Wendell Kim
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| Wendell Kim | |
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| Born: March 9, 1950 Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S. | |
| Died: February 15, 2015 (aged 64) Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
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Wendell Kealohepauloe Kim (March 9, 1950 – February 15, 2015) was an American professional baseball player, coach and manager who served as a coach for four Major League Baseball teams over the course of 15 seasons (1989–2000; 2002–04). A former infielder in the minor leagues, he stood 5 feet 5 inches (1.65 m) tall, weighed 160 pounds (73 kg), and threw and batted right-handed. He was of Korean and Hawaiian descent.
Kim was born in Honolulu, one of three children of welterweight boxer Phil "Wildcat" Kim, who compiled a 43–15–3 record as a professional fighter, and his wife Doris Caserman. According to Wendell, his father abused both Doris and their children. Phil Kim retired from boxing in 1956, and was shot to death two years later, when Wendell was eight. The crime remains unsolved.[1]
Playing career
Kim played three years of varsity college baseball at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, where he was selected twice for the All-California Collegiate Athletic Association team.[1] In 1973, he attended an open tryout camp held by the San Francisco Giants, and he impressed the team enough to be signed as a free agent.[1] He reached the Triple-A level in 1978, and had a .303 batting average in the Pacific Coast League. He never played in the major leagues, however, and he was released by the following spring. He played a brief stint in the Miami Amigos of the Inter-American League in 1979, but was out of baseball by the end of the season.