Rangers spotlight: Wilhelmsen recalls his bartending days

Tom Wilhelmsen was a baseball player, and then he wasn’t. But for the past few years he has been back in the game as a reliever for the Seattle Mariners and, following a November trade, the Texas Rangers.

During his time away from baseball, he earned his keep as a bartender in Tucson, Ariz. Though the second largest city in the state, Tucson is a college town as home to the University of Arizona.

The spot where Wilhelmsen worked was on Fourth Avenue — or simply The Avenue to locals. It was a live music venue, so nothing like Cheers.

There were some Norms and Cliffs, but they were usually outnumbered by college students.

“You do get to meet a lot of people, and then you get the college scene and it’s just awful,” the right-hander said.

Wilhelmsen said that his specialty drink was pouring a draft beer. He said that he never made a Manhattan or an Old Fashioned or other drinks fancied by a haughtier crowd.

College kids drink beer and take shots.

It’s been six years since Wilhelmsen tended bar. He prefers his current line of work.

“Big time,” he said.

This story was originally published March 13, 2016 at 11:25 AM with the headline "Rangers spotlight: Wilhelmsen recalls his bartending days."