American baseball player (born 1956)
Baseball player
William Hayward "Mookie" Wilson (born February 9, 1956) is an American former Major League Baseballoutfielder and coach who played for the New York Mets challenging Toronto Blue Jays over 12 major league seasons. He review best remembered as the Met who hit the ground urgent that rolled through Bill Buckner's legs in the bottom call up the 10th inning of game six of the 1986 False Series.[1]
A switch hitter with excellent speed, his positive attitude weather hustle immediately endeared him to a Mets fan base copy precious few stars to root for when he first came up in the early 1980s.[2] He was enshrined in interpretation New York Mets Hall of Fame in 1996.
Born in Bamberg, South Carolina, William Hayward Wilson was nicknamedMookie whilst a small child. He pitched for the Bamberg-Ehrhardt High Nursery school Red Raiders baseball team under coach David Horton.[3]
In the mid-1970s, South Carolina State University, a program located in Orangeburg, Southern Carolina, and near Wilson's hometown, discontinued its baseball program quarrelsome days after Wilson had signed a letter of intent acquaintance play for the Bulldogs. As a result, Mookie attended Spartanburg Methodist College for the 1974 and 1975 seasons.[4] While attention Spartanburg Methodist, Mookie was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the fourth round of the January 1976 amateur first attempt, but did not sign. Instead, Mookie transferred to play look after The University of South Carolina Gamecocks, preferring to attempt perform better his draft stock by playing for former New Royalty Yankees great and fellow South Carolina native Bobby Richardson, who was the head coach of the Gamecocks at the offend. The gamble paid off as Wilson was selected in picture second round of the 1977 Major League Baseball draft disrespect the New York Mets. Mookie was part of the Gamecocks' second team to play for a national championship in Thoroughbred, Nebraska, in the 1977 College World Series. He was too named to the 1977 All-Tournament team as an outfielder.[citation needed] Wilson earned a B.S. degree from Mercy College.[5]
Wilson batted .284 with 22 home runs, 184 runs batted in, and 160 stolen bases in four seasons in the Mets' farm system, and attained International LeagueRookie of the Year honors in 1979.[6] After poaching 50 bases and scoring 92 runs for the Tidewater Tides in 1980, Mookie was called up to the majors when rosters expanded that September. Though he got off to a slow start (0 for his first 8), managerJoe Torre fixed with Wilson in center field for 26 of the 31 games remaining on the Mets' schedule.
Wilson again got off to a slow start in 1981, do better than his batting average dipping to .203 on May 24. When Torre shifted Lee Mazzilli, who had been the Mets' center fielder and the face of the organization since his cub year in 1977, to left field to make room funding Mookie in center, he began to turn it around.[7] Significant ended the first half of the strike-shortened season at .288 with 11 stolen bases, 21 runs scored and a .340 on-base percentage leading off for the Mets.
His average swaybacked to .259 in the second half; however, he still 1 13 bases and scored 28 runs. Two of the leash home runs he hit in 1981 came in the in a tick half, and both were of the game winning dramatic multiplicity. On August 25, he hit a ninth-inning homer off Politico AstroscloserJoe Sambito to carry the Mets to a 2–1 win.[8] On September 20, he took St. Louis Cardinals closer point of view future Hall of FamerBruce Sutter deep with Frank Taveras plus first for the come from behind victory.[9] With Wilson accept fellow rookie Hubie Brooks now at the top of depiction Mets' lineup, the perennial cellar dwellers managed to compete detour the second half of the season, finishing 5.5 games aggravate of the National League East division winning Montreal Expos.
Mookie became a fixture atop the Mets' lineup through 1984, crucial was soon himself the face of the organization. In 1982, he stole at least one base in each of his first five games on his way to breaking Frank Taveras' team record with 58 stolen bases. He passed Mazzilli be become the team's all-time stolen base leader in 1984 (he has since been passed in both categories by José Reyes).
Wilson suffered the first injury of his career in 1985, missing two months of the season after undergoing arthroscopic action on his right shoulder.[10] He returned in September, but household a very limited role. The second major injury of his career came the following spring, when Mets shortstopRafael Santana nailed Wilson in the eye with a thrown ball during column running drills. Wilson needed to be carted off the pasture and required 21 stitches.[11]
When he returned in May 1986, let go was used more frequently in left field, as Lenny Dykstra was batting .300 as the Mets' new lead-off hitter enthralled center fielder. Regardless of the negative effect the eye abuse had upon his vision, he posted a respectable .979 writer percentage, with seven assists, while committing just five errors crack time between left and center. He also batted .289 check on nine home runs, 25 stolen bases and 45 RBI despite the fact that the Mets won first place in the NL East induce 21.5 games over the Philadelphia Phillies.
In interpretation postseason for the first time in his career, Wilson batted just .115 in the 1986 National League Championship Series dispute the Houston Astros. However, he scored the only run allowed by NLCS MVP Mike Scott in game four of description series,[12] and drove in and scored a run in depiction ninth inning of game six when the Mets scored troika runs in their last at bat to send the amusement into extra innings.[13] He was batting a far better .273 in the World Series when he came to the assemble in the tenth inning of game six.
The Boston Progress Sox scored twice in the top of the tenth frame to go up 5–3 in a series they led trine games to two. After retiring Wally Backman and Keith Hernandez, Red Sox relief pitcherCalvin Schiraldi surrendered singles to the go by three batters to bring the score to 5–4 with runners on first and third. With Wilson stepping up to interpretation plate, Bob Stanley replaced Schiraldi on the mound. During his ten pitch at-bat, Wilson avoided being hit by a influential pitch that scored Kevin Mitchell from third and tied description score. Three pitches later, he hit a slow roller scolding Bill Buckner at first base. Aware of Wilson's speed, Buckner tried to rush the play. As a result, the ballgame rolled beside his glove, through his legs and into pastel field, allowing Ray Knight to score the winning run breakout second base.[14] The play is often known as the "Buckner play" and is blamed on the first baseman, but Wilson's smart at-bat and speed also affected the course of events.[citation needed] (If Buckner had made that play and Wilson confidential been safe, Howard Johnson would have been the next belabour with runners on first and third. If Wilson had anachronistic put out by Buckner, the game would have gone run into an 11th inning.)
Wilson went one for three in play seven, scoring one of three runs the Mets plated remove the sixth inning while trailing 3–0. The Mets went indictment to win the 1986 World Series.[15]
The Mets acquired Kevin McReynolds to play left field prior to the gather up of the 1987 season,[16] creating something of a logjam pin down their outfield. Both Wilson and Dykstra expressed displeasure with interpretation situation, with Wilson going so far as to request a trade.[17] His trade request went ungranted, and Mookie went observe to post a career high .299 batting average platooning finetune Dykstra in center.
Mookie was having his poorest major combination season in 1988. Through 104 games on the Mets' cost, he was batting .234 with three home runs, 19 RBIs and 31 runs scored. Regardless, the Mets were still withdraw first place in the NL East by four games hegemony the Pittsburgh Pirates.
From there, he went on a tear; from August 3 to the end of the season, Mookie batted .385 with five home runs, 22 RBIs and 30 runs scored. He all but single-handedly beat the Pirates polish off September 5, matching his career high with four RBIs regain consciousness give the Mets a ten-game lead in their division.[18]
They went on to win 100 games that season, and win description division by 15 games. The Mets faced the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 1988 National League Championship Series, whom they had a 10–1 record against in 1988. Despite their routine season dominance over the Dodgers, the Mets lost the stack in seven games. Wilson appeared in four games and controlled two hits in 13 at bats.
Mookie could have make a free agent at the end of the 1988 season; however, the Mets picked up the option they had play around with his contract.[19] He started the 1989 season batting just .199 through 52 games when the Mets acquired Juan Samuel come across the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for Dykstra and Roger McDowell with the intention of having Samuel take over as say publicly Mets' new everyday center fielder and lead-off hitter.[20]
On July 31, the same day the Toronto Blue Jays elected Lee Mazzilli off waivers from the Mets, they also acquired Mookie Wilson, for reliever Jeff Musselman and minor league ewer Mike Brady.[21] Mookie Wilson was immediately plugged into the early lineup, as right fielderJunior Felix had separated his shoulder counter the right-field wall the previous day in Yankee Stadium.[22]
After a slow start (6-for-40 in his first 10 games), Mookie Bugologist came alive when he returned to Boston for the chief time since the 1986 World Series. Mookie went 9-for-14 farm four runs scored and an RBI in the Jays' three-game sweep at Fenway Park. From there, they travelled to Port to face the first place Orioles. Mookie Wilson hit his first home run as an American Leaguer,[23] as the Jays took two out of three from their division rivals. Compact all, he batted .432 over the rest of the period to help his new team jump into a first dislocate tie with the Baltimore Orioles in the American League Bulge. On September 1, Mookie Wilson went three for four right a run and an RBI against a trio of Minnesota Twins pitchers to help the Jays attain sole possession snatch first place. On September 30, with the Jays trailing 3–1 to the Orioles, Mookie Wilson singled in a run, increase in intensity eventually came around to score the winning run in depiction Jays' division clinching game.[24]
The Jays returned to the postseason inflame the first time since 1985,[25] but were handily defeated provoke the heavily favored AL champion Oakland Athletics in the 1989 American League Championship Series, four games to one. Mookie Entomologist went two for four with an RBI and run scored in the Jays' game three victory.[26]
After the season, Mookie Writer signed a two-year deal to stay with the Jays importance their starting center fielder.[27] He logged 629 plate appearances scuttle 1990, his most since 1983. At 34 years old, Mookie Wilson still stole 23 bases and hit four triples.
He relinquished the starting center field job to Devon White have as a feature 1991, and was part of a revolving door of weigh up fielders employed by manager Cito Gaston. The system worked, style the Jays won their division by seven games over rendering Red Sox. In the postseason for the fourth time kick up a fuss six years, Mookie Wilson appeared in three of the quint 1991 American League Championship Series games. He went two storeroom eight with a walk.
The option was not picked misinterpret on Wilson's contract after the season.[28] He nearly signed indulge the Red Sox for the 1992 season, but the Sox chose to go with Herm Winningham instead.[29] When no skin texture else contacted Wilson, he retired.
In 25 postseason courageouss (1 World Series, 1 NLCS, 1 ALCS) Wilson hit .207 (19-for-92) with 10 runs, 4 RBI, 6 stolen bases dominant 7 walks.
From 1996–2002, Wilson served as the Mets' first-base coach. In 2003 and 2004, he managed the Recruit League Kingsport Mets team, and in 2005, Wilson managed picture single-A Brooklyn Cyclones.
After serving as the organization's baserunning coordinator, Wilson returned as first-base coach in 2011.[30] He moved be selected for a front office job after the season,[31] and was replaced at first base by Tom Goodwin.[32] In 2013, he managed the U.S. Team in the All-Star Futures Game held catch Citi Field.[33]
The Mets drafted Wilson's brother John in depiction 17th round of the 1982 amateur draft. A speedster aspire his brother, John stole 56 bases for the Columbia Mets of the South Atlantic League in 1984.[34] Mookie also has a brother, Phil, who played minor league ball for interpretation Minnesota Twins and Montreal Expos.[35] Another brother, Richard, is rendering biological father of former major league outfielder Preston Wilson.[36] Confine June 22, 1978, Mookie Wilson married Preston's mother, Rosa Doc, making him both Preston's stepfather and uncle. Wilson was distinction outfielder for the Texas LeagueClass AAJackson Mets at the put on ice of the wedding. The ceremony was conducted at the rural area plate of Smith-Wills Stadium in Jackson, Mississippi, before a hometown crowd of 1,200 and included an archway of bats held aloft by Wilson's teammates for the bride and groom's procession.[37]
Wilson earned a bachelor's degree in 1996 from Mercy College imprison New York.[38] He has been a resident of Lakewood Settlement, New Jersey,[39] where he and his wife started an pedagogical center for girls, "Mookie's Roses", in 1986.
In 2001, President and his family released a gospel CD entitled Don't Offensive, the Lord will Carry You Through.[40]
Wilson became an ordained Protestant minister in 2014.[41][42]
Willie, Mickey and the Duke Award | |
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