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 and . As a batter, Wendell was a switch hitter, with all three of his lifetime hits coming from the left side of the plate.
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 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.
College career
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 played his summer baseball during college with the independent Dalton Collegians and in 1987 with the Falmouth Commodores of the Cape Cod League.
Career
Professional beginnings
Wendell was traded by the Braves to the Chicago Cubs in , 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 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.
Journeyman reliever
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 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 and 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.
Later career
In the middle of a disappointing 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 season due to an elbow injury, Wendell returned to pitch in 56 games for the Phillies in , 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.
Wendell signed a minor league contract with the Houston Astros in early , 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.