| Bob Wellman | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Outfielder/First baseman | |
| Born:(1925-07-15)July 15, 1925 Norwood, Ohio, U.S. | |
| Died: December 20, 1994(1994-12-20) (aged 69) Villa Hills, Kentucky, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 23, 1948, for the Philadelphia Athletics | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| June 3, 1950, for the Philadelphia Athletics | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .280 |
| Home runs | 1 |
| Runs batted in | 1 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
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Robert Joseph Wellman (July 15, 1925 – December 20, 1994) was an American professionalbaseball player,manager andscout. He managed for a quarter-century inminor league baseball, winning more than 1,600 games — with his 1966Spartanburg Phillies setting aWestern Carolinas League record by ripping off a 25-game winning streak. He also briefly playedMajor League Baseball.
Wellman was a native ofNorwood, Ohio. Anoutfielder andfirst baseman, he batted and threw right-handed, stood 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 m) tall and weighed 210 pounds (95 kg). He had two brief trials — four games in1948 and 11 more in1950 — with thePhiladelphia Athletics of theAmerican League,batting .286 in 25at bats, with onetriple, onehome run (hit offMel Parnell of theBoston Red Sox on April 23, 1950, atShibe Park)[1] and onerun batted in. The rest of Wellman's uniformed career would be spent in the minors, first as a player (he led his league in home runs over four consecutive seasons, 1954–1957, including the Class AWestern International League), then as a playing manager and manager.
His managing career began in 1955 with theDouglas Trojans, a Class D affiliate of theCincinnati Reds in theGeorgia State League, where his club finished in first place but fell in the playoffs. He would handle teams in thefarm systems of the Reds (1955–1959),Philadelphia Phillies (1961–1976) andNew York Mets (1977–1980), compiling awin–loss record of 1,663 wins, 1,440 defeats (.536) with three playoff championships. His 1966 Spartanburg squad — which featured future major leaguersLarry Bowa,Denny Doyle,Barry Lersch,Ron Allen andLowell Palmer — won 91 of 126 regular-season games, a .722 winning percentage (equivalent to 117 victories over a 162-game season). However, he spent only part of one season as a manager at the Triple-A level, with the 1970Eugene Emeralds of thePacific Coast League, and was released on May 25 after his team dropped 28 of its first 43 games. The next year, he resumed his success in Spartanburg.
After leading the 1980Jackson Mets into theTexas League playoffs, Wellman hung up his uniform and became a Mets scout. He died inVilla Hills, Kentucky, at the age of 69.