Zelous Lamar Wheeler (born January 16, 1987) is an American former
professional baseball
Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world.
Mod ...
third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the scoring system us ...
and
right fielder
A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In the ...
. He previously played in NPB for the
Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles
The , often shortened as the , are a baseball team based in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. It has played in Nippon Professional Baseball's Pacific League since the team's formation in November 2004. The team is owned by the Internet shopping c ...
and
Yomiuri Giants
The are a Japanese professional baseball team competing in Nippon Professional Baseball's Central League. Based in Bunkyo, Tokyo, they are one of two professional baseball teams based in Tokyo, the other being the Tokyo Yakult Swallows. They ...
and in
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
(MLB) for the
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...
.
Wheeler played baseball at Childersburg High School and
Wallace State Community College
Wallace State Community College (formally George C Wallace State Community College) is a public community college in Hanceville, Alabama. Founded in 1966 as the George C. Wallace State Trade School of Cullman County, the college currently enro ...
. The
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. The Brewers are named for t ...
selected him in the 19th round of the
2007 Major League Baseball Draft
The 2007 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft of high school and college baseball players and was held on June 7, 2007 and June 8, 2007. The first day session of the draft included the f ...
. He was added to the Brewers'
40-man roster
A Major League Baseball roster is a list of players who are allowed, by league agreement, to play for a Major League Baseball (MLB) team. Each MLB team maintains two rosters: an active roster of players eligible to participate in an MLB game, and ...
after the 2011 season, but was
waived
A waiver is the voluntary relinquishment or surrender of some known right or privilege.
Regulatory agencies of state departments or the federal government may issue waivers to exempt companies from certain regulations. For example, a United St ...
before the 2012 season began. Claimed by the
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. As one of the American L ...
, he played in their farm system in 2012 and 2013, before signing as a
free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
with the
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...
before the 2014 season. After starting the season in the minor leagues, Wheeler made his MLB debut on July 3, 2014.
Career
Amateur career
From
Sylacauga, Alabama
Sylacauga is a city in Talladega County, Alabama, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 12,578.
Sylacauga is known for its fine white marble bedrock. This was discovered shortly after settlers moved into the area and has been ...
,
Wheeler attended Childersburg High School, where he played
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...
and
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
. A
linebacker
Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, p ...
for the football team, Wheeler was named among the best players of the state of
Alabama
(We dare defend our rights)
, anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama"
, image_map = Alabama in United States.svg
, seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery
, LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville
, LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...
.
[ He received offers to play ]college football
College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States.
Unlike most ...
from several Division II schools, including Jacksonville State University
Jacksonville State University (JSU) is a public university in Jacksonville, Alabama. Founded in 1883, Jacksonville State offers programs of study in six academic schools leading to bachelor's degree, bachelor's, master's degree, master's, educati ...
, Miles College
Miles College is a private historically black college in Fairfield, Alabama. Founded in 1898, it is associated with the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church (CME Church) and a member of the United Negro College Fund.
History
Miles College bega ...
, and Livingston College
From 1969 to 2007 Livingston College was one of the residential colleges that comprised Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey's undergraduate liberal arts programs. It was located on Livingston Campus (originally Kilmer) in Piscataway, ...
.[ He chose instead to enroll at ]Wallace State Community College
Wallace State Community College (formally George C Wallace State Community College) is a public community college in Hanceville, Alabama. Founded in 1966 as the George C. Wallace State Trade School of Cullman County, the college currently enro ...
in Hanceville, Alabama
Hanceville is a city in Cullman County, Alabama, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 3,217.
History
Founded in Blount County, Hanceville was established in 1832 and incorporated in May 1879. At the time of Cullman County's cr ...
, where he played college baseball
College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional pl ...
. His teammates included Derek Holland
Derek Lane Holland (born October 9, 1986) nicknamed "Dutch Oven", is an American professional baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers (baseball), Texas Rangers, Chicago ...
, Craig Kimbrel
Craig Michael Kimbrel (born May 28, 1988) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the San Diego Padres, Boston Red Sox, Atlanta Braves, Chicag ...
, and Jake Elmore
Jacob David Elmore (born June 15, 1987) is an American former professional baseball infielder. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Houston Astros, Cincinnati Reds, Tampa Bay Rays, Milwaukee Brewers, and Pitt ...
.
In 2006, Wallace State won the Alabama Community College Conference
The Alabama Community College Conference (ACCC) is a collegiate athletic conference and is a member of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) and NJCAA Region 22.
Sports
*Baseball
*Basketball
*Golf
*Softball
*Tennis
*Volleyball
...
championship, and finished third in the National Junior College Athletic Association
The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), founded in 1938, is the governing association of community college, state college and junior college athletics throughout the United States. Currently the NJCAA holds 24 separate regions ...
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...
. In 2007, Wheeler shifted from third base
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the scoring system us ...
to shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists who ...
for the Lions.[
]
Professional career
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. The Brewers are named for t ...
selected Wheeler in the 19th round of the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft
The 2007 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft of high school and college baseball players and was held on June 7, 2007 and June 8, 2007. The first day session of the draft included the f ...
. He signed and played for the Helena Brewers
The Helena Brewers were a Minor League Baseball team in the Pioneer League located in Helena, Montana, from 1978 to 2018. The team played their home games at Kindrick Legion Field, which was built in 1939. They were affiliated with the Milwauke ...
of the Rookie-level Pioneer League. He played for the West Virginia Power
The Charleston Dirty Birds are an American professional baseball team based in Charleston, West Virginia. They are a member of the South Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, a partner league of Major League Baseball. The Dir ...
of the Class A South Atlantic League
The South Atlantic League, often informally called the Sally League, is a Minor League Baseball league with teams predominantly in states along the Atlantic coast of the United States from New York to Georgia. A Class A league for most of its ...
in 2008, and the Brevard County Manatees
The Brevard County Manatees were a minor league baseball team of the Class A-Advanced Florida State League from 1994 to 2016. They were based in Viera, Florida, and played their home games at Space Coast Stadium. The team left Brevard County afte ...
of the Class A-Advanced
High-A (officially Class High-A, formerly known as Class A-Advanced, and sometimes abbreviated "A+" in writing) is the third-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States and Canada, below Triple-A and Double-A, and abov ...
Florida State League
The Florida State League (FSL) is a Minor League Baseball league based in the state of Florida. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A following ...
in 2009, being named an All-Star in both seasons. In 2010, Wheeler played shortstop for the Huntsville Stars
The Huntsville Stars were a Minor League Baseball team that played in Huntsville, Alabama, from 1985 to 2014. They competed in the Southern League as the Double-A affiliate of Major League Baseball's Oakland Athletics from 1985 to 1998 and Mil ...
of the Class AA
Double-A (officially Class AA) is the second-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946, below only Triple-A. There are currently 30 teams classified at the Double-A level, one for each team in Major League ...
Southern League. However, he committed 32 errors.[
In 2011, Wheeler began the season with the ]Nashville Sounds
The Nashville Sounds are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Nashville, Tennessee, Nashville, Tennessee, and are named for the ci ...
of the Class AAA
Triple-A (officially Class AAA) has been the highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946. Currently, two leagues operate at the Triple-A level, the International League (IL) and the Pacific Coast League (PCL ...
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...
, but missed two months due to an injured posterior cruciate ligament
The posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) is a ligament in each knee of humans and various other animals. It works as a counterpart to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). It connects the posterior intercondylar area of the tibia to the medial cond ...
. He played for both Nashville and Huntsville in 2011. After the 2011 season, Wheeler was assigned to the Arizona Fall League
The Arizona Fall League (AFL) is an off-season sports league owned and operated by Major League Baseball (MLB) which operates during the autumn in Arizona, United States, at six different baseball complexes. Arizona Fall League rosters are fill ...
. He began to catch bullpen sessions. The Brewers also added him to their 40-man roster
A Major League Baseball roster is a list of players who are allowed, by league agreement, to play for a Major League Baseball (MLB) team. Each MLB team maintains two rosters: an active roster of players eligible to participate in an MLB game, and ...
to protect him from being selected in the Rule 5 draft. However, the Brewers signed Aramis Ramírez
Aramis Nin Ramírez (; born June 25, 1978) is a Dominican former professional baseball third baseman, who played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs, and Milwaukee Brewers. He was named an All-Sta ...
to a three-year contract to become the Brewers' third basemen, blocking Wheeler.[
In ]spring training
Spring training is the preseason in Major League Baseball (MLB), a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for Schedule (workplace), roster and position spo ...
in 2012, Wheeler competed with Taylor Green
Taylor William Andrew Green (born November 2, 1986) is a Canadian former professional baseball infielder who played for the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball (MLB). After retiring, Green became a scout for the Brewers.
Amateur career
...
and Brooks Conrad for a reserve role as an infielder. He began to work out at catcher
Catcher is a Baseball positions, position in baseball and softball. When a Batter (baseball), batter takes their at bat, turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home plate, home) Umpire (baseball), umpire, and recei ...
to increase his versatility.
Baltimore Orioles
At the end of spring training, the Brewers waived
A waiver is the voluntary relinquishment or surrender of some known right or privilege.
Regulatory agencies of state departments or the federal government may issue waivers to exempt companies from certain regulations. For example, a United St ...
Wheeler, and he was claimed by the Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. As one of the American L ...
, who assigned him to the Norfolk Tides
The Norfolk Tides are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. They are located in Norfolk, Virginia, and are named in nautical reference to the city's location on the Chesapea ...
of the Class AAA International League
The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Baseball ...
. While playing for the Bowie Baysox
The Bowie Baysox are a Minor League Baseball team located in Bowie, Maryland. They are the Double-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, and play in the Eastern League. Their home ballpark is Prince George's Stadium.
History
From 1989 to 1992, ...
of the Class AA Eastern League in May 2012, the Orioles designated Wheeler for assignment, removing him from their 40-man roster, as they added Dana Eveland
Dana James Eveland (born October 29, 1983) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Milwaukee Brewers, Arizona Diamondbacks, Oakland Athletics, Toronto Blue Jays, Pittsburgh Pirates, L ...
. He cleared waivers, and was assigned to Bowie. In the offseason, Wheeler played for the Algodoneros de Guasave
The Algodoneros de Guasave ( en, Guasave Cotton Growers) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican Pacific League based in Guasave, Sinaloa. They won the league championship in 1972.
The team was purchased in April 2014 by a group of inve ...
in the Mexican Pacific League
The Mexican Pacific League (), known as Liga ARCO Mexicana del Pacífico for sponsorship reasons or simply LMP for its acronym in Spanish, is a professional baseball winter league based in Northern Mexico. The ten-team regular season schedule run ...
(MPL). Wheeler played for Norfolk in 2013.
Playing for Guasave in the 2013–14 offseason, Wheeler was named player of the week on November 11. He finished the MPL season tied for second in home run
In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...
s and third in runs batted in
A run batted in (RBI; plural RBIs ) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if the bat ...
(RBIs).[
]
New York Yankees
Wheeler signed a minor league contract with the New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...
, receiving an invitation to spring training in 2014. In camp, Wheeler competed with Eduardo Núñez
Eduardo Michelle Núñez Méndez (born June 15, 1987) is a Dominican former professional baseball infielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees, Minnesota Twins, San Francisco Giants, Boston Red Sox, and the New ...
, Yangervis Solarte
Yangervis Alfredo Solarte (born July 3, 1987) is a Venezuelan professional baseball infielder for the Algodoneros de Unión Laguna of the Mexican League. He made his MLB debut for the New York Yankees on April 2, 2014, and has also played for th ...
, Dean Anna
Dean William Anna (born November 24, 1986) is an American former professional baseball infielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees and St. Louis Cardinals.
Career Early career
Dean Anna was born on November 24, 1 ...
, and Scott Sizemore
Scott Daniel Sizemore (born January 4, 1985) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) infielder who played for the Detroit Tigers, Oakland Athletics, and New York Yankees from 2010 to 2014.
Early life
Sizemore was born in Virginia Beach ...
for a reserve infielder role with the Yankees. The Yankees promoted Anna, and assigned Wheeler to minor league camp. The Yankees assigned Wheeler to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders
The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (often abbreviated to SWB RailRiders) are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. They are located in Moosic, Pen ...
of the International League to start the 2014 season. Wheeler suffered a back injury on April 10, and went on the disabled list
In Major League Baseball (MLB), the injured list (IL) is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players. Before the 2019 season, it was known as the disabled list (DL).
General guidelines
...
(DL). After missing 18 days, he returned to bat .299 with seven home runs in 66 games.
On July 2, 2014, the Yankees promoted Wheeler to the major leagues. Making his major league debut the next day, Wheeler got his first major league hit, a home run, in his second at bat. Wheeler batted 8-for-30 (.267) with two home runs and three RBIs in 16 games for the Yankees, before he was optioned to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on August 1 following the Yankees acquisitions of Martín Prado
Martín Manuel Prado Torcate (born October 27, 1983) is a Venezuelan former professional baseball third baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves, Arizona Diamondbacks, New York Yankees and Miami Marlins. During h ...
and Stephen Drew
Stephen Oris Drew (born March 16, 1983) is an American former professional baseball infielder. He played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Oakland Athletics, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees and Washington Na ...
. The Yankees recalled Wheeler on August 21, when they placed Carlos Beltrán
Carlos Iván Beltrán (; born April 24, 1977) is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as an outfielder from 1998 to 2017 for the Kansas City Royals, Houston Astros, New York Mets, San Fra ...
on the DL with an elbow injury.
Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles
On November 20, 2014, the Yankees sold Wheeler to the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles
The , often shortened as the , are a baseball team based in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. It has played in Nippon Professional Baseball's Pacific League since the team's formation in November 2004. The team is owned by the Internet shopping c ...
of Nippon Professional Baseball
or NPB is the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally, it is often called , meaning ''Professional Baseball''.
Outside Japan, it is often just referred to as "Japanese baseball". The roots of the league can be traced back to the formation ...
's Pacific League
The or is one of the two professional baseball leagues constituting Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The winner of the league championship competes against the winner in the Central League for the annual Japan Series. It currently consis ...
. In 2015, Wheeler slashed .255/.339/.453 with 14 home runs and 50 RBI for the team. The next year, Wheeler improved his performance, slashing .265/.351/.478 with a staggering 27 home runs and 88 RBI. In 2017, Wheeler batted .271/.343/.493 with 31 home runs and 82 RBI. Wheeler signed a two-year contract extension worth ¥400 million (approximately $3.5 million) in October 2017, the deal includes incentives and a club option for the 2020 season. In 2018, Wheeler hit .269/.337/.432 with 15 home runs and 58 RBI in 106 games. In 117 games for the Eagles in 2019, Wheeler batted .243/.320/.418 with 19 home runs and 67 RBI. On December 3, 2019, Wheeler signed a 1-year extension to remain with the Eagles.
Yomiuri Giants
On June 25, 2020, Wheeler was traded to the Yomiuri Giants
The are a Japanese professional baseball team competing in Nippon Professional Baseball's Central League. Based in Bunkyo, Tokyo, they are one of two professional baseball teams based in Tokyo, the other being the Tokyo Yakult Swallows. They ...
for pitcher Shun Ikeda
Shun Ikeda (池田 駿, born November 29, 1992 in Izumozaki, Niigata Prefecture) is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball. He previously played with the Yomiuri Giant ...
. In 98 games for Yomiuri, Wheeler batted .247/.309/.418 with 12 home runs and 36 RBI.
On December 26, 2021, Wheeler re-signed with the Giants for the 2022 season. On April 18, 2022, Wheeler was sent down to the Giants’ farm team after hitting .160 in 13 games.
Coaching career
On December 20, 2022, Wheeler took a front office advisory role with the Yomiuri Giants
The are a Japanese professional baseball team competing in Nippon Professional Baseball's Central League. Based in Bunkyo, Tokyo, they are one of two professional baseball teams based in Tokyo, the other being the Tokyo Yakult Swallows. They ...
.
Personal life
Wheeler has a younger brother, Brian, who also plays baseball.[ His father, Sam, owns a landscaping business and supervises at an aquarium. Two of Wheeler's uncles, ]Dameian Jeffries
Dameian Jeffries (born May 7, 1973) is a former American football defensive end. He played college football for Alabama before being selected in the fourth round of the 1995 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints. He appeared in two games for the ...
and Marcus Knight
Marcus Larae Knight (born June 19, 1978) is an American football coach and former wide receiver who is currently the wide receivers coach at Ball State University. He played college football at Michigan and professionally as a wide receiver a ...
, played in the National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
.[
On July 25, 2015, Wheeler and his wife had a son.]
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wheeler, Zelous
1987 births
Living people
African-American baseball players
Algodoneros de Guasave players
American expatriate baseball players in Mexico
American expatriate baseball players in Japan
Baseball players from Alabama
Bowie Baysox players
Brevard County Manatees players
Helena Brewers players
Huntsville Stars players
Major League Baseball third basemen
Naranjeros de Hermosillo players
Nashville Sounds players
New York Yankees players
Nippon Professional Baseball third basemen
Norfolk Tides players
People from Childersburg, Alabama
People from Sylacauga, Alabama
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders players
Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles players
Wallace State Lions baseball players
West Virginia Power players
Yomiuri Giants players
21st-century African-American sportspeople
20th-century African-American people