Wedge managed in the Indians minor league system from 1998 to 2002 before being named Cleveland's manager for the 2003 season. He led the Indians to a postseason berth in 2007 and won the American LeagueManager of the Year Award that year. He managed the Indians through the 2009 season. He then managed the Seattle Mariners from 2011 to 2013,and then worked as player development advisor for the Toronto Blue Jays from 2016 to 2019. Wedge returned to manage the Shockers from 2020 to 2022.
Amateur career
Wedge played baseball in Wallen Little League and attended school in Fort Wayne,Indiana. He attended Northrop High School and played on the school's state champion baseball team in 1983 as a freshman.[1]
The Rockies released Wedge at the end of spring training in 1994,and he re-signed with the Red Sox on May 2.[11] 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.[11] He returned to Pawtucket for the 1995 season and again split catching duties with Hatteberg.[13]
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.[13] After the season,he was named the Carolina League Manager of the Year.[1][6]
The Indians promoted Wedge to manager of the Double-AAkron 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.[13][14] 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.[13] 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.[14] 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.[15] 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.
Major leagues
On October 29,2002,Wedge was named the 39th manager of the Cleveland Indians.[14] Over his first three years as manager,the Indians improved steadily from fourth place in the American League (AL) 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.[16] The 93 wins in 2005 were the eighth-most in the more than 100-year history of the franchise.[17] 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.[18] Wedge finished second to Ozzie Guillén in the AL Manager of the Year balloting.[19][20][21]
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.[22]
The following year, the Indians would go 81–81, finishing third in the division. 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, fourth in the division.[16] On September 30, the Indians announced that Wedge would not be retained as manager.[26]
Seattle Mariners
On October 18, 2010, Wedge was named the Seattle Mariners manager, signing a three-year contract.[27] His teams finished in last place in the AL West in all three season. In 2011, the team finished 67–95, 29 games out of first place.[28] The following year, he led the team to a 75–87 record.[29] Wedge suffered a stroke in July 2013 and missed 28 games.[30] On September 27, Wedge announced he would not return to the Mariners in 2014, declining an offered one-year contract extension.[31]
Toronto Blue Jays
On February 6, 2016, Wedge was hired as a player development advisor by the Toronto Blue Jays.[32][33] He interviewed for the vacant New York Yankees managerial position in November 2017.[34]
Wichita State Shockers
On May 29, 2019, Wedge was named head baseball coach of the Wichita State Shockers.[35] On December 8, 2022, the school announced he would not return as coach.[36][37] He reached a settlement with the university in February 2023, paying him $675,000, half the amount remaining on his contract.[38]
Tulsa Drillers
On January 23, 2025, Wedge was announced as manager of the Tulsa Drillers, the Los Angeles Dodgers affiliate in the Double-A Texas League.[39] The team went 66–72 and lost in the playoffs in Wedge's first minor league managerial role since 2002.[13][40]
National championPostseason invitational champion Conference regular season championConference regular season and conference tournament champion Division regular season championDivision regular season and conference tournament champion Conference tournament champion
Broadcasting career
Wedge joined Baseball Tonight on ESPN as a studio analyst for the 2014 and 2015 seasons alongside Ozzie Guillén and Dallas Braden.[41] Wedge's analysis was featured in a segment called "Cutting The Wedge."
Personal life
In 2018, Wedge's hosted his 14th yearly baseball camp organized by World Baseball Academy at The ASH Centre in Fort Wayne, Indiana. In January 2007, he was inducted into the Indiana High School Baseball Hall of Fame,[42] and in February 2007, he was inducted into the Kinston Professional Baseball Hall of Fame.[43] In total, Wedge has been inducted to 14 halls of fame.[2]
Wedge and ex-wife have a daughter and a son. Wedge resides in Wichita, Kansas.[2]
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