While closers may get the most fame among relief pitchers, there is one middle reliever who stood out in the late 1990s and early 2000s. That would be Turk Wendell, who was one of the backbones of the Mets' bullpen during his time and probably the most superstitious player to ever wear a Mets uniform.
Wendell was initially drafted by the Braves in 1988 but got traded to the Cubs in 1991. He made his major league debut with the Cubs in 1993. However, he only made 13 combined appearances on the major league club between 1993 and 1994.
Wendell became a mainstay in the Cubs bullpen from 1995-1997 before getting traded to the Mets at the 1997 trade deadline, along with Brian McRae and Mel Rojas, for Lance Johnson, Mark Clark and Manny Alexander.
Steve Phillips, the brand new Mets General Manager at the time, completed the trade to acquire more bullpen depth and Rojas, a former Expos closer, was deemed the centerpiece. However, Rojas was the one who ended up being a completed bust, and Wendell became the steal of the trade.
After becoming a Met, Wendell went 0-0 with a 4.96 ERA and one save in 13 appearances in 1997. He finished the whole season with a 3-5 record and a 4.36 ERA.
In 1998, Wendell teamed up with left-handed specialist Dennis Cook to become one of the best right-left bullpen tandems in baseball. Wendell went 5-1 with a 2.93 ERA and four saves that year, as he became John Franco's set-up man.
In 1999, Wendell was even better and went 5-4 with a 3.05 ERA and three saves. He set a then-team record with 80 appearances. He also had 77 strikeouts in just 85.2 innings. In the 1999 postseason, Wendell did not give up a single run during the NLDS but gave up three runs in 5.2 combined innings during the NLCS.
In 2000, Wendell won eight games out of the bullpen and had a 3.59 ERA, one save and 73 strikeouts in 82.2 innings. In the 2000 postseason, Wendell did not give up any runs in both the NLDS and the NLCS.
However, during the World Series, Wendell was the losing pitcher in Game 1 after giving up a walk-off single to former Met Jose Vizcaino. He then pitched two-thirds of an inning in Game 3 but did not give up any hits or runs.
In 2001, Wendell was 4-3 with a 3.51 ERA and one save before getting traded with Cook to the Phillies for Bruce Chen and Adam Walker. He left behind a 22-14 record, a 3.34 ERA and 259 strikeouts in just 285 appearances as a Met.
Wendell spent the rest of 2001 with the Phillies, missed the 2002 season due to an elbow injury and returned to the Phillies in 2003 before signing a minor league contract with the Rockies.
Wendell's 2004 season was injury-plagued, and he shuffled back and forth between the Rockies and the minor leagues. He then signed a minor league contract with the Astros in 2005, but once he found out he was not going to make the team out of spring training, he decided to retire.
As a Met, Wendell was not just a fan favorite because of his dominant pitching but also because of the personality he brought with him. Wendell was very energetic at all times on the field, and his many superstitions became known to all Mets fans.
Wendell would always draw three crosses on the mound, chew black licorice on the mound and throw down the rosin bag as hard as he could. At the end of an inning he pitched, he would always leap over the foul line, spit out the licorice and brush his teeth each and every time. He also insisted that the figures in his contract ended with the number 99 in honor of his jersey number.
In addition, Wendell usually wore a necklace that contained the teeth of various animals he hunted down. Whenever Wendell pitched particularly bad, he would throw his glove into the stands in frustration. All of these aspects in his personality definitely helped him become such a big fan favorite.
Wendell even protested with the MLB to let him play his last season for free. Unfortunately for him, the Player's Association did not allow this to happen.
Over the years, Wendell was always very outspoken about certain issues, one of them being the steroid discussion.
Throughout his career, including his time with the Mets, Wendell was always involved in charity work, particularly working with children in various organizations. He did not enjoy the media covering his efforts but won the "Good Guy Award" in 2000.
After retiring, Wendell continued his passion for hunting and owns a ranch in Colorado.
While he may not have been an actual closer, Turk Wendell was one of the best middle relievers in Mets history and also had one of the most exciting personalities Mets fans have ever seen.
