This is Baseball Bahamas
Wilfred Wil Culmer
Preserving the Rich History of Baseball in the Bahamas
Wilfred Wil Culmer, known by his friends as “Sudgy,” was always the biggest preson amongst his peers.
Culmer a junior 100-meter sprinter for the Island of the Bahamas, had blazing speed for his size. He started
playing baseball locally, before heading off to play college baseball at Capola State College Florida along
with his cousin Etienne Farquarson Sr.
In 1978, Wil Culmer was signed by the Philadelphia Phillies to play in the minor leagues of baseball with the
Helena Phillies of the Pioneer Rookie League.
1978 Helena Phillies
Wilfred Culmer played on a rookie team that was loaded with players who turned out to be MVPs and All-Stars. The likes of
George Bell and Ryan Sandberg who went on to become MLB household names. As for Culmer, his route to the major league
took a different road that involved him being traded to the Cleveland Indians. Culmer made it to the Major Leagues of Baseball
in 1983, where he played in seven games before he was sent back down to triple-A. He played one more year in the minors before
leaving the game and returning home to the Islands of the Bahamas.
The 1978 Helena Phillies were the first local minor league baseball team since the
early 1900s. Future MLB Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg is standing in back row, third
from right. Photo provided: Read Story
