Museum of Nebraska MLB HOF Website
SEWARD, Neb. – As announced on June 21, Concordia University Nebraska alum Terry Wetzel has been chosen for induction into the Museum of Nebraska Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. During a distinguished career in Major League Baseball, Wetzel has earned numerous awards, including the 2022 Art Steward Award given to the Kansas City Royals organization most outstanding scout. Wetzel is currently in his second season with the Royals after rejoining the organization in October 2021.
Terry will be the Grand Marshall for the GCA Days Parade on July 8 and will be formally inducted into the museum’s hall of fame immediately following the parade.
From the Museum of Nebraska MLB HOF release: Born (1957) and raised in Grand Island, Neb., Terry Wetzel has always had a love and passion for baseball by playing Little League and American Legion Baseball. Terry graduated from Grand Island Senior High (1975) and attended Concordia University where he earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Mathematics. He went on to Valparaiso University where he earned his Master’s Degree in Education Psychology. He taught and coached in Ohio, Indiana and Texas.
Prior to returning to the Royals, Wetzel spent six years as a Special Assistant to the President of Baseball Operations and General Manager with the Washington Nationals, including their 2019 World Series-winning season. During his 39-year scouting career, Wetzel has been honored with several awards, including the 1993 Kansas City Royals Ewing M. Kauffman Scout of the Year Award, the 2000 TOPPS Scout of the Year Award, and the 2003 Colorado Rockies Pat Daugherty Scout of the Year Award.
While at Concordia, Wetzel served as a captain for conference championship swimming teams of 1977-78 and 1978-79. Wetzel appeared on the Concordia campus in 2015 when those swimming teams were inducted into the Concordia Athletic Hall of Fame. Below is a list of some of the other major awards Wetzel has accumulated during his career:
· 1993 Ewing Kauffman “Scout of the Year Award” – Kansas City Royals Baseball Club
· 2000 “Topps Scout of the Year” – Topps Baseball Card Company
· 2003 “Pat Dougherty Scout of the Year Award” – Colorado Rockies Baseball Club
· 2011 Inducted into the Texas Baseball Scouts Association Hall of Fame
· 2014 Inducted into the Midwest Baseball Scouts Association Hall of Fame
· 2018 Inducted into the Major League Baseball Professional Baseball Scouts Hall of Fame
· 2022 “Art Stewart Scout of the Year Award” – Kansas City Royals Baseball Club
· 2023 Inducted into the Museum of Nebraska Major League Baseball Hall of Fame
This feature article from 2018 explains how Wetzel got into professional baseball following his collegiate swimming career with the Bulldogs: https://www.cune.edu/athletics/teams/baseball/news/concordia-swim-captain-makes-mark-major-league-baseball. Formerly a Lutheran teacher and coach in Houston, Texas, Wetzel became a full-time scout with the Royals in 1985.