Willie Wilson (baseball) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Willie Wilson |
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Wilson in 1978
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| Outfielder | |||
| Born: July 9, 1955 Montgomery, Alabama, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| September 4, 1976, for the Kansas City Royals | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| May 16, 1994, for the Chicago Cubs | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .285 | ||
| Hits | 2,207 | ||
| Home runs | 41 | ||
| Runs batted in | 585 | ||
| Stolen bases | 668 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Willie James Wilson (born July 9, 1955) is an American former professional baseball player. He played for 19 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). His teams included the Kansas City Royals, Oakland Athletics, and Chicago Cubs. Willie was an outfielder known for his amazing speed and his skill as a leadoff hitter. He was great at getting on base and starting the team's offense. Wilson's career total of 668 stolen bases ranks him 12th all-time among major league players.
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Early Life and High School Sports
Willie Wilson was born in Montgomery, Alabama. When he was seven years old, his family moved to Summit, New Jersey. At Summit High School, he was a highly talented athlete. He played baseball, football, and basketball. In his final year of high school, he had a batting average of .436. He also stole 28 bases out of 28 tries, showing his incredible speed early on.
Willie Wilson's Baseball Career
Starting in Professional Baseball
After high school, Willie Wilson was drafted by the Kansas City Royals. This happened in the first round of the 1974 Major League Baseball draft. He had planned to play college football at Maryland, but chose baseball instead.
He began his professional journey with the Gulf Coast Royals. In 47 games, he batted .252 and stole 24 bases. In 1975, he moved up to Single-A with the Waterloo Royals. He led his team in both RBI (73) and stolen bases (76). By 1976, Wilson was playing for the Double-A Jacksonville Suns. He batted .253 and stole 37 bases in 107 games.
Later in 1976, he got to play in the major leagues for the first time. He played in 12 games, mostly as a pinch runner or for defense. He had one hit and stole two bases. In 1977, he played for the Triple-A Omaha Royals. He batted .281 and stole 74 bases. He was called up to the Royals again in September and played more, batting .324 with six stolen bases.
First Full Season in the Majors
The 1978 season was Willie Wilson's first full year in the major leagues. He shared the left field position with other players. He also helped out in center field. He played in 127 games and stole 46 bases. This placed him fifth in the American League for stolen bases. He also played in three games during the 1978 American League Championship Series against the New York Yankees.
Becoming a Star Player
1979 Season Highlights
Willie Wilson started the 1979 season as a backup outfielder. But by May, he became the Royals' main left fielder. He played in 154 games and batted .315. He led the league with 83 stolen bases and 148 singles. He also finished third in triples with 13. On defense, he was excellent, leading left fielders in range factor and putouts.
1980: A Record-Breaking Year
In 1980, Wilson became the starting center fielder. He played very well, making only one error all year. He led the league in several important categories. He finished with a .326 batting average and 79 stolen bases. His 705 at bats were a major league record at the time. He also led the league in hits (230), runs scored (133), and triples (15).
Willie Wilson won both the Gold Glove Award for his defense and the Silver Slugger Award for his hitting. He finished fourth in the voting for the American League MVP award, which was his best result ever.
During the 1980 American League Championship Series, Wilson made a key play. He helped the Royals win Game 2 against the Yankees. The Royals swept the Yankees in three games. In the 1980 World Series, Wilson struggled at the plate. He struck out 12 times, which was a new World Series record at the time. The Royals lost the series to the Philadelphia Phillies.
1981-1983 Seasons
In the 1981 season, which was shorter due to a strike, Wilson's batting average was .303. He batted .308 in the 1981 American League Division Series against the Oakland A's.
In 1982, Wilson had a great comeback. He batted .332 and won the American League batting title. He was the first switch hitter to do this since Mickey Mantle in 1956. He was also chosen for his first American League All-Star team. He won his second Silver Slugger Award. He led the league in singles for the fourth year in a row.
In 1983, Wilson moved to center field. He still finished third in the league with 59 stolen bases. He also made the All-Star team for the second time.
1984: A Challenging Year
In 1984, Willie Wilson faced a challenging time that led to a suspension from playing baseball. However, the suspension was reduced, and he was able to return to the field on May 15. He played in 128 games, batting .301. He also stole 47 bases out of 52 attempts, showing his speed was still there.
Continuing with the Royals
In 1985, Wilson batted .278 and stole 43 bases. He led the league in triples for the third time with a career-high 21. He also played a big part in the 1985 World Series. He batted .310 in the 1985 American League Championship Series and .367 in the World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals. In Game 5 of the World Series, he hit a crucial triple that helped the Royals win. The Royals went on to win their first World Championship.
Willie Wilson continued to be an important player for the Royals for five more seasons. He hit a career-high nine home runs in 1986. He also led the league in triples two more times (1987-88). He continued to be one of the top players in stolen bases. He also played excellent defense. In 1990, he had no errors all season, leading all outfielders in fielding percentage.
Playing for the Oakland Athletics
After the 1990 season, Wilson became a free agent and joined the Oakland Athletics. He played in 113 games in 1991, playing all three outfield positions. He batted .238 and stole 20 bases.
In 1992, Wilson became the starting center fielder. He played in 132 games, batting .270 and stealing 28 bases. He returned to the playoffs in the 1992 American League Championship Series. He stole seven bases in the series against the Toronto Blue Jays. This tied a record for stolen bases in one postseason. However, the A's lost the series.
Final Seasons with the Chicago Cubs
After the 1992 season, Wilson signed a two-year contract with the Chicago Cubs. In 1993, he played in center field and batted .258. He had seven stolen bases, which was a career-low for a full season. He started the 1994 season on the bench. After playing only 17 games, he was released on May 16, which ended his major league career.
Willie Wilson finished his career with a .285 batting average. His 668 stolen bases rank 12th all-time in MLB history. He hit 13 inside-the-park home runs, which is the most for any player since 1950. He batted over .300 five times and led the league in triples five times. He also had a very good .987 fielding percentage as an outfielder.
After Baseball and Honors
After retiring as a player, Willie Wilson coached in the Toronto Blue Jays system in 1995 and 1997. In 2000, he was elected to the Kansas City Royals Hall of Fame. In 2003, he was named manager of the London Monarchs in a new baseball league. The league, however, stopped playing halfway through the season.
In 2009, Wilson made a special appearance. He signed a one-day contract with the Kansas City T-Bones, an independent team. Today, he runs the Willie Wilson Baseball Foundation in Kansas City, Missouri. This foundation helps young people through baseball.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball stolen base records
- List of Major League Baseball career hits leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career triples leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career runs scored leaders
- List of Major League Baseball batting champions
- List of Major League Baseball career stolen bases leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual runs scored leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual stolen base leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual triples leaders
