Professional playing career
The Boston Red Sox selected Wedge in the third round of the 1989 Major League Baseball draft. [7] While in the Red Sox major league system,he played for the Elmira Pioneers (1989),New Britain Red Sox (1989–1991),Winter Haven Red Sox (1991) and Pawtucket Red Sox (1991–1992,1994–1995). On October 5,1991,he made his major league debut in his only appearance of the season for Boston with a pinch hit single off Chris George of the Milwaukee Brewers. [8] In 1992,he appeared in 27 games for Boston (20 as a designated hitter,five as a catcher and two as a pinch hitter),hitting .250 with five home runs and 11 RBI. [9]
In November 1992,the Colorado Rockies selected Wedge from the Red Sox in the 1992 MLB expansion draft. [10] He played for the Central Valley Rockies and Colorado Springs Sky Sox in 1993 and was a September call-up for Colorado that season,appearing in nine games (eight as a pinch hitter and one as a catcher) and hitting .182 with 1 RBI. [9]
The Rockies released Wedge at the end of spring training in 1994 and he was re-signed by the Red Sox on May 2. [9] He split catching duties with Scott Hatteberg for Pawtucket that season and made his final major-league appearances with Boston in July,going 0-for-6 in two games as a designated hitter. [9] He returned to Pawtucket for the 1995 season and again split catching duties with Hatteberg. [11]
Wedge played his final two seasons with the Toledo Mud Hens in the Detroit Tigers organization and the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons in the Philadelphia Phillies organization in 1996 and 1997,respectively. [11]
Managerial career
Minor leagues
Wedge made his managerial debut in 1998 with the Columbus RedStixx of the South Atlantic League,leading the Cleveland single-A affiliate to an overall record of 59–81. In 1999,he was the manager of the Kinston Indians,Cleveland's Carolina League affiliate. His team took first place during the first half of the season with a 37–32 record and second place during the second half with a 42–26 record. After the season,he was named the Carolina League Manager of the Year. [11]
The Indians promoted Wedge to manager of the Double-A Akron Aeros in 2000. The Aeros finished the season 75–68,just missing the Eastern League post-season after losing a one-game playoff with Harrisburg. [11] [12] In 2001,he continued his ascent through the Indians' managerial ranks,leading their Triple-A affiliate,Buffalo Bisons,to a 91–51 first-place finish in the International League's North Division and a berth in the postseason,where they lost to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons in the semi-finals. [11] Wedge again earned post-season honors when he was named the International League Manager of the Year and Baseball America's Triple-A Manager of the Year. [12] He returned at the helm of the Bisons in 2002 and again led them to the post-season,finishing 87–57 and second in the North Division. [13] This time,they defeated Scranton in the semi-finals but were swept by the Durham Bulls in the finals. Wedge was honored with his third post-season award when The Sporting News named him Minor League Manager of the Year.
Cleveland Indians
On October 29,2002,Wedge was named the 39th manager of the Cleveland Indians. [12] Over his first three years as manager,the Indians improved steadily from fourth place in the American League Central with a 68–94 record in 2003,to 80–82 and third place in 2004 and to 93–69 and second place in 2005. [14] The 93 wins in 2005 were the eighth-most in the more than hundred-year history of the franchise and the team narrowly missed qualifying for the playoffs for the first time since 2001 when they were eliminated on the last day of the season. In the American League Manager of the Year balloting for 2005,Wedge finished as runner-up to Ozzie Guillén. [15]
The 2006 season was a disappointing one for Wedge and the Indians. Entering the season,they were expected to compete for the division title,but got off to a poor start and were essentially out of the race by mid-season,trailing the division-leading Detroit Tigers at the All-Star break by 18+1⁄2 games. They finished the season in fourth place with a 78–84 record, 18 games behind the Central Division champion, Minnesota Twins. [16]
Wedge and the Indians had more success in the 2007 season going 96–66 and winning the Central Division title for the first time since 2001. [14] Wedge then led the Indians to beat the Yankees in four games to win the Division Series, and moved on to play the Boston Red Sox in the Championship Series, where they lost in seven games after losing three straight games when leading the series 3–1. [17] Wedge received The Sporting News Manager of the Year Award and the American League Manager of the Year Award in 2007. [18] The following year the Indians would go 81–81, finishing third in the Central. The club, which was just four wins shy from winning 100 games in 2007, fell to the other end of the spectrum in 2009, finishing three losses from the century mark at 65–97 and further down in the Central standings at fourth. [14]
On September 30, 2009, the Indians announced that Wedge would not be retained as manager after the season ended. [19]
Seattle Mariners
On October 18, 2010, Wedge was named the Mariners manager, and agreed to a three-year contract. [20] In 2011, the team finished 67–95, in last place in the AL West Division, 29 games out of first place. [21] The following year, he led the team to a 75–87 record, another last place finish. [22] Wedge suffered a stroke in July 2013 and missed 28 games. [23] On September 27, 2013, Wedge announced he would not return as the Mariners manager for the 2014 season, declining their contract offer for a one–year contract extension. [24]
Toronto Blue Jays
On February 6, 2016, Wedge was hired as a player development advisor by the Toronto Blue Jays. [25] He interviewed for the vacant New York Yankees managerial position in November 2017. [26]
Wichita State Shockers
On May 29, 2019, Wedge was named head baseball coach of the Wichita State Shockers. [27] On December 8, 2022, the school announced he would not return as coach. [28]
Major League managerial record
- As of April 12, 2015
| Team | Year | Regular season | Postseason |
|---|
| Games | Won | Lost | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result |
|---|
|
| CLE | 2003 | 162 | 68 | 94 | .420 | 4th in AL Central | – | – | – | – |
|---|
| CLE | 2004 | 162 | 80 | 82 | .494 | 3rd in AL Central | – | – | – | – |
|---|
| CLE | 2005 | 162 | 93 | 69 | .574 | 2nd in AL Central | – | – | – | – |
|---|
| CLE | 2006 | 162 | 78 | 84 | .481 | 4th in AL Central | – | – | – | – |
|---|
| CLE | 2007 | 162 | 96 | 66 | .593 | 1st in AL Central | 6 | 5 | .545 | Lost ALCS (BOS) |
|---|
| CLE | 2008 | 162 | 81 | 81 | .500 | 3rd in AL Central | – | – | – | – |
|---|
| CLE | 2009 | 162 | 65 | 97 | .401 | 4th in AL Central | – | – | – | – |
|---|
| CLE total | 1134 | 561 | 573 | .495 | | 6 | 5 | .545 | |
|---|
| SEA | 2011 | 162 | 67 | 95 | .414 | 4th in AL West | – | – | – | – |
|---|
| SEA | 2012 | 162 | 75 | 87 | .463 | 4th in AL West | – | – | – | – |
|---|
| SEA | 2013 | 162 | 71 | 91 | .438 | 4th in AL West | – | – | – | – |
|---|
| SEA total | 486 | 213 | 273 | .438 | | 0 | 0 | – | |
|---|
| Total [14] | 1620 | 774 | 846 | .478 | | 6 | 5 | .545 | |
|---|
Collegiate coaching record
Personal life
2018 marked Wedge's fourteenth year hosting a baseball camp organized by World Baseball Academy and sponsored by Automotive Color & Supply Corp at The ASH Centre in Fort Wayne, IN. Also in January 2007, he was inducted into the Indiana High School Baseball Hall of Fame [31] and in February 2007, he was inducted into the Kinston Professional Baseball Hall of Fame. [32] In total, Wedge has been inducted to 16 Hall of Fames.
Wedge and ex-wife Kate have a daughter and a son. Wedge resides in Wichita, Kansas. [33]
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