Wayne Gomes

{{Infobox baseball biography

| name= Wayne Gomes

| image= Wayne Gomes (cropped).jpg

| caption= Gomes at Joint Base Langley–Eustis in 2018

| size=

| position= Pitcher

| birth_date= {{birth date and age|1973|01|15}}

| birth_place= Hampton, Virginia, U.S.

| bats= Right

| throws= Right

| debutleague= MLB

| debutdate= June 13

| debutyear= 1997

| debutteam= Philadelphia Phillies

| finalleague= MLB

| finaldate= September 28

| finalyear= 2002

| finalteam= Boston Red Sox

| statleague = MLB

| stat1label= Win–loss record

| stat1value= 30–23

| stat2label= Earned run average

| stat2value= 4.60

| stat3label= Strikeouts

| stat3value= 284

| teams=

Philadelphia Phillies ({{mlby|1997}}–{{mlby|2001}})
San Francisco Giants ({{mlby|2001}})
Boston Red Sox ({{mlby|2002}})

}}

Wayne Maurice Gomes {{small|[goms]}} (born January 15, 1973) is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1997 through 2002 for the Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants, and

Boston Red Sox. Listed at 6' 2", 215 lb., Gomes batted and threw right handed.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/gomeswa01.shtml|title=Wayne Gomes Stats|date=2020|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=Baseball-Reference.com|access-date=April 1, 2020}}

Career

Born and raised in Hampton, Virginia, Gomes graduated from Old Dominion University with a degree in recreation and leisure studies,

and is also a member of Phi Beta Sigma fraternity. In 1992, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Orleans Cardinals of the Cape Cod Baseball League and was named a league all-star.{{cite web|url=http://capecodbaseball.org.ismmedia.com/ISM3/std-content/repos/Top/2012website/archives/Current%20Year/All_Time_MLB_CCBL_Alumni.pdf |title=Major League Baseball Players from the Cape Cod League |publisher=capecodbaseball.org |access-date=September 25, 2019}}{{cite news | last =Naylor | first =Kevin | title = Hyannis Pitcher Quietly Earns All-Star Spot | pages = 12 | newspaper = Yarmouth Register | location = Yarmouth, MA | date = July 23, 1992 | url = http://digital.olivesoftware.com/Olive/APA/Yarmouth/SharedView.Article.aspx?href=DPLTR%2F1992%2F07%2F23&id=Ar01201&sk=F0E402FA&viewMode=image }}

In between, Gomes spent six seasons in the Minor Leagues,[https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.cgi?id=gomes-001way Baseball Reference (MiLB)] and also played winter ball with the Leones del Caracas club of the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League during the 2004 season.[https://www.pelotabinaria.com.ve/beisbol/mostrar.php?ID=gomeway001 Pura Pelota (VPBL stats)]

Following his retirement from baseball, Gomes returned to his hometown area of Suffolk and formed the Virginia Baseball Academy. The VBA soon would be located at the Hampton Family YMCA on LaSalle Avenue in Hampton, offering baseball training services, practice venues, and baseball products. In addition, the VBA served as the operator of the Peninsula Pilots AAU baseball and softball organization.[http://www.virginiabaseballacademy.com/diversityfoundation.html Wayne Gomes Youth Baseball Diversity Foundation]

Gomes was named to the Colonial Athletic Association's 25th anniversary baseball team in 2010. He was inducted into the Old Dominion University Sports Hall of Fame in April 2001 and was inducted into the Hampton Roads African American Sports Hall of Fame on November 6, 2010.