Former World Series MVP John Wetteland Arrested for Alleged Child Sex Abuse
January 15, 2019
Former Major League Baseball closer John Wetteland was arrested Monday in Texas on a charge of child sex abuse.
Per Sara Coello and Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News, Denton County jail records show Wetteland posted a $25,000 bond and is accused of "continuous sexual abuse of a child under the age of 14."
The arrest-warrant affidavit said Wetteland "forced a relative to perform a sex act on him" in 2004 at his home when the child was four years old. His accuser also said this "happened twice more during a two-year period."
Wetteland pitched 12 seasons in the big leagues from 1989-2000 for four different teams and was named to the All-Star Game three times.
The right-hander was named MVP of the 1996 World Series after helping the New York Yankees defeat the Atlanta Braves in six games. He allowed one run with six strikeouts in 4.1 innings over five appearances in the series.
After retiring, Wetteland spent time as bullpen coach for the Washington Nationals for part of the 2006 season. He was also in the same role for the Seattle Mariners for two seasons in 2009-10.
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