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. 86 | |||
| 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 | |||
| 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 was born on January 16, 1987. He is an American former professional baseball player. He played as a third baseman and right fielder. Zelous played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees. He also played in Japan's NPB league for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles and Yomiuri Giants. After his playing career, he became a coach.
Wheeler played baseball in high school and college. The Milwaukee Brewers picked him in the 2007 MLB Draft. He later played for the Baltimore Orioles' minor league teams. Before the 2014 season, he signed with the New York Yankees. Zelous made his MLB debut on July 3, 2014.
Contents
Zelous Wheeler's Baseball Journey
Early Life and College Baseball
Zelous Wheeler grew up in Sylacauga, Alabama. He went to Childersburg High School. There, he was great at both baseball and American football. He was even named one of the best football players in Alabama. He had 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 also became famous baseball players.
In 2006, his college team, Wallace State, won a big championship. They finished third in the national junior college World Series. In 2007, Zelous changed his position from third base to shortstop.
Starting His Pro Career
Milwaukee Brewers Team
The Milwaukee Brewers chose Zelous in the 19th round of the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft. He signed with them and started playing in a rookie league. He played for different minor league teams for the Brewers. He was even named an All-Star twice!
In 2010, Zelous played shortstop for the Huntsville Stars. But he made 32 errors that year. In 2011, he played for the Nashville Sounds. He also had an injury that made him miss two months. After the 2011 season, the Brewers added him to their main roster. This was to protect him from being picked by other teams.
Baltimore Orioles Team
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. He also played baseball in Mexico during the off-season. In 2013, he played for Norfolk again.
New York Yankees Team
Zelous signed a contract with the New York Yankees in 2014. He got to train with the main team. He started the 2014 season with the Yankees' minor league team. He got a back injury in April but came back strong.
On July 2, 2014, the Yankees called Zelous up to the major leagues! He made his first big league appearance the very next day. In his second time at bat, he hit his first major league home run! Zelous played 16 games for the Yankees. He hit two home runs and had three RBIs. Later, he was sent back to the minor leagues. But the Yankees called him back up in August.
Playing in Japan
On November 20, 2014, the Yankees sold Zelous to a team in Japan. He joined the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles in the NPB league. In 2015, he hit 14 home runs. The next year, he did even better, hitting 27 home runs! In 2017, Zelous hit 31 home runs. He signed a new contract to stay with the Eagles. He played for them until 2019.
Yomiuri Giants Team
On June 25, 2020, Zelous was traded to the Yomiuri Giants. He played 98 games for them that year. He hit 12 home runs. In 2021, he signed to play with the Giants again for the 2022 season. In April 2022, he was sent to the Giants' farm team.
Coaching Career
On December 20, 2022, Zelous Wheeler started a new role. He became an advisor for the Yomiuri Giants' front office. This means he helps the team from behind the scenes.
About Zelous Wheeler's Family
Zelous has a younger brother named Brian who also plays baseball. His father, Sam, owns a landscaping business. Zelous also has two uncles, Dameian Jeffries and Marcus Knight, who played in the National Football League (NFL).
On July 25, 2015, Zelous and his wife welcomed their son into the world.
