Zelous Wheeler facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Zelous Wheeler |
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Wheeler with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles in 2015
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| Yomiuri Giants – No. 110 | |||
| Third baseman / Right fielder / Coach | |||
| Born: January 16, 1987 Childersburg, Alabama, U.S. |
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| Professional debut | |||
| MLB: July 3, 2014, for the New York Yankees | |||
| NPB: March 27, 2015, for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| MLB: September 26, 2014, for the New York Yankees | |||
| NPB: October 28, 2022, for the Yomiuri Giants | |||
| MLB statistics (through 2014 season) |
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| Batting average | .193 | ||
| Home runs | 2 | ||
| Runs batted in | 5 | ||
| NPB statistics (through 2022 season) |
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| Batting average | .263 | ||
| Home runs | 135 | ||
| Runs batted in | 442 | ||
| Teams | |||
As player
As coach
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Zelous Lamar Wheeler (born January 16, 1987) is an American former professional baseball player. He played as a third baseman and right fielder. Zelous played in Japan for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles and Yomiuri Giants. He also played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees.
Wheeler played baseball in high school and college. The Milwaukee Brewers picked him in the 2007 MLB Draft. He later joined the New York Yankees as a free agent in 2014. Wheeler made his MLB debut on July 3, 2014.
Zelous Wheeler's Baseball Journey
Early Life and Amateur Career
Zelous Wheeler grew up in Sylacauga, Alabama. He went to Childersburg High School. There, he played both baseball and American football. He was a great linebacker in football. He even got offers to play college football.
But Zelous chose to play college baseball instead. He went to Wallace State Community College in Hanceville, Alabama. Some of his teammates there became famous baseball players too. These included Derek Holland and Craig Kimbrel.
In 2006, his college team, Wallace State, won a big championship. They finished third in the national junior college series. In 2007, Zelous changed his position from third base to shortstop for his college team.
Starting Professional Baseball
Milwaukee Brewers Draft Pick
The Milwaukee Brewers chose Zelous Wheeler in the 19th round of the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft. He signed with them and started playing in the minor leagues. He played for teams like the Helena Brewers and West Virginia Power.
In 2009, he was named an All-Star. In 2010, he played shortstop for the Huntsville Stars. However, he made many errors that year.
In 2011, Zelous played for the Nashville Sounds. He also spent time with the Huntsville Stars. After the 2011 season, the Brewers added him to their main roster. This was to protect him from being picked by other teams.
Time with the Baltimore Orioles
In 2012, the Brewers let Zelous go, and the Baltimore Orioles picked him up. He played for their minor league teams, the Norfolk Tides and the Bowie Baysox.
During the off-season, Zelous played baseball in Mexico. He played for the Algodoneros de Guasave. In the 2013–14 off-season, he was named player of the week. He also hit many home runs and had many runs batted in (RBIs).
Playing for the New York Yankees
Before the 2014 season, Zelous signed a contract with the New York Yankees. He was invited to their spring training. He competed for a spot on the team.
He started the 2014 season in the minor leagues. He played for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. On July 2, 2014, the Yankees called him up to the major leagues. The very next day, Zelous made his MLB debut. He hit his first major league home run in his second time at bat!
Zelous played 16 games for the Yankees. He hit two home runs and had three RBIs. He was later sent back to the minor leagues. But the Yankees called him back up in August 2014.
Playing Baseball in Japan
Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles
In November 2014, Zelous Wheeler moved to Japan. He joined the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles. This team plays in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).
In 2015, he hit 14 home runs and had 50 RBIs. The next year, he played even better. He hit 27 home runs and had 88 RBIs. In 2017, he hit 31 home runs and had 82 RBIs. He signed a new contract to stay with the Eagles until 2020.
Yomiuri Giants
On June 25, 2020, Zelous was traded to the Yomiuri Giants. He played 98 games for them that year. He hit 12 home runs and had 36 RBIs.
He re-signed with the Giants for the 2022 season. In April 2022, he was sent to the Giants' farm team. He finished his playing career with the Yomiuri Giants in October 2022.
Coaching Career
On December 20, 2022, Zelous Wheeler started a new role. He became an advisor for the Yomiuri Giants front office. He helps the team from behind the scenes.
Zelous Wheeler's Family Life
Zelous has a younger brother named Brian. Brian also plays baseball. His father, Sam, owns a landscaping business. He also works at an aquarium.
Zelous has two uncles who played in the National Football League. Their names are Dameian Jeffries and Marcus Knight.
On July 25, 2015, Zelous and his wife welcomed their son.
