Clyde Wright
Encyclopedia
Clyde Wright nicknamed "Skeeter", is a former Major League Baseball
left-handed
pitcher
. He pitched for the California Angels
(1966–73), Milwaukee Brewers
(1974) and Texas Rangers
(1975). He also pitched three seasons in Japan for the Yomiuri Giants
(1976–78). He is the father of Jaret Wright
.
, whom he pitched to the NAIA Baseball World Series
title. During that World Series, Wright struck out
22 batters in one game—to date, an NAIA World Series record. http://www.naiaworldseries.com/2009/fun-facts.htm Wright defeated the Minnesota Twins
on a four-hitter in his Major League debut (June 15, 1966). He was a spot starter for the Angels in his first two seasons, and in won 10 games while losing six, pitching mostly in relief
.
In Wright won only one game with eight losses and a 4.10 earned run average
; after the season, the Angels waived him. Teammate Jim Fregosi
convinced Wright to accompany him to winter ball, where the pitcher experimented with a screwball
and changeup
.
Wright returned to the Angels in and had the best season of his career. He won 22 games to become only the second 20-game winner in franchise history (Dean Chance
had won 20 games in ) and established a career-low 2.83 ERA, which earned him the American League
Comeback Player of the Year Award
. Wright also no-hit
the Oakland Athletics
4-0 at Anaheim Stadium
on July 3 of that year, the first no-hitter ever pitched in that stadium. He almost lost the no-hitter in the 7th inning on Reggie Jackson
’s 400-foot shot to straight-away center field, which was caught by Jay Johnstone
just in front of the wall. The day was doubly memorable for Wright: in a pre-game ceremony, he had been inducted into the NAIA
Hall of Fame.
Wright's no-hitter ended with Sandy Alomar, Sr.
converting Felipe Alou's ground ball into a double play. Like Wright, Alomar and Alou also had sons who would play Major League Baseball: Alomar is the father of Sandy Jr.
and Roberto
, and Alou is the father of Moises
. Jaret Wright, Sandy Alomar Jr. and Moisés Alou all participated in the 1997 World Series
: Alomar Jr. was Wright's catcher with the Cleveland Indians
, and Alou was a starting outfielder for the victorious Florida Marlins
.
The 22-win season made Wright, to date, the only Angel left-hander to win 20 games in a season. It also remains tied as a franchise record, Nolan Ryan
having equaled it in .
Wright also was selected to the All-Star
team in 1970, the only All-Star selection of his career. He was the losing pitcher of the game (which was played at the newly opened Riverfront Stadium eleven days after his no-hitter), giving up the single to fellow Tennessee native Jim Hickman (his eventual 1970 National League
Comeback Player of the Year counterpart) in the 12th inning, which drove in Pete Rose
for the winning run, Rose barreling over Cleveland Indian
catcher Ray Fosse
to score the run. In another coincidence, the game's winning pitcher was also a native Tennessean - Claude Osteen
.
Wright went 16-17 in (but with a respectable 2.99 ERA and a career-high 135 strikeouts), and 18-11 in with a 2.98 ERA. After slumping to 11-19 in , he was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers in a nine-player deal. In he became the first 20-game loser in the franchise’s history (9-20), after which he was traded again, this time to the Texas Rangers. He pitched one season in Texas before being released just prior to the start of the season.
During a 13-year baseball career, Wright won 100 games, 667 strikeout
s, and a 3.50 earned run average
.
and signed with the Yomiuri Giants
. He pitched for them for three seasons, but his stay in Japan almost ended before the first was over. Early in that first season, manager Shigeo Nagashima
pulled Wright from a game tied at 1-1 in the sixth inning, after Wright allowed the first two batters to reach base. Wright refused to hand over the ball, then charged off the mound and fired the ball into the dugout. He then went into the clubhouse, where he tore off his uniform and threw it into a bathtub, which gave rise to another nickname, "Crazy Wright." This nickname stuck with him throughout his stay in Japan. Fans and sportswriters called for Wright's release, but Nagashima, ironically, defended his pitcher.
Wright eventually became popular by throwing baseballs into the stands for young fans. He went 8-7 in that first season with the Giants and won Game 5 of the Japan Series
, hitting a home run
in that game. However, he lost Game 7 on two late inning home runs; he had told an interpreter to ask the team to remove him due to fatigue.
Wright feared he was an alcoholic after his Major League Baseball days. He began drinking heavily while in Japan, and over the next few years the problem became worse. In 1996 he told the Los Angeles Times
that in 1979, his wife Vicki gave him an ultimatum: stop drinking or she would leave him. "I went golfing one day and then drinking and when I came home, she was gone. When she came back, Jaret
was in the van. I went to open the door and he pushed the lock down. He was 3 years old." He has not had a drink since.http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/features/1997/weekly/971013/tribeyan.html
After retiring as a pitcher, Wright opened the Clyde Wright Pitching School in Anaheim, California
.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
left-handed
Left-handed
Left-handedness is the preference for the left hand over the right for everyday activities such as writing. In ancient times it was seen as a sign of the devil, and was abhorred in many cultures...
pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
. He pitched for the California Angels
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
(1966–73), Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
(1974) and Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
(1975). He also pitched three seasons in Japan for the Yomiuri Giants
Yomiuri Giants
The are a professional baseball team based in Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan. The team competes in the Central League in Nippon Professional Baseball, the top level of professional play in Japan. They play their home games in the Tokyo Dome, opened in 1988. The English-language press occasionally calls the...
(1976–78). He is the father of Jaret Wright
Jaret Wright
Jaret Samuel Wright is an American former Major League Baseball starting pitcher, who played 10 years for five teams. He is the son of former major league pitcher Clyde Wright.-Early life and education:...
.
Major Leagues
Wright was a star pitcher at Carson-Newman CollegeCarson-Newman College
Carson–Newman College is a historically Baptist liberal arts college located in Jefferson City, Tennessee, United States. Enrollment as of 2006-2007 was about 2,050. The college's students come from 44 U.S. states and 30 other countries. Studies are offered in approximately 90 different academic...
, whom he pitched to the NAIA Baseball World Series
NAIA Baseball World Series
The NAIA Baseball World Series is a double-elimination tournament held annually in Lewiston, Idaho, to determine the baseball champion of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics .-Results:...
title. During that World Series, Wright struck out
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
22 batters in one game—to date, an NAIA World Series record. http://www.naiaworldseries.com/2009/fun-facts.htm Wright defeated the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
on a four-hitter in his Major League debut (June 15, 1966). He was a spot starter for the Angels in his first two seasons, and in won 10 games while losing six, pitching mostly in relief
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
.
In Wright won only one game with eight losses and a 4.10 earned run average
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
; after the season, the Angels waived him. Teammate Jim Fregosi
Jim Fregosi
James Louis Fregosi is a former Major League Baseball shortstop and manager. During an 18-year baseball career, he played from 1961–1978 for four different teams, primarily the Los Angeles and California Angels. In that franchise's first eleven years of play, he became its first star as the team's...
convinced Wright to accompany him to winter ball, where the pitcher experimented with a screwball
Screwball
A screwball , is a baseball pitch that is thrown so as to break in the opposite direction of a slider or curveball. Depending on the pitcher's arm angle, the ball may also have a sinking action....
and changeup
Changeup
A changeup is a type of pitch in baseball. Other names include change-of-pace, Bugs Bunny change-up, the dreaded equalizer, and simply change. The changeup is sometimes called an off-speed pitch, although that term can also be used simply to mean any pitch that is slower than a fastball...
.
Wright returned to the Angels in and had the best season of his career. He won 22 games to become only the second 20-game winner in franchise history (Dean Chance
Dean Chance
Wilmer Dean Chance is a former American Major League Baseball pitcher. Over the right hander's 11-year major league career, he would play for the Los Angeles Angels, Minnesota Twins, Cleveland Indians, New York Mets, and Detroit Tigers...
had won 20 games in ) and established a career-low 2.83 ERA, which earned him the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
Comeback Player of the Year Award
MLB Comeback Player of the Year Award
The Major League Baseball Comeback Player of the Year Award is presented by Major League Baseball to the player who is judged to have "re-emerged on the baseball field during a given season." The award was developed in 2005, as part of a sponsorship agreement between MLB and Viagra...
. Wright also no-hit
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
4-0 at Anaheim Stadium
Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Angel Stadium of Anaheim is a modern-style ballpark located in Anaheim, California. It is the home ballpark to Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of the American League, and was previously home to the NFL's Los Angeles Rams...
on July 3 of that year, the first no-hitter ever pitched in that stadium. He almost lost the no-hitter in the 7th inning on Reggie Jackson
Reggie Jackson
Reginald Martinez "Reggie" Jackson , nicknamed "Mr. October" for his clutch hitting in the postseason with the New York Yankees, is a former American Major League Baseball right fielder. During a 21-year baseball career, he played from 1967-1987 for four different teams. Jackson currently serves as...
’s 400-foot shot to straight-away center field, which was caught by Jay Johnstone
Jay Johnstone
John William Johnstone Jr. is an American former professional baseball player, active from 1966 to 1985 for the California Angels, Chicago White Sox, Oakland Athletics, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees, San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Chicago Cubs...
just in front of the wall. The day was doubly memorable for Wright: in a pre-game ceremony, he had been inducted into the NAIA
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...
Hall of Fame.
Wright's no-hitter ended with Sandy Alomar, Sr.
Sandy Alomar, Sr.
Santos "Sandy" Alomar, Sr., or in the Spanish naming system Santos Alomar Conde is a former Major League Baseball second baseman who played for the Milwaukee and Atlanta Braves , New York Mets , Chicago White Sox , California Angels , New York Yankees , and Texas Rangers . Alomar was a...
converting Felipe Alou's ground ball into a double play. Like Wright, Alomar and Alou also had sons who would play Major League Baseball: Alomar is the father of Sandy Jr.
Sandy Alomar, Jr.
Santos "Sandy" Alomar, Jr., or in the Spanish-language naming system Santos Alomar Velázquez , is a former Major League Baseball catcher who played for the San Diego Padres , Cleveland Indians , Chicago White Sox and , Colorado Rockies , Texas Rangers , Los Angeles Dodgers , and New York Mets...
and Roberto
Roberto Alomar
Roberto "Robbie" Alomar Velázquez is a former Major League Baseball player , regarded by many as one of the best second basemen in MLB history. During his career he won more Gold Gloves than any other second baseman in history, and also won the second-most Silver Slugger Awards for a second...
, and Alou is the father of Moises
Moisés Alou
Moisés Rojas Alou |Spanish:]] ; born July 3, 1966 in Atlanta, Georgia) is a former American outfielder in Major League Baseball who played for 17 seasons in the National League. In 1,942 career games, Alou had a batting average of .303 with 2,134 hits, 421 doubles, 332 home runs, and 1,287 runs...
. Jaret Wright, Sandy Alomar Jr. and Moisés Alou all participated in the 1997 World Series
1997 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 18, 1997 at Pro Player Stadium in Miami Gardens, FloridaThe first World Series game in the state of Florida, Game 1 featured a youngster and a veteran facing each other on the mound...
: Alomar Jr. was Wright's catcher with the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
, and Alou was a starting outfielder for the victorious Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
.
The 22-win season made Wright, to date, the only Angel left-hander to win 20 games in a season. It also remains tied as a franchise record, Nolan Ryan
Nolan Ryan
Lynn Nolan Ryan, Jr. , nicknamed "The Ryan Express", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He is currently principal owner, president and CEO of the Texas Rangers....
having equaled it in .
Wright also was selected to the All-Star
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
team in 1970, the only All-Star selection of his career. He was the losing pitcher of the game (which was played at the newly opened Riverfront Stadium eleven days after his no-hitter), giving up the single to fellow Tennessee native Jim Hickman (his eventual 1970 National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
Comeback Player of the Year counterpart) in the 12th inning, which drove in Pete Rose
Pete Rose
Peter Edward Rose , nicknamed "Charlie Hustle", is a former Major League Baseball player and manager. Rose played from 1963 to 1986, and managed from 1984 to 1989....
for the winning run, Rose barreling over Cleveland Indian
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
catcher Ray Fosse
Ray Fosse
Raymond Earl Fosse is a former professional baseball player who was a catcher in the Major Leagues. He was drafted in the first round of the 1965 amateur draft by the Cleveland Indians. Fosse also holds the distinction of being the Indians' first ever draft pick, as 1965 was the first year of the...
to score the run. In another coincidence, the game's winning pitcher was also a native Tennessean - Claude Osteen
Claude Osteen
Claude Wilson Osteen , nicknamed "Gomer" because of his resemblance to Gomer Pyle, is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He pitched for six different teams: the Cincinnati Redlegs/Reds , Washington Senators , Los Angeles Dodgers , Houston Astros , St...
.
Wright went 16-17 in (but with a respectable 2.99 ERA and a career-high 135 strikeouts), and 18-11 in with a 2.98 ERA. After slumping to 11-19 in , he was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers in a nine-player deal. In he became the first 20-game loser in the franchise’s history (9-20), after which he was traded again, this time to the Texas Rangers. He pitched one season in Texas before being released just prior to the start of the season.
During a 13-year baseball career, Wright won 100 games, 667 strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
s, and a 3.50 earned run average
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
.
Nippon Professional League
Not long after his release from the Rangers, Wright went to JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and signed with the Yomiuri Giants
Yomiuri Giants
The are a professional baseball team based in Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan. The team competes in the Central League in Nippon Professional Baseball, the top level of professional play in Japan. They play their home games in the Tokyo Dome, opened in 1988. The English-language press occasionally calls the...
. He pitched for them for three seasons, but his stay in Japan almost ended before the first was over. Early in that first season, manager Shigeo Nagashima
Shigeo Nagashima
is a Japanese former professional baseball player and manager.Nagashima was by far the most popular figure in Japanese baseball during his career. His contributions to the development of the sport in Japan are immeasurable.-Biography:...
pulled Wright from a game tied at 1-1 in the sixth inning, after Wright allowed the first two batters to reach base. Wright refused to hand over the ball, then charged off the mound and fired the ball into the dugout. He then went into the clubhouse, where he tore off his uniform and threw it into a bathtub, which gave rise to another nickname, "Crazy Wright." This nickname stuck with him throughout his stay in Japan. Fans and sportswriters called for Wright's release, but Nagashima, ironically, defended his pitcher.
Wright eventually became popular by throwing baseballs into the stands for young fans. He went 8-7 in that first season with the Giants and won Game 5 of the Japan Series
Japan Series
, or is the annual championship series in Nippon Professional Baseball, the top baseball league in Japan. It is a seven-game series between the winning clubs of the league's two circuits, the Central League and the Pacific League....
, hitting a home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
in that game. However, he lost Game 7 on two late inning home runs; he had told an interpreter to ask the team to remove him due to fatigue.
Wright feared he was an alcoholic after his Major League Baseball days. He began drinking heavily while in Japan, and over the next few years the problem became worse. In 1996 he told the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
that in 1979, his wife Vicki gave him an ultimatum: stop drinking or she would leave him. "I went golfing one day and then drinking and when I came home, she was gone. When she came back, Jaret
Jaret Wright
Jaret Samuel Wright is an American former Major League Baseball starting pitcher, who played 10 years for five teams. He is the son of former major league pitcher Clyde Wright.-Early life and education:...
was in the van. I went to open the door and he pushed the lock down. He was 3 years old." He has not had a drink since.http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/features/1997/weekly/971013/tribeyan.html
After retiring as a pitcher, Wright opened the Clyde Wright Pitching School in Anaheim, California
Anaheim, California
Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was about 365,463, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California, and ranked 54th in the United States...
.