"Wave 'Em In" Wendell Kim has passed away at the age of 64. Kim was a former minor-league skipper, as well as serving multiple stints as a major-league third base coach for the Cubs, Red Sox, and Giants.
Kim spent eight seasons playing in the minor-leagues from 1973 to 1980, all for the San Francisco Giants. He retired as an infielder with .285 batting average and 10 home runs in 628 games over two seasons at Single-A, four seasons at Double-A, and three-seasons at Triple-A. After that, he went on to his coaching career.
Beginning in 1980, Kim coached a multitude of minor-league teams in the Giants' organization, including the Shreveport Captains, Clinton Giants, Fresno Giants, and Phoenix Firebirds. In 1989, he got his first major-league action, coaching third base for the Giants. He held that position for eight years until he joined the Boston Red Sox as a third base coach. He spent 1997 to 2000 with Boston as their third base coach.
In 2001, Kim left Boston to manage the Milwaukee Brewers' Triple-A team, the Indianapolis Indians, only to return to the majors in 2003 to take up the position of third base coach for the Chicago Cubs. In 2005, Kim managed the Washington Nationals' Florida Gulf Coast League team, retiring shortly thereafter.
Kim was known for often sending home runners aggressively, earning him the nicknames "Windmill Wendell" and "Wave 'Em In Wendell." Services will be held for him in Arizona on March 1. May he rest in peace.