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Willie Wilson (baseball)
Willie James Wilson (born July 9, 1955) is an American former professional baseball player. He played 19 seasons in Major League Baseball for the Kansas City Royals, Oakland Athletics, and Chicago Cubs. He was an outfielder known for his speed and ability as an effective leadoff hitter. Wilson's career total of 668 stolen bases currently ranks him in 12th place all-time among major leaguers.
Wilson was born in Montgomery, Alabama, but moved to Summit, New Jersey, at seven years old. He was a highly regarded high school baseball, football, and basketball player at Summit High School. In his senior year, he hit .436 and stole 28 bases in 28 attempts.
Wilson was drafted out of high school after signing a letter of intent to play college football at Maryland. The Kansas City Royals picked him in the first round (18th overall) of the 1974 Major League Baseball draft. He started his professional career with the Gulf Coast Royals, batting .252 with a home run, 14 RBI and 24 stolen bases in 47 games. He moved up to Single-A in 1975 for the Waterloo Royals, leading the 1975 Midwest League champions in both RBI (73) and stolen bases (76). In 1976, Wilson played for the Double-A Jacksonville Suns, batting .253 with a home run, 35 RBI and 37 stolen bases in 107 games. He earned a September call-up in 1976, playing in 12 games. He was mostly used as a pinch runner or defensive replacement, but did start one game on the penultimate day of the season. He had just six at bats, getting one hit and stealing two bases.
Wilson began the 1977 season with the Triple-A Omaha Royals. In what turned out to be his last minor league action (not counting a stunt appearance in 2009), he batted .281 with four home runs, 47 RBI and 74 stolen bases in 132 games. He was again called up in September, this time receiving more substantial playing time, batting .324 in 34 at bats with six stolen bases.
1978 was Wilson's first full season in the majors. He split the left field job with Tom Poquette, Clint Hurdle and Joe Zdeb, getting the most playing time at the position among the four, while also backing up Amos Otis in center field. Overall, he played in 127 games, but had just 198 at bats while batting .217 with 16 RBI. Despite his limited playing time, he finished fifth in the American League with 46 stolen bases. He also appeared in three games in the 1978 American League Championship Series against the New York Yankees, going 1-for-4 (.250) in the series. He also earned a start in left field in Game 4, finishing the game 1-for-3.
Wilson started the 1979 season as the Royals' fourth outfielder, but by mid-May he had established himself as the team's starting left fielder. In 154 games, he batted .315 with six home runs and 49 RBI. Wilson led the league in stolen bases (83) and singles (148) while also finishing seventh in hits (185) and third in triples (13). On defense, he led the league in range factor and putouts and finished second in assists among left fielders.
In 1980, Wilson started the year as the starting center fielder when Amos Otis opened the season on the disabled list, and acquitted himself well, posting an above-average range factor and making just one error in 195 total chances for the year in center. He moved back to left when Otis returned in late May, and wound up leading the league in several categories. Wilson finished with a .326 average, three home runs, 49 RBI and 79 stolen bases (in 89 attempts) in 161 games. His 705 official at bats were a major league record until it was surpassed by Jimmy Rollins in 2007. He also led the league in hits (230), runs scored (133), triples (15), and singles (184). Wilson finished second in stolen bases, and had at least 100 hits from both sides of the plate. He won both the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger Awards, and was fourth in the AL MVP voting, his best finish.
During Game 2 of the 1980 ALCS, the Yankees' Willie Randolph was on second base in the top of the eighth with two outs and the Royals up by just one run. Bob Watson hit a ball to the left field corner of Royals Stadium. The ball bounced right to Wilson, but Yankee third base coach Mike Ferraro waved Randolph home. Wilson overthrew U L Washington, the cut-off man, but George Brett was in position behind him to catch the ball, then throw to Darrell Porter, who tagged out Randolph in a slide. TV cameras captured Yankee owner George Steinbrenner fuming immediately after the play. The Royals won 3–2. Wilson batted .308 and tied George Brett for the team lead in runs batted in with four during the series as the Royals swept the Yankees in three straight games. In the 1980 World Series, Wilson batted just .154 and struck out against Tug McGraw for the final out of the Royals' Game 6 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies. This strikeout was Wilson's 12th of the Series, breaking the record of 11 held jointly by Eddie Mathews and Wayne Garrett in the 1958 and 1973 World Series, respectively. Ryan Howard would break Wilson's record by striking out 13 times in the 2009 World Series.
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Willie Wilson (baseball)
Willie James Wilson (born July 9, 1955) is an American former professional baseball player. He played 19 seasons in Major League Baseball for the Kansas City Royals, Oakland Athletics, and Chicago Cubs. He was an outfielder known for his speed and ability as an effective leadoff hitter. Wilson's career total of 668 stolen bases currently ranks him in 12th place all-time among major leaguers.
Wilson was born in Montgomery, Alabama, but moved to Summit, New Jersey, at seven years old. He was a highly regarded high school baseball, football, and basketball player at Summit High School. In his senior year, he hit .436 and stole 28 bases in 28 attempts.
Wilson was drafted out of high school after signing a letter of intent to play college football at Maryland. The Kansas City Royals picked him in the first round (18th overall) of the 1974 Major League Baseball draft. He started his professional career with the Gulf Coast Royals, batting .252 with a home run, 14 RBI and 24 stolen bases in 47 games. He moved up to Single-A in 1975 for the Waterloo Royals, leading the 1975 Midwest League champions in both RBI (73) and stolen bases (76). In 1976, Wilson played for the Double-A Jacksonville Suns, batting .253 with a home run, 35 RBI and 37 stolen bases in 107 games. He earned a September call-up in 1976, playing in 12 games. He was mostly used as a pinch runner or defensive replacement, but did start one game on the penultimate day of the season. He had just six at bats, getting one hit and stealing two bases.
Wilson began the 1977 season with the Triple-A Omaha Royals. In what turned out to be his last minor league action (not counting a stunt appearance in 2009), he batted .281 with four home runs, 47 RBI and 74 stolen bases in 132 games. He was again called up in September, this time receiving more substantial playing time, batting .324 in 34 at bats with six stolen bases.
1978 was Wilson's first full season in the majors. He split the left field job with Tom Poquette, Clint Hurdle and Joe Zdeb, getting the most playing time at the position among the four, while also backing up Amos Otis in center field. Overall, he played in 127 games, but had just 198 at bats while batting .217 with 16 RBI. Despite his limited playing time, he finished fifth in the American League with 46 stolen bases. He also appeared in three games in the 1978 American League Championship Series against the New York Yankees, going 1-for-4 (.250) in the series. He also earned a start in left field in Game 4, finishing the game 1-for-3.
Wilson started the 1979 season as the Royals' fourth outfielder, but by mid-May he had established himself as the team's starting left fielder. In 154 games, he batted .315 with six home runs and 49 RBI. Wilson led the league in stolen bases (83) and singles (148) while also finishing seventh in hits (185) and third in triples (13). On defense, he led the league in range factor and putouts and finished second in assists among left fielders.
In 1980, Wilson started the year as the starting center fielder when Amos Otis opened the season on the disabled list, and acquitted himself well, posting an above-average range factor and making just one error in 195 total chances for the year in center. He moved back to left when Otis returned in late May, and wound up leading the league in several categories. Wilson finished with a .326 average, three home runs, 49 RBI and 79 stolen bases (in 89 attempts) in 161 games. His 705 official at bats were a major league record until it was surpassed by Jimmy Rollins in 2007. He also led the league in hits (230), runs scored (133), triples (15), and singles (184). Wilson finished second in stolen bases, and had at least 100 hits from both sides of the plate. He won both the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger Awards, and was fourth in the AL MVP voting, his best finish.
During Game 2 of the 1980 ALCS, the Yankees' Willie Randolph was on second base in the top of the eighth with two outs and the Royals up by just one run. Bob Watson hit a ball to the left field corner of Royals Stadium. The ball bounced right to Wilson, but Yankee third base coach Mike Ferraro waved Randolph home. Wilson overthrew U L Washington, the cut-off man, but George Brett was in position behind him to catch the ball, then throw to Darrell Porter, who tagged out Randolph in a slide. TV cameras captured Yankee owner George Steinbrenner fuming immediately after the play. The Royals won 3–2. Wilson batted .308 and tied George Brett for the team lead in runs batted in with four during the series as the Royals swept the Yankees in three straight games. In the 1980 World Series, Wilson batted just .154 and struck out against Tug McGraw for the final out of the Royals' Game 6 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies. This strikeout was Wilson's 12th of the Series, breaking the record of 11 held jointly by Eddie Mathews and Wayne Garrett in the 1958 and 1973 World Series, respectively. Ryan Howard would break Wilson's record by striking out 13 times in the 2009 World Series.
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