Major League Baseball Player. A native of West Lafayette, Indiana, he played 4 seasons in the Majors as a utility infielder with 3 clubs from 1957 to 1960. Known more for his glove work than his hitting, he was valued for his ability to play second, third and short with equal adroitness. Originally signed by the Chicago Cubs as an amateur free agent on September 8, 1952, he played three seasons in the minors before finally making his Major League debut in a 4-1 loss to the Milwaukee Braves on April 16, 1957. In that game he started at second base, while going 0-4 at the plate. His rookie season saw him bat just .179 in 43 games. On November 16, 1957, Chicago traded him to the Milwaukee Braves in exchange for Ben Johnson, Chick King, minor leaguer Leonard Williams and cash. With the Braves he continued his role as a utility player, appearing in 31 games that season while batting a career high .197. The Braves went on to win their second consecutive NL Pennant that season, and once again, faced the Yankees in the World Series. Wise made appearances in 2 games, going 0-1 with a strikeout in his only at bat as the Yankees came back from 3-1 deficit to win the World Series. He was traded on October 15, 1959 along with Don Kaiser and Mike Roarke to the Detroit Tigers for Charlie Lau and Don Lee. 1960 would prove to be his final year in the majors, as he appeared in 30 games. A graduate of the University of Florida, after his baseball career he attended the University of Tennessee School of Dentistry, graduating with a DDS. He eventually settled in Naples, Florida where he started his own practice. He passed away as a result of complications of heart surgery. In 126 Major League games he accrued a lifetime .174 average with 3 homers and 17 RBI.
Major League Baseball Player. A native of West Lafayette, Indiana, he played 4 seasons in the Majors as a utility infielder with 3 clubs from 1957 to 1960. Known more for his glove work than his hitting, he was valued for his ability to play second, third and short with equal adroitness. Originally signed by the Chicago Cubs as an amateur free agent on September 8, 1952, he played three seasons in the minors before finally making his Major League debut in a 4-1 loss to the Milwaukee Braves on April 16, 1957. In that game he started at second base, while going 0-4 at the plate. His rookie season saw him bat just .179 in 43 games. On November 16, 1957, Chicago traded him to the Milwaukee Braves in exchange for Ben Johnson, Chick King, minor leaguer Leonard Williams and cash. With the Braves he continued his role as a utility player, appearing in 31 games that season while batting a career high .197. The Braves went on to win their second consecutive NL Pennant that season, and once again, faced the Yankees in the World Series. Wise made appearances in 2 games, going 0-1 with a strikeout in his only at bat as the Yankees came back from 3-1 deficit to win the World Series. He was traded on October 15, 1959 along with Don Kaiser and Mike Roarke to the Detroit Tigers for Charlie Lau and Don Lee. 1960 would prove to be his final year in the majors, as he appeared in 30 games. A graduate of the University of Florida, after his baseball career he attended the University of Tennessee School of Dentistry, graduating with a DDS. He eventually settled in Naples, Florida where he started his own practice. He passed away as a result of complications of heart surgery. In 126 Major League games he accrued a lifetime .174 average with 3 homers and 17 RBI.
Bio by: Frank Russo
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