Bob Wells (baseball)
Robert Lee Wells, is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from to with the He went on to play for the Philadelphia Phillies, Seattle Mariners, andMinnesota Twins.
Wells attended Eisenhower High School in Yakima, Washington, then Spokane Falls Community College. The Phillies signed him as a free agent on August 18, 1988. His 1991 season ended in July due to an elbow sprain. He had Tommy John surgery in 1992 after an elbow injury ended his season in June. He made his MLB debut with the Phillies in May 1994, pitching in six games as a reliever, but the team put him on waivers the following month.
The Mariners claimed Wells off waivers on June 30, 1994 on the recommendation of coach Lee Elia, who had managed Wells in the minors. He pitched once for the Mariners that season. In Wells rookie season in 1995, he started four games early in the season before settling into a relief role. He relieved ace Randy Johnson on May 17 against the Kansas City Royals, throwing innings for his first win with Seattle. He had a 4–3 record and 5.71 ERA in innings. He pitched 4 innings in the Mariners first postseason appearance, allowing a run in both of his two appearances.
Wells threw a career-high innings. He joined the starting rotation in May, replacing an injured Johnson, and went 6–1 in his first 8 starts. "Wellsy is very important to us," manager Lou Piniella said in July. Wells finished the season with a 12–7 record and 5.30 ERA. He returned to a relief role in his last two seasons with the Mariners. He earned his first MLB save on July 20, 1997, prompting speculation that he could become the team's closer. "What the heck, give him the ball and see what he can do," said outfielder Jay Buhner. Wells got another save a week later, but Seattle acquired Heathcliff Slocumb to fill the closer role. Wells posted a 5.75 ERA in 1997 and 6.10 ERA in 1998. He missed a month of the 1998 season with an abdominal strain. The Mariners released him after that season.
The Twins signed Wells to a minor league contract in January 1999. He had his best seasons his first two years with Minnesota, leading the American League with 76 games pitched in 1999. The next year, he had a career-low 3.65 ERA and 10 saves but had an 0–7 record and 8 blown saves. He signed a two-year contract extension after the season. He pitched two more seasons for the Twins, with an ERA over 5.00 in each season.