Wil Culmer
{{Short description|American baseball player (1957–2003)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
| name = Wil Culmer
| image = Wil Culmer Indians.jpg
| position = Outfielder
| birth_date = {{birth date|1957|11|11}}
| birth_place = Nassau, The Bahamas
| death_date = {{death date and age|2003|10|14|1957|11|11}}
| death_place = Nassau, The Bahamas
| bats = Right
| throws = Right
|debutleague = MLB
| debutdate = April 12
| debutyear = 1983
| debutteam = Cleveland Indians
|finalleague = MLB
| finaldate = May 1
| finalyear = 1983
| finalteam = Cleveland Indians
|statleague = MLB
| stat1label = Batting average
| stat1value = .105
| stat2label = At bats
| stat2value = 19
| stat3label = Hits
| stat3value = 2
| teams =
- Cleveland Indians (1983)
}}
Wilfred Hillard Culmer (November 11, 1957 – October 14, 2003) was a Bahamian Major League Baseball player for the Cleveland Indians. He was inducted to the Bahamas Sports Hall of Fame in 2011.{{cite web|url=https://www.bahamas.gov.bs/wps/wcm/connect/c5e1c593-d37e-4412-967a-44e2e8c148f4/Wilfred+%27Sudgy%27+Culmer.pdf?MOD=AJPERES|title=Bahamas Sports Hall of Fame, Biography, Wilfred "Sudgy" Culmer|access-date=30 January 2021}}
Career
Culmer originally played baseball in the Bahamas after graduating high school, and was considered to be one of the country's best home run hitters.{{cite news|last=Sturrup|first=Fred|title=Colin Thompson, a star in his own right|work=Nassau Guardian|date=April 17, 2009}} He was signed by the Philadelphia Phillies in 1977 as an amateur free agent and began his professional career the following year with the rookie-league Helena Phillies; he had a batting average of .358 in 55 games. The following year, he split the season between the Spartanburg Phillies and the Peninsula Pilots.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=culmer001wil|title=Wil Culmer Minor League Statistics & History|work=Baseball-Reference.com|publisher=Sports Reference, LLC|access-date=September 7, 2014}} In 1980, Culmer spent the season with Peninsula and had a career year. He had a .369 batting average and 184 hits, both of which led the Carolina League. He also had 18 home runs, 93 runs batted in, and 26 stolen bases; he was added to the Phillies' 40-man roster after the season as a result.{{cite web|url=http://sabr.org/bioproj/person/a70bc09d#_edn11|title=Wil Culmer|first=Rory|last=Costello|publisher=Society for American Baseball Research|access-date=September 7, 2014}}
In 1981, he spent the season with the Reading Phillies, and had a .282 average in 120 games, but where were still questions about his fielding ability. Jayson Stark noted that "he can be as good as he wants to be" but was making too many fundamental mistakes in the minors for his natural talent to transfer.{{cite news|title=Reading Farmhand Culmer Has a Long Row to Hoe|first=Jayson|last=Stark|work=Philadelphia Inquirer|date=June 25, 1981|page=D1}} Culmer spent 1982 with the Oklahoma City 89ers, and had a .288 batting average and 14 home runs in 119 games. After the season, he was traded to the Cleveland Indians with Jerry Reed and Roy Smith for John Denny.
Culmer made the Indians roster out of spring training, and in his debut on April 12 got two hits in three at-bats. He played in six more games after his debut but did not get any more hits, and was demoted to the Charleston Charlies, where he had a .245 batting average in 87 games. After a 1984 season that was split between the Buffalo Bisons and Maine Guides, Culmer retired and returned to the Bahamas until his death in 2003.
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Baseballstats|br=c/culmewi01|brm=culmer001wil}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Culmer, Wil}}
Category:Bahamian expatriate baseball players in the United States
Category:Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players
Category:Charleston Charlies players
Category:Cleveland Indians players
Category:Helena Phillies players
Category:Major League Baseball outfielders
Category:Major League Baseball players from the Bahamas
Category:Oklahoma City 89ers players
Category:Peninsula Pilots players
Category:Reading Phillies players
Category:Spartanburg Phillies players