Phillip Wellman
Phillip Lane Wellman
- Bats Both, Throws Right
- Height 5' 11", Weight 180 lb.
- School Sam Houston State University, Southwestern University
- Born December 5, 1962 in Marlin, TX USA
Biographical Information[edit]
Phillip Wellman played in the minors from 1984 to 1987. He debuted as a utility man (primarily an outfielder) with the '84 Anderson Braves and hit .222/~.355/.304 as his ability to draw walks was his primary offensive skill. In 1985, Wellman batted .269/~.426/.512 as the top performer on the Sumter Braves. He stole 16 bases, homered 21 times and drew 105 walks. He was second in the South Atlantic League in walks and fourth in homers. An outfielder that year, he missed the SAL All-Star team, as Drew Denson, Sil Campusano and Marcus Lawton were the three outfielders honored. In '86, Wellman had a .216/~.362/.377 line for the Durham Bulls and .288/~.369/.391 as a third baseman with the Kenosha Twins. In 1987, Wellman was 0-1 as a pinch hitter for the Harrisburg Senators.
He was a coach in the Atlanta Braves system from 1988 to 1991, with the Pulaski Braves in 1988-1989, Burlington Braves in 1990 and Durham Bulls in 1991.
Leaving the Braves' organization, Wellman then managed from 1992-2003, except 2000 when he was a coach for the Louisville RiverBats. He returned to the Braves as the hitting coach for the Greenville Braves in 2004, and the Mississippi Braves in 2005-2006. Wellman was the skipper of Mississippi from 2007-2010. Leaving the Braves once again, he was the hitting coach of the Springfield (MO) Cardinals in 2011-2013.
On June 1, 2007, Wellman gained national attention when he went on a tirade against the umpires during a game. He protested strike and ball calls by covering home plate with dirt, then tracing in the dirt a new, significantly larger home plate. He then went on to uproot bases and throw them, crawl combat-style across the infield like a soldier, and hurl the rosin bag at an umpire as if it were a hand grenade. He concluded his tirade by pretending to eject the umpires themselves with a fist-pump and then blowing a farewell kiss to the crowd while taking a bow. The episode was broadcast on sports shows across the United States. It was reminiscent of Joe Mikulik's public meltdown a year earlier.
Wellman was scheduled to be manager of the Amarillo Sod Poodles in 2020 before the season was cancelled due to Covid-19.
Wellman's son, Brett Wellman, was a back-up catcher in the Toronto Blue Jays' chain for three years. In 2020 Brett was following his father's footsteps as a manager in the Texas Collegiate League.
Sources include 1985 Baseball Guide, 1986-87 Baseball America Statistics Reports
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