Alan Wiggins
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Alan Anthony Wiggins (February 17, 1958 – January 6, 1991) was an American professional baseball player. He was a second baseman and outfielder in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres and Baltimore Orioles between 1981 and 1987. A speedy leadoff hitter, Wiggins had his best season with the pennant-winning Padres in 1984. He batted one slot ahead of Tony Gwynn in the lineup that year, and the pair's offensive production helped the Padres win the National League Championship Series (NLCS) and advance to the World Series.

Key Information

Wiggins grew up in California and attended Pasadena City College before being drafted by the California Angels in 1977. He played in the minor league systems of the Angels and the Los Angeles Dodgers, setting a professional baseball single-season record with 120 stolen bases in 1980. He made his major league debut with the San Diego Padres in 1981, and he became a regular player within two years. In 1983 he set the Padres' single-season stolen base record, a mark that he extended the following season. His 1984 stolen base total (70) is still a team record as of the start of the 2026 season.

During his major league career, Wiggins struggled with drug addiction, which resulted in several arrests and suspensions from baseball. His drug problems prompted a 1985 trade from San Diego to Baltimore, where Wiggins spent three seasons. After leaving baseball, he was diagnosed with AIDS, and he was the first MLB player known to die of the disease. Long after his death, two of his children, Candice and Alan Jr., became professional basketball players.

Early life

[edit]

Wiggins was born in Los Angeles, California,[1] and his mother, Karla Wiggins, raised him as a single mother. As a child, he played baseball with his friends at a park across from the Rose Bowl, and he was a fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers and their base-stealing shortstop, Maury Wills.[2][3] Wiggins graduated from John Muir High School in Pasadena, California,[a] which was also the alma mater of Dodgers star Jackie Robinson. Gib Bodet, a scout for the Montreal Expos, noticed Wiggins in high school. Wiggins was 6 feet 2 inches (188 cm) tall, which was taller than a typical infielder. He was only an average hitter and fielder, but his speed stood out to Bodet.[6]

The California Angels selected Wiggins as the eighth overall pick of the January 1977 MLB amateur draft.[7] In 1977 Wiggins played junior college baseball at Pasadena City College, where he was a teammate of future major leaguers Matt Young and Rod Booker.[8] Bodet, who had moved to the Angels scouting staff just before the draft, joined other Angels staff members and worked out with Wiggins after the team selected him. Angels coach Bob Clear told Wiggins that his excellent speed would help him to a high batting average even if his hitting skills were not that strong: "If you can hit .200, you can run the other eighty points. And if you can hit .280, you can lead off for anybody."[6] Wiggins signed with the Angels in May for $2,500 after what Bodet described as "a tough negotiation".[6][9] According to Bodet, Wiggins's mother "did not trust easily".[6]

Baseball career

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Early career

[edit]

Wiggins played minor league baseball in 1977 for the Angels rookie-league affiliate in Idaho Falls, where he hit .271 and had 25 stolen bases in 63 games. In 1978, with the Class A Quad Cities Angels, Wiggins stole 26 bases in 49 games, but his batting average fell to .201.[10] Following a mid-season fight with one of his coaches, he was released by the Angels organization in June 1978.[b] Wiggins feared that his career was near its end, but he reached out to Los Angeles Dodgers scout Gail Henley. After a workout in front of the Dodgers and manager Tommy Lasorda, Wiggins signed with the team before the 1979 season, receiving an invitation to spring training and then being assigned to the team's Class A affiliate, the Clinton Dodgers.[2]

In 95 games for Clinton, Wiggins hit .257, stole 43 bases, and converted to a shortstop after spending the previous two seasons as a second baseman. He also appeared in the outfield and at all three of the other infield positions for Clinton.[10] Playing with the Class A Lodi Dodgers of the California League in 1980, Wiggins batted .288 and scored 108 runs while stealing 120 bases in just 135 games.[11] He established a professional baseball single-season steals record,[c] surpassing the previous minor league mark of 116 set by Allan Lewis in 1966,[11][13] as well as Lou Brock's major league record of 118 in 1974.[14][15]

After the 1980 season, Wiggins's fourth year in the minor leagues, he was eligible to be selected by other teams in that year's Rule 5 draft. The Rule 5 draft is a procedure that stops teams from hoarding young players in the minor leagues when those players might be able to make it to the major leagues with other organizations. A team can protect a player from the Rule 5 draft by adding him to its major league roster.[16] The Dodgers decided not to protect Wiggins, and since he had once caught the eye of San Diego Padres general manager Jack McKeon, the Padres selected him in the draft.[3][17] Padres officials later said that they knew Wiggins had been arrested for possession of marijuana while with the Dodgers. "It was known in our organization that he had a problem in the Dodger organization. They didn't want a part of it," Padres manager Dick Williams said.[3]

San Diego Padres

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After having spent most of his minor league career as an infielder, he was used almost exclusively as an outfielder with the Hawaii Islanders of the Pacific Coast League in 1981.[10] He batted .302 with 73 steals,[14] and received a September call-up to the major leagues as an outfielder. In his first stint with the Padres, he got five hits in 14 at bats.[4] Wiggins began the following season with the Islanders,[10] but he was called up again by the Padres in early May to replace injured outfielder Gene Richards.[18] Wiggins was leading San Diego with 29 stolen bases in 59 games when he was arrested for possession of cocaine in July.[18] He was issued a 30-day suspension from baseball, and spent a month in a substance abuse treatment facility.[19] The Padres, who were one of the first sports teams to offer an employee assistance program to players, paid for all of his treatment,[20] and he returned to the team in September.[21] By 1983 Wiggins had become a regular in the Padres lineup, batting in the leadoff spot and playing in the outfield for most of the season.[4][3][22] He was exceptional on defense in left field, hit .276 and stole 66 bases.[23] He was moved to first base for the last 45 games of the year after Steve Garvey suffered a broken thumb.[24] Wiggins's stolen base total broke the single-season team record of 61 set by Richards in 1980.[3][22] Wiggins was named the team's most valuable player that season.[3]

Wiggins was moved to second base in 1984, making room for rookie Carmelo Martínez in the outfield.[25] Until that season, Martínez had been a first baseman, but the Padres already had a strong player there with Garvey, and they wanted to get Martínez into the lineup to improve their outfield's home run production.[23][26] Wiggins retained the leadoff spot in the lineup, hitting ahead of Tony Gwynn.[27] On May 17, Wiggins became the fifth 20th-century MLB player to steal five bases in one game, tying a National League (NL) record.[28] During an August game, Wiggins unwittingly became a party to a series of fights between the Padres and Atlanta Braves when he was hit with the game's first pitch by Braves pitcher Pascual Pérez. The teams retaliated against each other throughout the game with brushback pitches and beanballs, and the resulting brawls led to thirteen ejections and even the arrests of five fans who became involved in the fighting.[29]

Man wearing gray jacket, tie, and sunglasses with his left arm raised
Manager Dick Williams said that Wiggins was the league's most valuable player in 1984.

On the season, Wiggins scored 106 runs, stole 70 bases and led the league with 391 putouts.[30] His stolen bases total stands as a Padres single-season record as of the end of the 2023 season.[31] Benefitting from the higher number of fastballs opposing pitchers threw in response to Wiggins's speed,[32] Gwynn batted above .400 when his speedy teammate was on base, and hit .351 overall for the first of his eight career batting titles.[33][34] The duo was one of the biggest reasons behind San Diego's success.[35] The team could score quickly with Wiggins getting on first, stealing second, and scoring on a hit by Gwynn.[36] Wiggins batted .316 in the 1984 NLCS against the Chicago Cubs, going two-for-three with two runs scored in the fifth and deciding game.[37] In the 1984 World Series against the Detroit Tigers, which the Padres lost in five games, Wiggins batted .364 and scored twice. His eight hits were the most of any Padres player in the series.[38] According to manager Dick Williams, Wiggins was "absolutely the most valuable player in the National League in 1984".[39] "Alan Wiggins' role in bringing San Diego the 1984 National League championship wasn't put into proper perspective until the Padres tried to defend their title without him," sportswriter Phil Collier later wrote.[40]

Before the 1985 season, the Padres signed Wiggins to a four-year contract extension worth nearly $3 million. His agent described him as one of the highest-paid NL second basemen.[41] Wiggins missed the last two weeks of spring training after injuring his knee during a double-play attempt on defense when a baserunner slid into him. He was unavailable for the start of the season, but returned to the lineup after being out for five games.[42] Wiggins was batting .054 and was without a stolen base two weeks into the season when he was suspended by the Padres following a relapse into cocaine dependency.[43] After Wiggins completed a drug rehabilitation program, the Padres did not want to reactivate him, but baseball's joint review board cleared him to return to play. In June, Donald Fehr of the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) announced that he intended to file a grievance against the Padres if they did not promptly activate Wiggins. The Padres sought to trade Wiggins and the Baltimore Orioles showed interest, but as the trade deadline approached, the Orioles were reportedly only offering two minor league players in exchange for him.[44]

On June 27, 1985, Wiggins was traded to the Orioles for pitchers Roy Lee Jackson and Richard Caldwell.[24] Padres owner Joan Kroc said that the team had warned Wiggins that he would not remain with the team if he had further problems with drugs. She stated that it would have been self-serving to keep Wiggins after his relapse when he could instead pursue a fresh start with another team.[45] Nonetheless, Gwynn felt that Wiggins had been shortchanged by the Padres.[45]

Baltimore Orioles

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Wiggins spent a few days in the minor leagues before being called up to Baltimore. In his first game with the Orioles, he started at second base and was the team's leadoff hitter, reaching base three times, driving in a run and scoring a run. After the game, Wiggins commented that he felt welcome on the team and did not feel like he was starting out with anything to prove.[46] In 76 games for Baltimore that year, he hit .285, scored 43 runs and finished eighth in the American League with 30 stolen bases.[4] Baltimore fans felt that Wiggins was lazy, as he often stopped running to first base on ground balls and showed a lack of effort on defense.[47] He spent much of his time alone and did not talk to his teammates for much of the season.[39]

Wiggins later said that he had been depressed because he missed his wife and children, who were still living in San Diego.[47] His family moved to a suburb of Baltimore before the 1986 season, but Wiggins still struggled to win over Orioles fans and teammates. When the team asked him to field extra ground balls during spring training, he complied but did so sluggishly. Later in the year, he angered Cal Ripken Jr. when he threw a bat in frustration and the bat struck Ripken in the dugout. In June, Wiggins was tagged out with the hidden ball trick, and he made three errors the next day, including two in the same inning. After the two-error inning, Baltimore fans booed as his picture was revealed on the scoreboard during a "Who Am I" feature at the ballpark. Wiggins was frustrated by the fan response because he had relatives at the game that day. Manager Earl Weaver understood why Wiggins was upset over the timing of the scoreboard feature, but he said that Wiggins "had more chances than anyone who ever wore an Orioles' uniform".[39] He batted .251 with 21 stolen bases and 30 runs scored, played only 71 games, and was reassigned to the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings at one point in the season.[10]

The following season, Cal Ripken Sr. replaced Weaver as manager of the Orioles. Baltimore signed Rick Burleson to play second base and Ray Knight to play third base. The moves seemed to leave Wiggins battling for an outfield spot, but after he hit .413 during spring training, Ripken suggested that he might use Wiggins as a utility player. Just before the season started, Wiggins said he was not happy with Ripken's idea of using him in a utility role, feeling that his spring performance should have secured him a starting position. He believed that he could be an asset in the leadoff batting slot.[48]

At the start of the 1987 regular season, Wiggins spent some time as a designated hitter (DH) and shared second base duties with Burleson.[49][50] Rookie second baseman Billy Ripken joined the club on July 10. Burleson was cut, but general manager Hank Peters said, "We're not bringing [Billy Ripken] up here to sit on the bench."[51] Wiggins was hitting .242 on July 10, and he played mostly DH after the rookie's arrival.[49] In early August, Wiggins received a three-day suspension after he got into an altercation with teammate Jim Dwyer and grabbed the shirt of Ripken Sr.[52]

On September 1, MLB indefinitely suspended Wiggins for a behavior issue, and an anonymous Orioles official told the media that the suspension resulted from a positive drug screen.[53] Wiggins was released from the Orioles on September 29 and the team had to pay him two-thirds of his $800,000 salary for 1988.[54] MLBPA officials announced that they would not issue grievances related to Wiggins's suspension and subsequent release, noting that Wiggins wanted to be released by that point.[55]

Later years

[edit]
Baseball player Tony Gwynn swinging a bat
Tony Gwynn, Wiggins's teammate and friend on the Padres

Though Wiggins did not give up hope for a return to baseball, he began to study the real estate market after his suspension from the game. In the late 1980s, Wiggins started to suffer from health difficulties related to AIDS, though the diagnosis was not publicly disclosed while he was alive. He was receiving deferred payments from his baseball career, and he began to make plans for the financial future of his children.[3] He told one of his former teammates that he was getting into computer work.[56]

Gwynn said that he had seen Wiggins in spring 1990 and was struck by his visible weight loss.[17]

In his final months, he sold his home in Poway, California and moved to Pasadena. Though he often stayed with friends, some of his longtime friends felt that he died in seclusion, embarrassed by what had happened with his life.[3]

Death

[edit]

In November 1990, Wiggins was hospitalized with pneumonia and tuberculosis at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Wiggins stated that he had contracted HIV via intravenous drug use.[57] After lapsing in and out of consciousness for a month, he died at the hospital on January 6, 1991.[58]

Wiggins's family initially attributed his death to lung cancer that had led to respiratory failure.[59] Family members said that he had gotten sick with a cough and that his condition had worsened quickly.[17] Wiggins weighed under 75 pounds (34 kg) at the time of his death. Several days after Wiggins died, a physician disclosed that his health problems were complications of AIDS.[58] He became the first baseball player known to have died from AIDS.[60]

After Wiggins died, longtime Oriole Frank Robinson said, "He was a very bright individual, and you could like the guy. But there was always something there to back you off." Former Padres player Garry Templeton said that he might have been Wiggins's closest friend, but said that he did not know that Wiggins had been ill.[56] Wiggins is buried at Rose Hills Memorial Park in Whittier, California.[1]

Personal life

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Wiggins met his wife Angela when they were in junior high school; they both graduated from John Muir High School.[61] The Los Angeles Times reported that Wiggins had experienced marital strife, but that he would not entertain the thought of divorce; he wanted to ensure that his children did not grow up in a single-parent household as he had.[3] Two of Wiggins's three children became professional basketball players. Candice, an All-American at Stanford University, joined the Minnesota Lynx as the third overall pick in the 2008 WNBA draft. She has served as a spokesperson for the Greater Than AIDS campaign.[62] Alan Jr. played at the University of San Francisco and professionally in several countries.[63] His oldest daughter, Cassandra, played college basketball at New York University.[64]

Wiggins and his mother were very close, and her 1983 Alzheimer's disease diagnosis may have contributed to his drug problems. He was devastated that she would not be able to enjoy his success in the major leagues. In the last few years of Wiggins's life, he enjoyed a closer relationship with his father, Albert, and he often took his children on visits to see their grandfather. Wiggins had a very difficult time with his father's death in May 1990.[3]

The Orioles once gave an IQ test, and Wiggins scored higher than everyone except for Weaver. Wiggins's agent, Tony Attanasio, said that Wiggins's intelligence had caused problems in his relationships with teammates. He said that Wiggins had always been reserved and had a difficult time trusting other people.[3] Wiggins enjoyed stubbornly engaging in debates with his teammates, particularly Padres pitcher Eric Show, just to provoke reactions from them. He liked to read books and newspapers, and his teammates were turned off by these displays of his intellect. According to Attanasio, players in Baltimore also resented Wiggins because he replaced Rich Dauer, who had been a well-liked member of the team.[17][58] Lee Lacy was one of Wiggins's few friends on the Orioles. Tony Gwynn suggested that Wiggins was sometimes misunderstood. "To not like Alan Wiggins, is to not know Alan Wiggins," Gwynn said.[3]

Notes

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References

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Alan Wiggins

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Alan Wiggins (February 17, 1958 – January 6, 1991) was an American professional baseball second baseman renowned for his exceptional speed and base-stealing ability, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres and Baltimore Orioles from 1981 to 1987.[1][2] Born in Los Angeles, California, Wiggins overcame a challenging early life marked by his parents' divorce to excel in baseball at Pasadena City College, where he was drafted by the California Angels in the first round (eighth overall) of the 1977 MLB Draft.[1] Wiggins' MLB career highlighted his role as a leadoff hitter and dynamic infielder, amassing 242 stolen bases over seven seasons with a career batting average of .259, five home runs, and 118 RBIs.[2] His breakout year came in 1984 with the Padres, when he batted .258, led the National League (NL) with 70 stolen bases, scored 106 runs, and played every inning of the team's pennant-winning season, earning 16th place in NL Most Valuable Player voting.[1][2] In the postseason, he hit .316 in the NL Championship Series against the Chicago Cubs and .364 in the World Series against the Detroit Tigers, contributing significantly to the Padres' first-ever NL pennant.[2] Traded to the Orioles in June 1985 amid a four-year, $2.5 million contract, Wiggins continued to steal bases effectively, including 46 in 1986, but his production declined due to injuries and personal issues.[1] Despite his on-field success, Wiggins' career was overshadowed by battles with drug addiction, beginning with marijuana arrests in the minors in 1980 and 1981, followed by a cocaine-related suspension in 1982 that sidelined him for 30 days.[1] He relapsed in 1985, leading to further suspensions, including a 1987 ban for failing a drug test and fighting in the clubhouse, which ended his MLB tenure after his release by Baltimore.[1] Married to Angie McKenzie, Wiggins was the father of three children—including basketball stars Alan Jr. and Candice—who later honored his memory through their athletic achievements.[1] In his final years, he lived reclusively in Pasadena, pursuing interests like real estate and golf, before succumbing to AIDS-related complications, including pneumonia and tuberculosis contracted through intravenous drug use, at age 32.[3][1]

Early Life

Family Background

Alan Wiggins was born on February 17, 1958, in Pasadena, California, to Albert Wiggins and Karla Wiggins.[1] His parents divorced when he was only one year old, leaving Karla to raise him as a single mother in nearby Altadena.[1][3] Wiggins grew up alongside his two brothers, Donald and Kenneth, in a household shaped by his mother's determination amid financial and emotional challenges following the divorce.[1][3] The absence of his father, Albert, fostered a deep resentment in young Alan, who later sought to reconcile with him in adulthood; the two grew closer in the years before Albert's death from cancer in May 1990.[3] Karla's health declined in the 1980s when she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease around 1983, adding further strain to the family dynamics.[3] This family environment, marked by early separation and single-parent upbringing in a racially tense Pasadena area, influenced Wiggins' development, instilling both resilience and a sense of isolation that echoed through his life.[1]

Education and Amateur Baseball

Alan Wiggins attended John Muir High School in Pasadena, California, graduating in the mid-1970s after being assigned there through a busing program for school integration.[1] During his time at John Muir, Wiggins played baseball for a couple of successful seasons in the early 1970s, showcasing his speed and athletic potential on the field.[1] The school was notably the alma mater of baseball legend Jackie Robinson, adding a layer of historical significance to Wiggins' early development in the sport.[1] After high school, Wiggins enrolled at Pasadena City College (PCC) in 1976, where he continued to play baseball, again following in Robinson's footsteps as the college had been a key stop in the icon's amateur journey.[1] At PCC, Wiggins honed his skills as a versatile infielder and outfielder, drawing attention from professional scouts with his base-stealing ability and agility.[2] His standout performance during the 1976-1977 season at the junior college level positioned him as a top prospect.[1] Wiggins' amateur career culminated in the 1977 MLB January Draft, where he was selected by the California Angels as the 8th overall pick out of PCC, recognizing his potential as a dynamic player.[2] He signed his first professional contract for $2,500 in May 1977, shortly after completing his college season, marking the transition from his amateur roots to professional baseball.[1]

Professional Career

Minor Leagues

Alan Wiggins began his professional baseball career after being selected by the California Angels in the first round (eighth overall) of the January 1977 regular phase amateur draft out of Pasadena City College.[1] He signed for a modest bonus of $2,500 and was assigned to the rookie-level Idaho Falls Angels in the Pioneer League, where he played second base in 63 games, batting .271 with 25 stolen bases.[1][4] In 1978, Wiggins advanced to the Class A Quad Cities Angels in the Midwest League but struggled offensively, hitting just .201 with 26 stolen bases over 49 games before being released midseason following a physical altercation with his manager.[1] As a free agent, he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers organization and transitioned to shortstop for the Class A Clinton Dodgers in the Midwest League in 1979, where he batted .257 with 43 stolen bases in 95 games, showing improved speed and plate discipline.[1][5] The following year, 1980, marked a breakout season at the advanced Class A Lodi Dodgers in the California League; Wiggins hit .288, scored 108 runs, and set a professional baseball single-season record with 120 stolen bases over 135 games, demonstrating elite baserunning ability that drew widespread attention.[1][5] Following the 1980 season, the San Diego Padres selected Wiggins in the Rule 5 draft from the Dodgers for $25,000, requiring him to remain on their major league roster or be offered back.[1] He spent 1981 honing his skills at the Triple-A Hawaii Islanders in the Pacific Coast League, batting .302 with 73 stolen bases in 133 games while learning to play the outfield to increase his versatility.[1][4] In 1982, Wiggins returned to Hawaii for a partial season, hitting .312 with 21 stolen bases in 19 games before earning a major league call-up in May.[4][5] Wiggins' minor league career resumed in 1985 after personal challenges, including a midseason trade from the Padres to the Baltimore Orioles on June 27 in exchange for pitcher Roy Lee Jackson and a player to be named later.[1] He played briefly for the Triple-A Las Vegas Stars (Padres affiliate), batting .250 in two games, before joining the Orioles' Triple-A Rochester Red Wings, where he hit .182 in six games.[5] In 1986, Wiggins appeared in 17 games for Rochester, batting .205 with three stolen bases, marking the end of his minor league tenure as he transitioned back to the majors briefly before retiring.[4][5]
YearTeam (Affiliate)LevelAVGHRRBISBG
1977Idaho Falls Angels (CAL)Rk.2711232563
1978Quad Cities Angels (CAL)A.2011122649
1979Clinton Dodgers (LAD)A.2570274395
1980Lodi Dodgers (LAD)A+.288036120135
1981Hawaii Islanders (SDP)AAA.30203373133
1982Hawaii Islanders (SDP)AAA.312142119
1985Las Vegas Stars (SDP)AAA.2500102
1985Rochester Red Wings (BAL)AAA.1820116
1986Rochester Red Wings (BAL)AAA.20503317
Table: Summary of Wiggins' minor league batting statistics. Source: Baseball-Reference.[4]

San Diego Padres

Alan Wiggins joined the San Diego Padres via the Rule 5 draft on December 8, 1980, when the team selected him from the Los Angeles Dodgers' organization for $25,000, despite his prior marijuana-related arrest.[1] He made his major league debut with the Padres on September 2, 1981, appearing in 15 games that season and batting .357 in limited action with 14 at-bats.[2] In 1982, Wiggins transitioned to a more prominent role, playing in 72 games primarily as an outfielder and second baseman, where he hit .256 with 33 stolen bases, though he faced a 30-day suspension for cocaine use that June.[1][2] By 1983, Wiggins had established himself as the Padres' everyday leadoff hitter and versatile infielder, appearing in 144 games across second base, shortstop, third base, and the outfield. He batted .276 with 139 hits, 83 runs scored, and a franchise-record 66 stolen bases, earning him the team's MVP award.[1][2] His speed and on-base skills set the table for the lineup, and he ranked third in the National League with 16 sacrifice hits that year.[2][6] Wiggins' base-running prowess became a cornerstone of the Padres' offense, helping to ignite rallies despite defensive inconsistencies. Wiggins' standout season came in 1984, when he solidified his position at second base and played all 162 games, batting .258 with 154 hits, 106 runs scored (second in the NL), and a new Padres single-season record of 70 stolen bases (third in the NL).[2][7] His 70 thefts remain the franchise record, and his 106 runs tied a team mark while ranking second league-wide, contributing significantly to the Padres' first National League pennant.[8] As the leadoff man ahead of Tony Gwynn, Wiggins drew 75 walks and posted a .342 on-base percentage, facilitating Gwynn's .351 batting average and the team's dynamic running game under manager Dick Williams, who called Wiggins the NL's most valuable player that year.[1] In the postseason, he batted .341 across the NLCS and World Series, going 14-for-41 with one stolen base to help San Diego reach the Fall Classic for the first time.[2] Despite 32 errors at second base, his offensive spark was pivotal to the division-winning campaign.[1] Wiggins' tenure ended abruptly in 1985 amid personal struggles; a knee injury sidelined him early, and he appeared in just 10 games, batting .054 before being traded to the Baltimore Orioles on June 27 for pitcher Roy Lee Jackson and a player to be named later.[1][2] Over his five seasons with San Diego, he played 403 games, batting .259 with 233 runs, 366 hits, and 171 stolen bases, leaving a legacy as a speedy catalyst for the 1984 championship team despite off-field challenges.[2]

Baltimore Orioles

Alan Wiggins was traded to the Baltimore Orioles from the San Diego Padres on June 27, 1985, in exchange for pitcher Roy Lee Jackson and a player to be named later (Rich Caldwell).[9] The deal came amid Wiggins' ongoing struggles with cocaine addiction, following a second suspension and rehabilitation stint earlier that year.[10] He made his American League debut on July 5, 1985, against the Kansas City Royals, starting at second base as the leadoff hitter; in that game, he recorded one hit in three at-bats, drew a walk, stole a base, scored a run, and drove in one RBI, contributing to a 6-3 Orioles victory.[11] In his first full season with Baltimore in 1985, Wiggins appeared in 76 games, primarily at second base, batting .285 with an on-base percentage of .353 and stealing 30 bases—showcasing his signature speed despite limited playing time due to his midseason arrival.[2] His performance provided a spark to the Orioles' offense, which finished second in the American League East with 98 wins, though they fell short of the playoffs.[12] However, Wiggins' tenure was marred by inconsistent effort and defensive lapses, drawing criticism from fans and media; he committed 12 errors in 1985 alone.[10] Wiggins' production declined in subsequent years. In 1986, he played 71 games, hitting .251 with 21 stolen bases but posting a low slugging percentage of .272 and struggling with injuries.[13] By 1987, his batting average dropped to .232 over 85 games, with 20 stolen bases but only one home run and persistent issues with focus and reliability.[13] Relapses into substance abuse exacerbated these challenges, leading to an altercation with a teammate in July 1987 and an indefinite suspension on September 1 after failing a drug test.[10] The Orioles released him on September 29, 1987, effectively ending his major league career at age 29.[2] Over three seasons in Baltimore, Wiggins batted .257 with 71 stolen bases in 232 games, but his time there highlighted the toll of personal demons on his once-promising talent.[2]

Post-Retirement Life

Business Ventures

Following his release from the Baltimore Orioles in 1987, Alan Wiggins turned his attention to the real estate market as a potential career path outside of baseball. He immersed himself in research, frequently visiting libraries in San Diego to study zoning laws and market trends, demonstrating a proactive approach to building financial stability for his family. Wiggins also managed deferred compensation from his MLB career, receiving $100,000 annually for seven years followed by a $1 million lump sum.[3] In June 1988, Wiggins applied his knowledge by purchasing a home in the Rancho Peñasquitos neighborhood of San Diego for $414,000. He sold the property approximately two years later, in July 1990, for $657,500, realizing a significant profit that underscored the viability of his real estate interests amid his ongoing health challenges.[3] This venture represented one of his primary post-retirement endeavors, though his declining health limited further pursuits in the field.

Health Decline and Death

In the years following his retirement from Major League Baseball in 1987, Alan Wiggins' health deteriorated due to complications from AIDS, a condition he had been battling for approximately three years prior to his death.[3] His decline was marked by significant weight loss, dropping to under 75 pounds, as well as episodes of depression and increasing isolation, exacerbated by ongoing personal struggles.[3] Wiggins, who had contracted HIV through intravenous drug use linked to his cocaine addiction, became one of the earliest high-profile cases in sports, though the full extent of his illness remained private during his lifetime.[1] On November 29, 1990, Wiggins was admitted to the emergency room at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, presenting with severe coughing, difficulty breathing, and pneumonia.[3] He remained hospitalized for 37 days, drifting in and out of consciousness as his condition worsened, complicated by tuberculosis.[3][1] Medical staff noted his frail state, and despite treatment, his immune system, severely compromised by AIDS, could not recover.[14] Wiggins died on January 6, 1991, at the age of 32, from AIDS-related complications, including pneumonia and tuberculosis, making him the first known Major League Baseball player to succumb to the disease.[3][1] His death was confirmed by his physician, though the family initially withheld public details about the cause to maintain privacy.[3] He was buried at Rose Hills Memorial Park.[3] The event drew somber reflection from former teammates and underscored the era's limited awareness and stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS in professional athletics.[1]

Personal Life and Legacy

Family and Relationships

Alan Wiggins married Angela "Angie" McKenzie in 1981 after knowing her since junior high school.[1] The couple faced marital difficulties amid Wiggins' struggles with drug addiction, but he resisted suggestions of divorce, emphasizing the importance of his children having both parents present, influenced by his own experience growing up without a father.[3] Angie remained supportive after his death, raising their three children while highlighting his positive qualities to them.[1] Wiggins and Angie had three children: daughters Cassandra and Candice, and son Alan Jr.[15] Cassandra, the eldest, earned a basketball scholarship at New York University and later worked as an independent sports professional in Los Angeles.[1][16] Alan Jr. played professional basketball overseas, including in Europe and Australia until at least 2018, following a college scholarship at the University of San Francisco.[1][17] Candice became a four-time All-American at Stanford University, enjoyed an eight-year career in the WNBA, and was inducted into the Breitbard Hall of Fame in 2017; she later worked with the AIDS awareness organization Until There's a Cure and as of 2023, serves as Director of Basketball for the Girls Chair in the Southern Pacific Region of AAU Basketball.[1][18] Wiggins was born to Albert and Karla Wiggins in Pasadena, California, on February 17, 1958; his parents divorced when he was one year old.[1] He was raised by his single mother in Altadena alongside his older brother Donald.[1] Karla died of Alzheimer's disease around 1983, while Albert passed from cancer in May 1990.[3] In the later years of his life, Wiggins reconciled and grew closer to his father, frequently bringing his children to visit him.[3] He also maintained bonds with brothers Donald and Kenneth, the latter of whom helped admit him to the hospital during his final illness.[3]

Struggles with Addiction and Impact on MLB

Alan Wiggins' professional baseball career was profoundly disrupted by his struggles with cocaine addiction, which began manifesting in the early 1980s and led to multiple arrests, suspensions, and a premature end to his MLB tenure.[1] His issues first came to public attention in June 1980, when he was arrested for marijuana possession while playing for the California Angels' Double-A affiliate in Lodi.[1] This was followed by another marijuana arrest in 1981 during his time with the Hawaii Islanders, the Padres' Triple-A affiliate.[1] By 1982, Wiggins' addiction had escalated to cocaine, resulting in his arrest on July 21 for possession outside a San Diego nightclub; MLB Commissioner Bowie Kuhn subsequently suspended him for 30 days, and he entered rehabilitation at the Orange County Rehabilitation Center from August 20 to September 19.[1][3] Despite a standout 1984 season with the San Diego Padres—where he batted .258, scored 106 runs, and stole 70 bases, contributing significantly to the team's National League pennant—Wiggins relapsed in early 1985, checking into a Minnesota rehabilitation facility in April and missing the start of the season.[1][3] The Padres released him on April 25, 1985, after he failed to appear for a game, prompting a trade to the Baltimore Orioles on July 27.[3] In Baltimore, his performance declined sharply amid ongoing addiction issues, fan criticism, and inconsistent effort; he appeared in 108 games in 1985 but batted only .250 with diminished speed and reliability.[1] A one-year suspension from the Padres in May 1985 for another relapse further eroded his standing, though he was reinstated after treatment.[19] Wiggins' final suspension came on September 1, 1987, when MLB Commissioner Peter Ueberroth indefinitely suspended him after he failed a drug test, following a three-day team suspension by the Orioles for fighting in the clubhouse, effectively ending his MLB career at age 29; he was released by the team on September 29.[1] Over seven seasons, his addiction limited him to 683 games, preventing him from fulfilling his potential as a leadoff hitter and base stealer who had amassed 242 stolen bases.[1] Teammates and managers, including Dick Williams, later reflected that without Wiggins' drug problems, the 1984 Padres might have achieved even greater success in the World Series.[3] Wiggins' case exemplified the widespread cocaine epidemic plaguing MLB in the 1980s, contributing to heightened scrutiny and reforms in the league's drug policies.[20] His 1985 suspension coincided with the Pittsburgh drug trials, where testimony from players like Keith Hernandez exposed cocaine use among dozens of athletes, including Wiggins among those implicated in the era's scandals.[20] In response, Commissioner Peter Ueberroth implemented mandatory drug testing for minor leaguers, staff, and owners in May 1985, and following the trials, 21 players—including Wiggins' contemporaries—faced suspensions, fines, and community service in 1986, marking the first league-wide disciplinary actions for drug use.[20] These measures, though initially resisted by the players' union, laid the groundwork for MLB's evolving drug prevention programs, underscoring how individual tragedies like Wiggins' accelerated efforts to address substance abuse in professional baseball.[20]
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