David Wells Popular Books
David Wells Biography & Facts
David Lee Wells (born May 20, 1963) is an American former baseball pitcher who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for nine teams, most notably the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees. Nicknamed "Boomer", Wells was considered one of the league's top left-handed pitchers during his career and made three All-Star appearances. In 1998, he pitched the 15th perfect game in baseball history. Wells also appeared in the postseason as a member of six teams, tied for the most with Kenny Lofton, and won two World Series titles. Following his 2007 retirement, Wells served as a broadcaster for MLB on TBS and was the host of The Cheap Seats on FOXSports.com. Early life Wells was born in Torrance, California. His parents were never married. He was raised by his mother, Eugenia, a member of Hell's Angels also known as "Attitude Annie". Wells grew up with the belief that his father, David Pritt, was dead. However, at the age of 22, he learned that Pritt was alive and tracked him down to start a new relationship with him. Growing up in the Ocean Beach neighborhood of San Diego where he attended local public schools, Wells was dependent on his mother, who worked numerous jobs to support him and his four siblings. He graduated from Point Loma High School, where he played baseball and basketball, in 1982 and was a self-described "gym rat" who spent most of his time at the Ocean Beach Recreation Center and Robb Field. Wells was Point Loma High School’s star pitcher and threw a perfect game his senior year. He had Tommy John surgery in July 1985. Professional career Toronto Blue Jays (1987–1992) Wells debuted for the Toronto Blue Jays in 1987 as a reliever and did not secure a job as a full-time starter until he was 30 years old. During his six seasons with the Blue Jays, Wells compiled a 47–46 record and a 3.88 ERA. Wells was a member of the 1992 World Series winning team, the first time he got a championship ring. He was released by the Blue Jays during spring training on March 30, 1993. Detroit Tigers (1993–1995) A few days after he was released by the Blue Jays, Wells signed with the Detroit Tigers on April 3. In 1993, Wells made 32 appearances (30 starts) with an 11-9 record and a 4.19 ERA. In 1994, a season that was cut short due to a strike, Wells started 16 games, finishing 5-7 with a 3.96 ERA and 5 complete games. He emerged as a top-flight pitcher in 1995, when he was 32. After starting the year at 10–3 with a 3.04 ERA for the struggling last-place Tigers, Wells made his first All-Star Game appearance. Cincinnati Reds (1995) On July 31, Wells was traded to the Cincinnati Reds for C. J. Nitkowski, Mark Lewis, and minor leaguer Dave Tuttle. With Cincinnati, Wells compiled a 6–5 record and a 3.59 ERA. Baltimore Orioles (1996) After the 1995 season, Wells was traded to the Baltimore Orioles for Curtis Goodwin and minor leaguer Trovin Valdez. In 1996, he pitched a then-career high 224 innings but finished with an 11–14 record and a 5.14 ERA. New York Yankees (1997–1998) In 1997, Wells signed as a free agent with the New York Yankees, his favorite team because of a lifelong interest in baseball legend Babe Ruth. He asked for uniform number 3, Ruth's long-retired number, but was denied. He ended up taking 33 for the Yankees. On June 28, 1997, Wells took the mound wearing an authentic 1934 Babe Ruth hat, which he had bought for $35,000. Manager Joe Torre made Wells take it off after the first inning because it didn't conform to uniform standards. He also fined Wells $2,500, which Wells was happy to pay and later said it was a small price to pay for the thrill of wearing the hat on the field even for one inning—even though Wells then blew a 3–0 lead as the Cleveland Indians won 12–8. After posting a 16–10 mark in 1997, Wells pitched very well in the Yankees' record-setting 1998 season. He rang up an 18–4 record, finished fifth in the league in ERA (3.49), was third in voting for the Cy Young Award, and won a second World Series ring. Perfect game On May 17, 1998, Wells pitched the 15th perfect game in baseball history, when he blanked the Minnesota Twins, 4–0. Wells attended the same San Diego high school, Point Loma High School, as Don Larsen, whose perfect game for the Yankees in the 1956 World Series was the only perfect game or no-hitter ever thrown in postseason play until 2010, and was until then the only perfect game thrown by a Yankee. David Cone would add a third Yankee perfect game in 1999. Wells claimed that he threw the perfect game while having a "raging, skull-rattling hangover". Comedian Jimmy Fallon, who partied with Wells the night before the game, backed up this claim. On September 1, 1998, Wells came fairly close to recording a second perfect game. Pitching against the Oakland Athletics, he allowed no walks and only two hits, the first of which came with two outs in the seventh inning when Jason Giambi fought off an 0–2 count and singled. Second stint with the Toronto Blue Jays (1999–2000) After the season, Wells returned to the Blue Jays as part of a trade for Roger Clemens, along with Homer Bush and Graeme Lloyd. He continued to win north of the border, with records of 17–10 and 20–8 over the next two years. During this stint with the Blue Jays, Wells appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated just prior to the 2000 All Star Game. Though Wells said it was an honour to be on the cover, he criticized the article, "The David Wells Diet: Chips, Beer and American League batters" written by Jeff Pearlman, saying that Pearlman focused on Wells' diet and body shape instead of his accomplishments. Chicago White Sox (2001) Wells and pitcher Matt DeWitt were traded to the Chicago White Sox, in a deal that was quickly mired in controversy. The primary player being traded by the White Sox, starting pitcher Mike Sirotka, was injured at the time of the deal and never pitched in the major leagues again. Toronto's general manager, Gord Ash, had not made the deal contingent on the results of a medical examination, however, and MLB ruled in favor of the White Sox. The Blue Jays thus received only Kevin Beirne, Brian Simmons, and minor leaguer Mike Williams, and the mistake ultimately cost Ash his job. The deal did not turn out particularly well for the White Sox, either, as Wells struggled with back problems in 2001 and pitched only 100⅔ innings, finishing the 2001 season with a 5–7 record and a 4.47 ERA. Second stint with the New York Yankees (2002–2003) After a short season with the White Sox, Wells returned to the Yankees, a deal that was again immersed in controversy as he had already reached an oral agreement to join the Arizona Diamondbacks. Despite having lost some velocity from his fastball, he retained his excellent curveball and his control, and posted an outstanding 19–7 record in 2002. Wells was the subject of some controversy prior to the 2003 season, when his autobiography Perfect I'm Not: Boomer on Beer, Brawls, Backaches and Baseball, w.... Discover the David Wells popular books. Find the top 100 most popular David Wells books.
Best Seller David Wells Books of 2024
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Building the Yellow Wall
Uli HesseWINNER OF THE TELEGRAPH FOOTBALL BOOK OF THE YEAR 2019Towards the beginning of the twentyfirst century, Borussia Dortmund were on the verge of going out of business. Now they are a...
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Beatleness
Candy Leonard“A musthave for Beatles fans looking for new insight . . . Leonard uncovers fresh ideas [that] . . . six decades of Beatles literature passed over." The SpectrumPart generational m...
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After Cooling
Eric Dean WilsonThis “ambitious [and] delightful” (The New York Times) work of literary nonfiction interweaves the science and history of the powerful refrigerant (and dangerous greenhouse gas) Fr...
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Up Up, Down Down
Cheston KnappIn the tradition of John Jeremiah Sullivan and David Foster Wallace, Cheston Knapp’s Up Up, Down Down “is an always smart, often hilarious, and ultimately transcendent essay collec...
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No Country for Eight-Spot Butterflies
Julian Aguon & Arundhati RoyA Michelle Obama Reach Higher Fall 2022 reading list pickA Library Journal "BEST BOOK OF 2022""Aguon’s book is for everyone, but he challenges history by placing indigenous conscio...
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Vegan Soups
Amber LockeCelebrate the glory of vegetables all year round with these spectacularly tasty vegan soups. From a refreshing Watermelon Gazpacho, perfect for a summer's afternoon, to a chunky,...
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The Search for Life on Mars
Elizabeth Howell & Nicholas BoothWith a focus of the Perseverance rover mission, here is the "Quintessential account of one of humanity’s most intriguing quests" (Pail Halpern, Medium), "A remarkable, t...
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We Belong to Gaia
James LovelockIn twenty short books, Penguin brings you the classics of the environmental movement.James Lovelock's We Belong to Gaia draws on decades of wisdom to lay out the history of our rem...
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Thrive
Arianna HuffingtonIn Thrive, Arianna Huffington makes an impassioned and compelling case for the need to redefine what it means to be successful in today's world. Arianna Huffington's persona...
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Object Lessons
The Paris ReviewA New York Magazine Best Book of the YearA Huffington Post Best Book of the Year Twenty contemporary authors introduce twenty sterling examples of the short story from the pages o...
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The Reverse Your Diabetes Cookbook
Katie Caldesi & Giancarlo CaldesiThe followup to The Sunday Times bestseller The Diabetes Weightloss CookbookKatie and Giancarlo Caldesi are back to guide you through how to reverse the progress of type 2 diabetes...
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Deadly Outbreaks
Alexandra M. Levitt & Donald R. HopkinsCONTAINS IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE CORONAVIRUS!“Portrays epidemiologists as disease detectives who tirelessly hunt for clues and excel at deductive reasoning. Even Sherlock H...
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The Power of Trust
Sandra J. Sucher & Shalene GuptaA groundbreaking exploration of the changing nature of trust and how to bridge the gap from where you are to where you need to be. Trust is the most powerful force underlying...
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Sevens Heaven
Ben RyanSHORTLISTED FOR THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR 2018The uplifting, feelgood autobiography of Ben Ryan, the coach of the Olympic goldmedal winning Fijian rugby team It is ...
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How To Train Your Dragon Collection
Cressida CowellCollected together for the first time, read the first three books that inspired the How to Train Your Dragon films: How to Train Your Dragon/ How to Be a Pirate/ How to Speak Drago...
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Super Human
Dave AspreyFrom Bulletproof creator and bestselling author Dave Asprey comes a revolutionary approach to antiaging that will help you up your game at any age. New York Times Bestseller Dave A...
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The Adventurous Gardener
Christopher Lloyd'The best informed, liveliest and most innovative gardening writer of our times' GUARDIAN'Christopher Lloyd ranks with Gertrude Jekyll and Vita SackvilleWest as one of the major fi...
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Vegan Salads
Amber LockeCreate big, beautiful and vibrant vegan salads with a variety of fresh ingredients and epically delicious dressings. These salads are not only showstoppingly gorgeous to look at ...
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How to Blow Up a Pipeline
Andreas MalmProperty will cost us the earthThe science on climate change has been clear for a very long time now. Yet despite decades of appeals, mass street protests, petition campaigns, an...
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Back from the Dead
Bill Walton“An elegiac yet exuberant new memoir” (The New York Times Book Review)Bill Walton’s New York Times bestselling memoir about his recovery from debilitating physical injury and how l...
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A Life Well Lived
Charles R. SwindollIn a world where everything is constantly moving forward, we often take a long, hard look in the mirror, see the same old sinner that should have been left behind long ago, and won...
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The Climate Book
Greta ThunbergA NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERWe still have time to change the world. From climate activist Greta Thunberg, comes the essential handbook for making it happen.You might think it's an i...
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My Bondage and My Freedom
Frederick DouglassMy Bondage and My Freedom is the second of three published autobiographies from one of the most brilliant and eloquent abolitionists and human rights activists in American history....
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A Celebration of Beatrix Potter
Beatrix Potter2016 marks the 150th birthday of Beatrix Potter, making it the perfect time to pay tribute to the beloved author/illustrator with A Celebration of Beatrix Potter!With illustri...
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Antarctic Atlas
Peter FretwellA FINANCIAL TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR 2020SHORTLISTED FOR THE ESTWA AWARD FOR ILLUSTRATED TRAVEL BOOK OF THE YEAR 2022One of the leastknown places on the planet, the only continent on...
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A Lifetime of Seasons
Christopher Lloyd'He was the best informed, liveliest and most innovative gardening writer of our times' GUARDIAN'Infuriating, irascible ... a brilliant gardener and a brilliant writer' Monty Don, ...
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Deadly Outbreaks
Alexandra M. LevittDespite advances in health care, infectious microbes continue to be a formidable adversary to scientists and doctors. Vaccines and antibiotics, the mainstays of modern medicine, ha...
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Lake Child
Isabel AshdownYou trust your family. They love you. Don't they?When 17yearold Eva Olsen awakes after a horrific accident that has left her bedbound, her parents are right by her side. Devoted, t...
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Little Women
Louisa May AlcottMeg is the eldest and on the brink of love. Then there’s tomboy Jo who longs to be a writer. Sweetnatured Beth always puts others first, and finally there’s Amy, the youngest and m...
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The 2084 Report
James Lawrence PowellFor fans of The Drowned World and World War Z, this “sobering and scary (and fascinating) novela look at where we’re going if we don’t quickly get our act together” (Bill McKibben,...
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Antisemitism
Julia NeubergerAntisemitism has been on the rise in recent years, with violent attacks, increased verbal insults, and an acceptability in some circles of what would hitherto have been condemned a...
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The Seven Money Types
Tommy Brown"A unique approach to understanding how you innately relate to handling money. A fascinating concept!"– Gary Chapman, author of The 5 Love LanguagesTrue financial wellbeing in...
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All Art is Ecological
Timothy MortonIn twenty short books, Penguin brings you the classics of the environmental movement.Provocative and playful, All Art is Ecological explores the strangeness of living in an age of ...
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The Well-Chosen Garden
Christopher LloydThe perfect book on how to make your garden the best it can be.'Essential reading' Country Life'Funny, encouraging, informative' Sunday TimesWould your garden, small or large, in t...
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How to Prepare for Climate Change
David PogueA practical and comprehensive guide to surviving the greatest disaster of our time, from New York Times bestselling selfhelp author and beloved CBS Sunday Morning science and techn...
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Forever Strong
Gabrielle LyonINSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER USA TODAY BESTSELLER WALL STREET JOURNAL BESTSELLERLearn how to reboot your metabolism, build strength, and extend your life with this accessibl...
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I Should Be Dead By Now
Dennis Rodman & Jack IsenhourWhether it was helping Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls win three consecutive NBA titles in the 1990s, or showing up to a book signing in a dress and full makeup, Dennis Rodman...
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Proof of Angels
Ptolemy TompkinsFrom the collaborator of the blockbuster bestseller Proof of Heaven comes the definitive book proving angels are real, all around us, and interacting in our lives every day.In Marc...
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Minimal
Madeleine OliviaLove yourself. Love the planet. We are facing an urgent climate crisis and we must all take action now. However, it can be difficult to know where to start when bombarded with ov...
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How To Save Our Planet
Mark A. Maslin'Punchy and to the point. No beating around the bush. This brilliant book contains all the information we need to have in our back pocket in order to move forward' Christiana Figue...
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The Astonishing Return of Norah Wells
Virginia MacgregorShe walked out, but can she walk back in? Why do readers LOVE Virginia Macgregor? 'I defy you not to fall in love' Clare Mackintosh 'Will delight you' Sun'Might restore your faith...