Flashback Friday: Boomer

This week's flashback features one of the most quoted individuals in recent memory, David Wells. We all know Boomer tells it like it is, especially when a reporter is around, but lets take a look back at his first game - back when he was a Toronto Blue Jay - on June 30, 1987.

Wells made his first appearance against legendary New York Yankees, the team he would later pitch a combined four years for in two different tours. In not only his first appearance but his first start, Wells gave up four runs in four innings pitched, along with nine hits, two walks and three wild pitches. His outing was cut short in the fifth inning after giving up consecutive singles to Don Mattingly and former Padre Dave Winfield. Wells gave up one run in the first, two in the second and was charged with Mattingly's run in the fifth.

In 18 games that year, Wells finished with a 4-3 record while posting a 3.99 ERA and striking out 32 in 29 1/3 innings pitched. The next season Wells pitched 64 1/3 innings in 41 appearances, posting a 3-5 record with a 4.62 ERA. Wells settled into his starters' role in 1989 and for his career he has a 231-150 record with a 4.09 ERA and 2,143 K's. Wells has had two separate stints in Toronto, New York and San Diego and has also pitched for the Tigers, Reds, Orioles, White Sox and Red Sox. In 1998, Wells pitched a perfect game against the Twins - and later claimed he was hung over and half drunk from the night before- and was the 1998 ALCS MVP.

He has won World Series rings with Toronto (1992) and New York (1998).

This season Wells is 1-2 with a 5.40 ERA, having given up 56 hits and 11 walks while striking out 24. But his last start was solid - despite a loss - and hopefully Wells has enough left in him to continue to be counted on as a solid No. 5 starter.

Game and career information was obtained from www.baseball-reference.com.