Former Major League Baseball coach Wendell Kim died Sunday at age 64, according to reports from the San Francisco Chronicle and NESN.com.
Kim was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease after retiring in 2005.
Kim served as the Red Sox’s third base coach from 1997 through 2000. He earned the nickname “Wave ’em in Wendell” for his aggressive style. Kim’s energy also was apparent in his sprints out to the third base coaches box before innings.
He also spent time with four other big league organizations — San Francisco Giants, Milwaukee Brewers, Montreal Expos, Chicago Cubs — during his coaching career.
Kim reportedly was the first Korean-American to wear a major-league uniform, according to a report on CBSSports.com. He did his job with an obvious passion. And no matter if he got a runner thrown out, Kim was accountable – to his team, to the press, to the fans.
Kim, a native of Hawaii, never reached the majors despite a playing career that featured a rise to Triple-A. He was one of three children of welterweight boxer Phil “Wildcat” Kim, who compiled a 43-15-3 record as a professional fighter, and his wife Doris Caserman.
He began his coaching career in 1980 and spent eight seasons at the Giants’ major league third base coach before joining the Red Sox organization. Kim, who spent one season as manager of the Brewers’ Triple-A affiliate in Indianapolis.
He reportedly had been living in Arizona at the time of his death. He is survived by his wife, Natasha, and son Donald.
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