Quick -- name three things you know about Vernon Wells.
You probably are aware the Blue Jays' center fielder has been trading the AL RBI lead on and off with teammate Carlos Delgado this season. Maybe you were one of the few who noticed him driving in 100 runs last year at age 23. If you knew he was the fifth player taken in the nation in the 1997 draft, you're either Mel Kiper's baseball-crazy cousin or one of ol' Vernon himself.
But beyond that Vernon Wells is a bit of a mystery. Though he plays outstanding defense, he isn't Torii Hunter making highlight-film catches every night. He isn't hit machine Rocco Baldelli, making the dreamiest of fans stop asking where Joe DiMaggio's gone. The guy doesn't even swear, cracking up his teammates with "Gosh darn it!" tirades in the dugout. But after last season's blossoming and this year's .300-11-48 start, Wells, a bright, well-spoken son of an football-playing artist, has quietly become the most productive center fielder in the American League -- and is only getting better.
I sat down with Wells this weekend in New York to talk about his ascent, self-described "huge schnozz" and complete inability to swear.
Question: Do you realize you're perhaps the league's best center fielder, or do you not look up long enough to take stock like that?
Wells: I know what I've done. I can't really compare myself to other guys in this league yet, guys who have done it year-in and year-out. It's just my second full season.
I think I learned a lot last year. I learned the pitchers' tendencies. I've worked hard in the offseason to continue to get better. I think hitting's just repetition. The more you hit, the better you're gonna get.
Question: Do you think of yourself as an RBI guy? Or as more of a line-drive, all-around player?
Wells: The RBI thing is kind of being put on me now. RBI -- it's a good stat to have, something that helps your team win. Two guys (Shannon Stewart and Frank Catalanotto) are on base in front of me every time I look up. And the guy behind me (Carlos Delgado), they don't want to deal with him. So I'm gonna see some pitches.
I think I'm a guy who loves to play defense. I have a great time in the outfield. I think it's fun robbing guys on hits -- there are plenty of times you're gonna be robbed as a hitter.
Question: Speaking of Carlos hitting behind you, last week Mark Buehrle walked you intentionally to get to him. I know that's a lefty-lefty thing, too, but how much of a compliment was that?
Wells: I was shocked -- absolutely shocked. I was walking up to the plate after Reed Johnson hit a double. I was thinking, even though it was a lefty, "They're not gonna walk me. No way." So I get in the box, and I hear a whistle from the dugout. They're walking me. I'm sitting there in the box, and I almost lost track of the pitches 'cause I was like, "What's going on here?" It was the first time and probably last time that will happen this year. I've never been walked intentionally before.
Question: You can hit for average and power, run and play defense. But can you swear?
Wells: (Laughs.) Never. I've learned over the years that you're gonna make outs in this game. It's inevitable. But I've been able to have a calming with myself. I have a family, a little baby, and I know that there's more to life than this game. I love this game, I cherish this game, but I've been able to harness whatever anger I have with the game and realize you always have another at-bat.
My teammates make fun about it. Maybe twice a year I'll slip and swear. (Eric) Hinske will just be in shock. But most of the time I'll come back to the dugout and say "Gosh darn it" or "Dang it" and they'll all laugh at me. It gets a laugh out of them and a laugh out of me, and kind of lightens up the whole situation. And I like watching them snap.
Question: What's the worst you've ever seen? You haven't been on a team with Paul O'Neill, so there's a limit here.
Wells: I've seen guys come in the dugout and flat-out wear out the bat rack, wear out the fountain. Right there. Or go up the tunnel and drop every f-bomb, s-bomb, everything you can think of. I get a kick out of it. It's just not for me.
Question: What's the coolest gadget that you bought after signing your long-term contract this spring?
Wells: I've been looking at stuff, but I can't pull the trigger. I don't know what the deal is. I've looked at those Sony Cliés. But we're buying a BMW 745. That's a huge gadget. You gotta take a class to learn how to work the whole computer system.
Question: Torii Hunter has so much energy, he's always bouncing around. Are you as calm inside as you seem outside?
Wells: I keep a lot of things inside. I don't like showing too much emotion. Early in the minor leagues, they wanted me to show more emotion, but it wasn't me. Torii's a fun guy to watch. He always has a good time, always has a smile on his face. I love hanging out with Torii. We worked out together one offseason. We had a great time. We'll probably work out this winter. We're similar in a lot of aspects, but he likes to clown around more than I do.
Question: Who's a better defensive player?
Wells: I've seen him make some unbelievable plays. If we get the exact same ball, who's to say whether I'm gonna have to dive for it and he'll get it standing up, or vice versa? I'll let everybody else make that comparison.
Question: For a few years, you were blocked by an outfield logjam with Shannon Stewart, Jose Cruz and Raul Mondesi here. Were you ever worried that you'd get stuck and lose a few years of your career?
Wells: A little bit. I made it up so early, so I was like, "OK, I'll be here from the age of 20." I was definitely ready, but I was still a young guy. I knew I could play at that level. They knew I could play at that level. It was just a matter of them moving a guy or two.
Question: Does anyone call you "Boomer"? I think there's a law, after Greg Wells and David Wells, that anyone in Toronto named Wells gets called Boomer.
Wells: It only comes up on the road. This one person in Chicago yells at me, "Hey, Boomer Wells! David Wells! I thought they traded you!" I turned to him and was like, "That's not even funny. Say something clever, I'll laugh. You gotta come up with something better than that."
Question: Hey, at least they didn't attack you or throw a cellphone.
Wells: Yeah, I'm kinda hesitant to say anything in Chicago. You never know if they're gonna come out of the stands at you.
Question: Your father played wide receiver at Texas Christian in the '70s and tried out with the Chiefs before playing in the CFL. Does he regale you with stories of d-backs he schooled?
Wells: He liked to talk trash. He had the big afro. That's most of what I know.
Question: Then he started his career painting, right?
Wells: Primarily athletes. He still does it. It pays the bills. He's done one for Torii that had him smiling and the actual Spider-Man on his chest, then him making the catch against Barry in the All-Star Game, with Ichiro next to the wall. It was pretty cool. The Giambis did one. Jeter and Alex have, too. The players pay him to do it. They can afford him.
Question: It paid off for you, too, in Little League.
Wells: When I was a kid, my dad would go to visiting clubhouses, especially where we were from in Arlington. He got to know Dave Stewart and Rickey Henderson and Dave Parker and some other guys on the A's. He'd take me with him. I got to be around that whole scene early. I got used to it. Every time the A's would come in I'd go in and have a good time with Dave Stewart.
Once I had a game one day while they were there, and Dave said he'd come. So I went back and told all my teammates, "Hey, Dave Stewart's coming! Dave Stewart's coming!" They're like, "Yeah, no way." So the first inning, he comes. And I end up hitting two home runs that day. Before you know it, he's my assistant general manager.
Question: Your dad is Vernon Wells Jr., and you're Vernon Wells III. You have a son, but named him "Jayce." What's the deal? Word has it he was going to be "Vernon IV," and you'd call him "Quad."
Wells: We talked about it, but I couldn't do that to him. I hate seeing my own name. Especially on the phone. It's a mess. I can't say my own name. I'm not a big fan of my name.
Question: How did your dad feel about this?
Wells: He agreed. He said, "Leave it at that." I guess my name was gonna be Michael Vernon Wells, and I came out and my dad saw my nose. He always says that my nose right now is the same size as it was when I was born. So he had to name me Vernon. He's got a big schnozz on him too.
Question: Back to this season, do you have a bet with Carlos over who will lead the league in RBI? He's three ahead of you now with 51.
Wells: I could, with the guys I have in front of me. He's pulled ahead of me and the guys joke about it. Maybe I'll stop getting on base and he won't have anybody to drive in.
Question: You could mess with him by doubling in Shannon or Frank and then getting yourself picked off while Carlos was up.
Wells: I have options. It can be done. But I told him yesterday, you lead the league in RBI and I'll lead in runs scored. I'd be perfectly happy with that.
Alan Schwarz is the senior writer of Baseball America magazine and a regular contributor to ESPN.com.