signed a minor league contract with the New York Yankees,[11] receiving an invitation to spring training.[12] The Yankees purchased his contract from the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees on May 4.[13]

After batting .333 (25-75) with four home runs for the Yankees' AAA affiliate, Wise was called up on May 4, 2012, along with pitcher Cody Eppley to take the roster spots of DJ Mitchell and Mariano Rivera, after the latter sustained an ACL tear. He is currently on the Yankees' 25-man roster.

References

  1. ^ New York Times [1]; retrieved 23 July 2009
  2. ^ Chicago Bears | SportsBUZZ
  3. ^ Dewayne Wise severs ties with White Sox
  4. ^ IronPigs opening day roster announced
  5. ^ DeWayne Wise opts out of his minor league contract with IronPigs
  6. ^ Marlins Sign Dewayne Wise, Three Others: MLB Rumors - MLBTradeRumors.com
  7. ^ Axisa, Mike. "Blue Jays Release DeWayne Wise". MLBTradeRumors.com. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
  8. ^ Polishuk, Mark. "Marlins Sign DeWayne Wise". MLBTradeRumors.com. Retrieved 15 June 2011.
  9. ^ Dierkes, Tim. "Dustin Richardson Designated For Assignment". MLBTradeRumors.com. Retrieved 17 June 2011.
  10. ^ "Minor Moves: Rockies, Wise". MLBTradeRumors.com. 6 October 2011. Retrieved 6 October 2011.
  11. ^ Yankees sign three to minor league deals - Sports - The Times-Tribune
  12. ^ Yankees sign INF Russell Branyan, RHP Manny Delcarmen, INF Bill Hall, LHP Hideki Okajima and OF Dewayne Wise to Minor League contracts | yankees.com: News
  13. ^ "With Mo on DL, Yanks add Wise, Eppley". mlb.com. Retrieved 5 May 2012.

External links

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