Wendell Kim

Wendell Kealohepauloe Kim (March 9, 1950 – February 15, 2015) was an American professional baseball player, coach and manager who served as a coach for four Major League Baseball teams over the course of 15 seasons (1989–2000; 2002–04). A former infielder in the minor leagues, he stood tall, weighed , and threw and batted right-handed. He was of Korean and Hawaiian descent.

Early life Kim was born in Honolulu, 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. According to Wendell, his father abused both Doris and their children. Phil Kim retired from boxing in 1956, and was shot to death two years later, when Wendell was eight. The crime remains unsolved.

Playing career Kim played three years of varsity college baseball at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, where he was selected twice for the All-California Collegiate Athletic Association team. Kim became manager of the 2001 Indianapolis Indians, the Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. That job was short-lived, however, as he left after one season to become Frank Robinson's bench coach for the 2002 Montreal Expos.

Kim returned to coaching third base, taking that position with the Chicago Cubs in 2003–04, reuniting him with Baker. Kim's controversial and aggressive style of sending runners home often resulted in outs and garnered him the nicknames "Wavin' Wendell," "Windmill Wendell," but not “Wave 'em in Wendell," but primarily "Send 'Em In Kim." After one year managing in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League in the Washington Nationals organization, Kim retired from baseball in 2006 and moved to Arizona. In ten seasons as a minor-league manager, he compiled a win–loss record of 669–645 (.509).

In retirement, Kim suffered from short-term memory loss, and was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease. He died on February 15, 2015, in Phoenix at 64.