Vernon Wells

Vernon Wells
File:Vernonwells.jpg
Toronto Blue Jays – No. 10
Center Field
Bats: Right Throws: Right
debut
August 30, 1999, for the Toronto Blue Jays
Career statistics (through 2006)
Avg	.290
OBP	.337
HR	139
RBI	485
SB	50

This article is about the Major League Baseball player. For the Australian actor, see Vernon Wells (Actor).

Vernon Wells III (born December 8, 1978 in Shreveport, Louisiana) is a Major League Baseball player for the Toronto Blue Jays.

Early years

Vernon Wells was born in Shreveport but grew up in Arlington, Texas, where his family moved in 1988. During a Little League practice he was smacked in the face with a groundball, a misfortune that led to him becoming a stellar center fielder (he won consecutive Gold Glove awards in 2004 and 2005). In 1993, Wells entered Arlington's James Bowie High School where he starred as a quarterback on the football team and as an outfielder on the baseball team. In his senior year, he batted .565 with 7 home runs and 20 RBI. Before choosing to enter the Major League Baseball Draft, Vernon entertained the idea of going to the University of Texas at Austin to play both football (as a wide receiver) and baseball. The lure of "big league" baseball was just too much to ignore.

Early career

Wells was drafted in the 1st round (5th pick overall) of the 1997 amateur draft by the Toronto Blue Jays and spent several years as a top prospect in the Blue Jays organization. From 1999 through 2001, Wells was a regular September call-up and played in 57 games. The organization pegged him as the center fielder of the future.

Major League career

In 2002, Wells was given his first chance to be an everyday player. Although disqualified from Rookie of the Year contention because he had exceeded the 130 career major league at-bat limit to qualify as a rookie (the award went to teammate Eric Hinske), Wells proved himself to be one of the top rising stars in the game. He batted .275 with 23 home runs, 100 RBI and 87 runs while asserting himself as one of the most fluid center fielders in the game. Some Toronto commentators described it as the quietest 100 RBI season a Blue Jay player had ever had.

In 2003, Wells' star continued to rise. Although his production slowed toward the end of the season, he finished the season with a .317 batting average, 33 home runs, 117 RBI and 118 runs. He led the league with 215 hits, 49 doubles, and 373 total bases and finished 8th in American League MVP voting. He also participated in his first All-Star game. He won the AL co-player of the week for the first time on June 23, 2003, sharing the honor with [1] Corey Koskie, who would become Wells' teammate in 2005.A talented defensive outfielder, Wells won his first Gold Glove Award in 2004, and a second in 2005.

Wells has often been considered a very slow starter to the MLB season, often batting near the "Mendoza Line" (a .200 batting average). However, he has begun the 2006 season on a torrid pace. He continues to be stellar by hitting 15 home runs, 43 RBI,and 65 hits, and had 4 stolen bases. Vernon also recently hit 3 home runs in one game against the Boston Red Sox with two coming off of Josh Beckett.

Vernon was recognized for his outstanding performance in center field with the Jays in 2006 with a spot as a reserve outfielder on the American League All-Star Team. Wells however made it into the American League's starting lineup after an injury to Boston's Manny Ramirez. Wells' appearance during the July 10 festivities at Pittsburgh's PNC Park marked his second time participating in the mid-summer classic (his first coming in 2003).

He won the AL player of the week honour on July 24, 2006 [2] being the second of his career.

While widely recognized for his outstanding hitting statistics and exceptional defense, Wells has also faced criticism regarding his performance in clutch situations. Despite his strong stats line, Blue Jays General Manager J.P. Ricciardi criticized Wells, as well as teammates Troy Glaus and Shea Hillenbrand (now with the San Francisco Giants), for failure to perform during key situations after two losses to the Kansas City Royals just before the 2006 All-Star break. Wells' numbers, as well as his clutch hitting, improved noticably after the all-star break.

Future with Jays

Wells' future with the Blue Jays has been the subject of considerable speculation. His current contract expires after the 2007 season, at which point he will become a free agent. Wells has consistently said that he does not want to talk about his future until after the season, but GM J.P. Ricciardi has expressed concern that the Jays do not have a high enough payroll to extend Wells' contract. Many insiders and fans believe that if the Jays are unable to terms on a contract extension, Wells could be traded before or during the 2007 season.

Trivia

• His father played in the CFL.
• He has five theme songs, including, "Grillz," by Nelly.
• Regularly puts a shaving cream pie in the face of teammates during their post-game interviews.
• Classmates with Bowie High School Alumni, Mersing Nguyen- American Actress.

See also

• Top 500 home run hitters of all time
• Bowie High School (Arlington, Texas)

External links

• MLB.com Profile
• Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference
• Template:Espn mlb