World Series MVP pitcher John Wetteland is out on bond, accused in North Texas of continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14.
Wetteland, 52, who now lives in Trophy Club, was booked into the Denton County Jail Monday and posted a $25,000 bond the same day.
In a probable cause affidavit filed Jan. 15, the victim alleged that while between the ages of 4 and 6, from October 2004 to October 2006, three separate assaults took place. NBC 5 has a policy of protecting the identities of sexual assault victims, so the affidavit and further details about the allegations are not included in this article.
The former major leaguer has not issued a statement and it's not clear if he's obtained an attorney.
Wetteland played 12 seasons in the majors for the Rangers, Yankees, Expos and Dodgers before retiring in 2000. After winning a World Series in New York in 1996, where he was named the series MVP, he landed in Arlington where he spent the final four years of his career setting a team record of 150 saves.
His final game was on Sept. 20, 2000; at age 33, after his Rangers contract expired during the offseason, he retired from baseball. Wetteland was later inducted into the team's Hall of Fame in 2005.
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According to a biography published by the Seattle Mariners, Wetteland spent three seasons as a roving pitching coordinator for the Texas Rangers beginning in 2002. In 2006 he worked as a bullpen coach for the Washington Nationals before heading to Seattle for two seasons in 2009 and 2010.
Wetteland was hospitalized in 2009 after reportedly considering suicide, though he later said his hospitalization was due to his elevated blood pressure and heart rate and that it had been addressed.
In between MLB coaching gigs, Wetteland, a longtime born-again Christian, coached baseball and taught Bible studies at Liberty Christian School, in Argyle, from 2007 to 2008, according to a report in The Dallas Morning News. A vice president with the school told the paper Wetteland has had no association with the school since his departure.
Before joining the Rangers as a closer, Wetteland spent two seasons with the New York Yankees and three each with the Expos and Dodgers. The All-Star closed out his career with a record of 48-45, 330 saves, 804 strike-outs and a 2.93 ERA from 1989-2000.
Wetteland and his wife divorced in 2015. They have four children.
