David Wells

Wells attended the same San Diego high school, Point Loma High School, as Don Larsen, whose perfect game for the Yankees in the 1956 World Series was the only perfect game or no-hitter ever thrown in postseason play until 2010, and was until then the only perfect game thrown by a Yankee.

David Lee Wells (born May 20, 1963) is an American former baseball pitcher who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for nine teams, most notably the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees.

Nicknamed "Boomer", Wells was considered one of the league's top left-handed pitchers during his career and made three All-Star appearances.

He graduated from Point Loma High School, where he played baseball and basketball, in 1982 and was a self-described "gym rat" who spent most of his time at the Ocean Beach Recreation Center and Robb Field.

Wells was Point Loma High School’s star pitcher and threw a perfect game his senior year.

He had Tommy John surgery in July 1985.

Wells debuted for the Toronto Blue Jays in 1987 as a reliever and did not secure a job as a full-time starter until he was 30 years old.

During his six seasons with the Blue Jays, Wells compiled a 47–46 record and a 3.88 ERA.

Wells was a member of the 1992 World Series winning team, the first time he got a championship ring.

He was released by the Blue Jays during spring training on March 30, 1993.

A few days after he was released by the Blue Jays, Wells signed with the Detroit Tigers on April 3.

In 1993, Wells made 32 appearances (30 starts) with an 11-9 record and a 4.19 ERA.

In 1994, a season that was cut short due to a strike, Wells started 16 games, finishing 5-7 with a 3.96 ERA and 5 complete games.

He emerged as a top-flight pitcher in 1995, when he was 32.

After starting the year at 10–3 with a 3.04 ERA for the struggling last-place Tigers, Wells made his first All-Star Game appearance.

On July 31, Wells was traded to the Cincinnati Reds for C. J. Nitkowski, Mark Lewis, and minor leaguer Dave Tuttle.

With Cincinnati, Wells compiled a 6–5 record and a 3.59 ERA.

After the 1995 season, Wells was traded to the Baltimore Orioles for Curtis Goodwin and minor leaguer Trovin Valdez.

In 1996, he pitched a then-career high 224 innings but finished with an 11–14 record and a 5.14 ERA.

In 1997, Wells signed as a free agent with the New York Yankees, his favorite team because of a lifelong interest in baseball legend Babe Ruth.

He asked for uniform number 3, Ruth's long-retired number, but was denied.

He ended up taking 33 for the Yankees.

On June 28, 1997, Wells took the mound wearing an authentic 1934 Babe Ruth hat, which he had bought for $35,000.

Manager Joe Torre made Wells take it off after the first inning because it didn't conform to uniform standards.

He also fined Wells $2,500, which Wells was happy to pay and later said it was a small price to pay for the thrill of wearing the hat on the field even for one inning—even though Wells then blew a 3–0 lead as the Cleveland Indians won 12–8.

After posting a 16–10 mark in 1997, Wells pitched very well in the Yankees' record-setting 1998 season.

He rang up an 18–4 record, finished fifth in the league in ERA (3.49), was third in voting for the Cy Young Award, and won a second World Series ring.

In 1998, he pitched the 15th perfect game in baseball history.

Wells also appeared in the postseason as a member of six teams, tied for the most with Kenny Lofton, and won two World Series titles.

On May 17, 1998, Wells pitched the 15th perfect game in baseball history, when he blanked the Minnesota Twins, 4–0.

David Cone would add a third Yankee perfect game in 1999.

Wells claimed that he threw the perfect game while having a "raging, skull-rattling hangover".

Comedian Jimmy Fallon, who partied with Wells the night before the game, backed up this claim.

Following his 2007 retirement, Wells served as a broadcaster for MLB on TBS and was the host of The Cheap Seats on FOXSports.com.

Wells was born in Torrance, California.

His parents were never married.

He was raised by his mother, Eugenia, a member of Hell's Angels also known as "Attitude Annie".

Wells grew up with the belief that his father, David Pritt, was dead.

However, at the age of 22, he learned that Pritt was alive and tracked him down to start a new relationship with him.

Growing up in the Ocean Beach neighborhood of San Diego where he attended local public schools, Wells was dependent on his mother, who worked numerous jobs to support him and his four siblings.