Kevin Dean Wickander (born January 4, 1965) is a former

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

player. A

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...

, Wickander played for the

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...

Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. The Brewers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Di ...

, and

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...

from to . Wickander attended

Cortez High School Cortez High School is located in Phoenix, Arizona at 8828 N 31st Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85051. It is part of the Glendale Union High School District. The mascot is the Colt and the school colors are primarily black and white with red used as an al ...

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona. With over 1.6 million residents at the 2020 census, it is the ...

and played

college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played by Student athlete, student-athletes at institutions of higher education. In the United States, college baseball is sanctioned mainly by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); in Japan, ...

Grand Canyon University Grand Canyon University (GCU) is a Private university, private For-profit higher education in the United States, for-profit Christian university in Phoenix, Arizona. The university offers degrees in over 200 areas of study and is administrativel ...

. Although he grew up only ten miles from the campus of Grand Canyon, he admitted he had not heard of it until three months before he enrolled. He was the

ace An ace is a playing card, die or domino with a single pip. In the standard French deck, an ace has a single suit symbol (a heart, diamond, spade, or a club) located in the middle of the card, sometimes large and decorated, especially in the ...

of the

Grand Canyon Antelopes baseball The Grand Canyon Antelopes baseball team represents Grand Canyon University, which is located in Phoenix, Arizona. The Antelopes, also known as the Lopes, are an NCAA Division I college baseball program competing in the Western Athletic Conferenc ...

team that won the

1986 NAIA World Series The 1986 NAIA World Series was the 30th annual NAIA World Series, tournament hosted by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics to determine the national champion of college baseball, baseball among its member colleges and universiti ...

. Wickander made his Major League debut with the

on August 10, 1989. He missed most of the 1990 season after breaking his elbow. In May 1991, he sought treatment for

alcoholism Alcoholism is the continued drinking of alcohol despite it causing problems. Some definitions require evidence of dependence and withdrawal. Problematic use of alcohol has been mentioned in the earliest historical records. The World He ...

and took a leave of absence to be treated in-patient at the

Cleveland Clinic Cleveland Clinic is an American Nonprofit organization, nonprofit Academic health science center, academic Medical centers in the United States, medical center based in Cleveland, Ohio. Owned and operated by the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, an O ...

. After being successfully discharged from treatment, he pitched his first full Major League season in 1992. In May of the following year, he was traded to the

. Wickander started the 1994 season pitching in Taiwan but, after appearing in seven games, traveled back to the United States for the birth of his first child and did not return to Taiwan. After his playing career ended he spent several years in prison on drug and other related charges.

References

External links

1965 births Living people Baseball players from Iowa Major League Baseball pitchers Canton-Akron Indians players Cleveland Indians players Kinston Indians players Cincinnati Reds players Milwaukee Brewers players Detroit Tigers players Grand Canyon Antelopes baseball players Sportspeople from Fort Dodge, Iowa Batavia Trojans players Colorado Springs Sky Sox players Indianapolis Indians players New Orleans Zephyrs players Toledo Mud Hens players Uni-President Lions players Williamsport Bills players American expatriate baseball players in Taiwan American sportspeople convicted of crimes American people convicted of theft Anchorage Bucs players 20th-century American sportsmen {{US-baseball-pitcher-1960s-stub