Wendell Magee facts for kids

Wendell Errol Magee (born August 3, 1972) is a former professional baseball player. He played as an outfielder in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1996 to 2002. He played for two teams: the Philadelphia Phillies and the Detroit Tigers. After his time in MLB, Magee also played for the Long Island Ducks in an independent league from 2004 to 2005.

Playing Baseball and Football

Wendell Magee played football at Hattiesburg High School in Mississippi. Interestingly, he was never chosen to play on his high school baseball team.

He later received a scholarship to play college football at Tennessee State University. He agreed to this on one condition: he also wanted to play for the school's baseball team.

After just one season, his coaches told Magee he could not play baseball anymore. They felt he was too important as a football player. So, Magee decided to transfer schools.

He moved to Pearl River Community College in Poplarville, Mississippi. Here, he played football for his old high school coach. He also got to play college baseball again.

After one year at Pearl River, Magee transferred to Samford University. At Samford, he continued to play both baseball and football. He played football as a running back. Later, he was honored by both Pearl River and Samford. They added him to their athletics halls of fame.

Professional Baseball Career

The Philadelphia Phillies chose Wendell Magee in the twelfth round of the 1994 Major League Baseball Draft. This was his start in professional baseball.

He began his professional career in 1994 with the Batavia Clippers. On August 16, 1996, Magee made his first appearance in Major League Baseball. He played for the Phillies at Veterans Stadium against the San Francisco Giants. He came into the game as a pinch hitter. This means he batted in place of another player.

Magee played for the Phillies for parts of four seasons. He was an outfielder, but he never played in more than 38 games in any one season with them.

Before the 2000 season, the Phillies traded him to the Detroit Tigers. With the Tigers, he got to play much more often. By 2002, he became the team's main center fielder. This was his only season as a full-time starter.

In February 2003, Magee signed a contract with the Cleveland Indians. The next month, he was traded back to the Phillies. He spent the 2003 season playing for minor league teams. These teams were the AAA affiliates of the Phillies, Tigers, and Colorado Rockies.

He finished his professional baseball career playing for the Long Island Ducks. He played for this independent league team in 2004 and 2005.

Personal Life

In 2021, Wendell Magee wrote a book. It is called Set the Captives Free. Fulton Books published his book.

As of 2021, Magee lives in Hoover, Alabama. He is a lifelong friend of National Football League star Larry Whigham.

Wendell's son, Josh, also played baseball. Josh played three seasons in Minor League Baseball. He also played college football as a wide receiver. He played for the UAB Blazers and the South Alabama Jaguars.