The baseball world lost a former major league pitcher this week who spent time with four different organizations and touched the lives of countless coaches, teammates and fans.
New York Mets vice president of media relations Jay Horwitz announced the news on X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday.
“Wes Gardner, who pitched 30 games for the Mets in ‘84 and ‘85, passed away today at 65,” Horwitz wrote. “Gardner was in the majors for parts of eight seasons with the Mets, Red Sox, Padres and Royals. After the 1985 season he was part of a seven-player trade in which the Mets acquired Bobby Ojeda from Boston.”
Former New York Mets, Boston Red Sox Pitcher Wes Gardner Dies At 65
While Gardner’s major league career spanned multiple organizations, his name remains closely connected to a blockbuster deal that helped shape a Mets championship era. Following his big-league debut with the Mets in 1984 and then his sophomore 1985 campaign, Gardner was sent to the Boston Red Sox alongside John Christensen, Calin Schiraldi and La Schelle Tarver in exchange for Bob Ojeda, Tom McCarthy, John Mitchell and Chris Bayer.
Ojeda led the Mets to a World Series championship in the 1986 season. But at the time of the trade that brought him to Queens, Red Sox general manager Lou Gorman expressed significant confidence in Gardner’s future role.
“We see Gardner as a stopper out of the bullpen,” Gorman said, according to Joanne Hulbert and the Society for American Baseball Research. “We feel he’s the guy to come in in the eighth or ninth and get the last four or five hitters out. He’s going to be an impact pitcher.”
Late New York Mets, Boston Red Sox Pitcher Wes Gardner Has Murky Past
Beyond his accomplishments on the field, Gardner was guarded about his personal history. Hulbert noted that he rarely discussed his upbringing in Benton, Arkansas, preferring instead to focus on the opportunities baseball provided.
“Wesley Brian Gardner was born in Benton, Arkansas, on April 29, 1961,” she wrote. “He never said much about his childhood other than that he had it rough. He expressed simply that baseball provided the happiest years of all.”
Gardner ultimately appeared for four major league organizations, including the Kansas City Royals and San Diego Padres in addition to the Mets and Red Sox. He was a respected figure among former teammates and members of the baseball community long after his playing career ended.