The unremarkably remarkable career of DeWayne Wise

DeWayne Wise is 34 years old. He’s played for 6 teams over 10 years, has never had as many as 200 plate appearances in a season, and has an abysmal 62 OPS+.

And yet, for a guy whose baseball card tells a truly unremarkable story, the guy has been involved in quite a few memorable events:

Taken separately, none of these 3 things is all that unusual. Put together, though, and Wise is going to be remembered far longer than most other players with similar numbers.

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Tom
Tom
11 years ago

Reminds me of Eric Bruntlet. 65 OPS+ and 238 PAs one season but never over 200 again.

However…
Of his three postseason hits one is a World Series HR.
He has a World Series ring from that 2008 Series with the Phils.
His jersey is in the Hall of Fame for his unassisted triple play.

Even if you aren’t great you can still have great moments.

Mort
Mort
11 years ago
Reply to  Tom

Indeed. He also had an unassisted triple play in the bottom of the 9th to end this game:

http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN200908230.shtml

Doug
Editor
11 years ago
Reply to  Tom

Makes me think of Al Gionfriddo. Make a big play at the right time, and your name is forever remembered, if not your career. Time and place are everything, though, for Gionfriddo, it didn’t translate into personal success as his big play ironically came in what would turn out to be his final major league game.

JoshG
JoshG
11 years ago
Reply to  Doug

Think David Tyree…

Voomo Zanzibar
Voomo Zanzibar
11 years ago

He’s also 7 for his last 11, with a double, a triple, and two homers.

Jimbo
Jimbo
11 years ago

I’ve always wondered how this guy keeps getting an MLB job. Then the Yankees start him and he goes 3-3 with 1b, 2b and hr.

Fireworks
Fireworks
11 years ago

Wise keeps a job because (not that I’ve looked at the numbers) he can give a regular OF a blow every so often and allows you to bring a guy to replace your crappiest OF late in the game. In the old MLB, before 18-member bullpens, a Wise was a decent and useful 4th/5th OF. Play some D, pinch-run, swipe a bag…

Fireworks
Fireworks
11 years ago

Wise is a poor man’s Juan Pierre–but at least he had been consistently used properly.

Nash Bruce
Nash Bruce
11 years ago

He was a member of a victorious starting lineup in a ‘Game 163’. (2008)