Wendell Kim, first Korean-American to wear MLB uniform, dies at 64
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Boston Red Sox third base coach Wendell Kim reacted as Scott Hatteberg rounded third base after hitting a home run in the second inning in Sept. 1997, against the Milwaukee Brewers in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Dan Currier)
BOSTON >> Former Boston and San Francisco third base coach Wendell Kim has died.
The Red Sox say he died at the age of 64 after a struggle with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Kim spent 30 years in professional baseball, including 15 as a major league coach, and was the first Korean-American to wear a major league uniform.
Kim also spent time with the Chicago Cubs and Montreal Expos. He coached first base and third base for the Giants from 1989-96 and was the third-base coach in Boston from 1997-00. He was known for his enthusiastic personality and his ability to perform magic tricks.
Ex-Giants third base coach Tim Flannery said on Facebook: “He was a competitor, great baseball man, and now he’s safe at home.”
Kim was a native of Honolulu.
