Boomer Wells Didn't Boom for the Blue Jays
But still boomed outside the United States as planned
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1982 Topps Blue Jays Future Stars (#203) - Card of the Day
For most American baseball fans, the name “Boomer Wells” probably brings to mind a certain chunky left-handed starter who pitched for nine different teams over a 21-year career in the majors.
And who won 239 games.
And who threw a perfect game.
After all, David Wells was a pretty darn good pitcher, all personal foibles aside. And his nickname was “Boomer.”
But baseball card collectors and fans of the international game know there was another Boomer Wells, one who preceded David in the majors by six seasons. One who was a much bigger star than the lefty, at least through the early 1990s.
Originally signed out of Albany State University (Georgia) as an undrafted free agent by the Pirates in 1976, Greg Wells couldn’t stick with either the Bucs or the Indians.
Both franchises released him before he ever got rolling in the minors.
But then the expansion Blue Jay came calling during their inaugural season in 1977 and signed Wells to another minor league deal. Still trying to get their organizational pieces together, Toronto sent the young first baseman straight to Low-A Utica.
It was there that Wells gave a sign of things to come, smashing 13 home runs in 71 games. That jump-started his minor-league climb, and he split both 1978 and 1979 between Single A (Dunedin, Kinston) and Triple-A Syracuse.
Wells seemed to stall out at Triple A, though, spending all of 1980 and most of 1981 back with the Chiefs. Even so, his powerful bat kept cranking out double-digit homers, and he also stole 10+ bases in each of those seasons.
Finally, in August of 1981, once The Strike had finally concluded, the Blue Jays gave Wells his shot. He hit a meager .247 with no power to speak of — 5 doubles were his only extra-base hits — in 78 plate appearances.
That winter, the Jays sent Wells to the Twins in exchange for outfielder Hosken Powell. That late December move came too late for Topps, who had already slated Wells for their Blue Jays Future Stars card, batting cleanup behind Jesse Barfield and Brian Milner.
Despite The Real One’s confidence in Wells, though, the Twins had other plans and plopped their new prospect down at Triple-A Toledo. Wells didn’t take the quasi-demotion lying down and put up a monster season with the Mud Hens: .336, 28 home runs, 107 RBI.
That earned him a promotion to the Twinkies in September, where he proceeded to “rake” at a .204 clip with no homers.
Minnesota had seen enough and released Wells in January of 1983, ahead of what would have been his age-29 season. Instead of hanging up his spikes, though, Wells said “Sayonora!” to the American big leagues and signed on with the Hankyu Braves in Japan.
What followed was the birth of late-career legend, as Wells erupted for 277 home runs over ten seasons in the Japan Pacific League. He topped out with 42 dingers in 1986 but also recorded two other 40-homer seasons.
In 1984, Wells hit .355 with 37 long balls and 130 RBI, becoming the first non-Japanese-born player to win the Triple Crown in Japan.
Not a bad encore for a guy who could barely get a sniff of major league pitching by the time he was 28, huh?
Today, Greg “Boomer” Wells turns 70 years old.
Safety First!
A couple years after that first-ever Topps Boomer Wells card was issued, Barfield was part of another first — the first Blue Jays Fire Safety set.
By then, Barfield was a budding (or bona fide, already) star, having hit 18 and 27 homers in 1982 and 1983, respectively. His power stroke would peak in 1986 with a league-leading 40 home runs, and he’s generally regarded as one of the great rightfielders of his generation.
Before the full bloom of Barfield’s stardom was apparent, though, there was his 1984 Fire Safety card — read all about it right here!
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If all this Blue Jays talk has left you hungry for more Toronto baseball, well you shouldn’t have much trouble tracking down a 1981 Topps Jackson Todd or a 1988 Donruss Rance Mulluniks or even a 1985 Fleer Luis Leal. There are plenty to go around.
And if you want to get really Blue Jays-y, check out the 1991 Stadium Club SkyDome set. It’s 1990s hobby kitsch at its best.
While you do that, I think I’ll go clean up my Jim Clancy collection a bit.
Thanks for reading.
—Adam