Wells’ home hits it out of the park
Ex-Blue Jays star selling a Texas-sized estate that touches all the bases
Eight years on and 2,000 kilometres away, former Blue Jay Vernon Wells still feels the love.
Toronto “holds a near and dear place in my heart,” Wells says on the phone from near Arlington, Texas. “It’s still my second home.”
The baseball star, who moved south in 2011 — the year he was traded to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim — recalls how Torontonians “welcomed me as their own and treated me like family” during his 11 years here.
The former centre-fielder now lives with his wife, Charlene, and sons Christian, 13, and Jayce,16, in a tony, custom-built home in the small town of Westlake, half an hour from Arlington.
But they’re pulling up stakes to be closer to the private Christian school the boys attend in Arlington. Wells, who does volunteer work and coaches baseball and football there, wants to eliminate the 60-minute round trip he drives up to three times a day.
So the for-sale sign is up on the Mediterranean-style mansion that he and Charlene built in 2010 “from the ground up,” deciding on every detail “all the way to the toilets.” (The house has nine bathrooms.)
When it comes to upmarket abodes designed for comfort and entertaining, the villa on almost two acres knocks it out of the park. And not just because of the indoor batting cage. “I’ve never seen such a spectacular backyard oasis,” marvels listing agent Alicia Chmielewski of Keller Williams Realty.
An oversized infinity pool with swim-up bar and spiral slide provides recreation for all ages while the surrounding loggia with brick pizza oven and fire pit fuels the fun factor. On one side, a sport court beckons the athletically inclined.
If all that activity under the Texas sun leaves one depleted or dishevelled, there’s a hair salon, massage room, sauna and steam room inside.
One of Wells’ favourite spaces is the entertainment wing, a “pretty unique area” comprising a media room, walk-around bar, arcade alcove and game room with pool table and displays of his trophies.
Wells, who began playing for the Jays in 1999, was a threetime all-star and three-time Gold Glove Award winner. He captured the 2003 Silver Slugger Award during a Major League Baseball career that ended in 2013 after one season with the New York Yankees.
He is also a longtime champion of children’s charities.
The family’s stone-clad, clay tile-roofed home has fulfilled their desire for “a comfortable place where people can relax and be themselves,” he says. “We love the house.”
So did the Los Angeles Angels, who sang its praises during a team party there. “Having teammates … comment on how stunning our house is, how comfortable it feels despite the size, and how well designed it is was a huge compliment,” he recalls. No doubt they took a few swings in the batting cage, a facility Christian and his friends have since claimed, according to Wells, who turned 40 on Dec. 8.
“The body doesn’t work the same as it used to,” the former star slugger reflects a tad ruefully. “But your mind still thinks you’re 23.”
These days, home plate has a whole other meaning for the host in a house that boasts two kitchens and stunning formal dining area.
It’s been a long journey for Wells who, at age 18, played for the minor-league St. Catharines Stompers after the Blue Jays made him their firstround draft pick in 1997.
“My professional baseball career started in Canada,” he notes with warmth in his voice. But the ex-Hogtowner runs hot and cold about his adopted home north of the border.
“I didn’t like the cold winters. But we enjoyed it when it got to 90 (Fahrenheit) and people were panicking.
“That’s a cool day in Texas,” he laughs.