Mookie Wilson
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William Hayward "Mookie" Wilson (born February 9, 1956) is an American former
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
outfielder An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to catch ...
and coach who played for the
New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...
and
Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Since 1989, the team has p ...
over 12 major league seasons. He is best remembered as the Met who hit the ground ball that rolled through Bill Buckner's legs in the bottom of the 10th inning of game six of the
1986 World Series The 1986 World Series was the World Series, championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1986 Major League Baseball season, 1986 season. The 83rd edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the National Lea ...
. A
switch hitter In baseball, a switch hitter is a player who bats both right-handed and left-handed, usually right-handed against left-handed pitchers and left-handed against right-handed pitchers, although there are some exceptions. Characteristics Right-han ...
with excellent speed, his positive attitude and hustle immediately endeared him to a Mets fan base with precious few stars to root for when he first came up in the early s. He was enshrined in the
New York Mets Hall of Fame The New York Mets Hall of Fame was created in order to recognize the careers of former New York Mets players, managers, broadcasters and executives. There are presently 30 members. Originally located in the Diamond Club at Shea Stadium, the ind ...
in .


Early life

Born in Bamberg, South Carolina, William Hayward Wilson was
nickname A nickname, in some circumstances also known as a sobriquet, or informally a "moniker", is an informal substitute for the proper name of a person, place, or thing, used to express affection, playfulness, contempt, or a particular character trait ...
d ''Mookie'' as a small child. He pitched for the Bamberg-Ehrhardt High School Red Raiders baseball team under coach David Horton.


College

In the mid-s, South Carolina State University, a program located in
Orangeburg, South Carolina Orangeburg, also known as ''The Burg'', is the principal city in and the county seat of Orangeburg County, South Carolina, Orangeburg County, South Carolina, United States. The population of the city was 13,964 according to the 2020 United Stat ...
, and near Wilson's hometown, discontinued its baseball program just days after Wilson had signed a letter of intent to play for the Bulldogs. As a result, Mookie attended Spartanburg Methodist College for the and seasons. While attending Spartanburg Methodist, Mookie was drafted by the
Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
in the fourth round of the January amateur draft, but did not sign. Instead, Mookie transferred to play for The University of South Carolina Gamecocks, preferring to attempt to better his draft stock by playing for former
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...
great and fellow South Carolina native Bobby Richardson, who was the head coach of the Gamecocks at the time. The gamble paid off as Wilson was selected in the second round of the 1977 Major League Baseball draft by the New York Mets. Mookie was part of the Gamecocks' second team to play for a national championship in
Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the List of cities in Nebraska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is located in the Midwestern United States along the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's List of United S ...
, in the 1977 College World Series. He was also named to the All-Tournament team as an outfielder. Wilson earned a B.S. degree from Mercy College.


Playing career


New York Mets


International League Rookie of the Year

Wilson batted .284 with 22
home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the Baseball (ball), ball is hit in such a way that the batting (baseball), batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safe (baseball), safely in one play without any error ( ...
s, 184
runs batted in A run batted in or runs batted in (RBI) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if th ...
, and 160
stolen base In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a runner advances to a base unaided by other actions and the official scorer rules that the advance should be credited to the action of the runner. The umpires determine whether the runner is safe or out ...
s in four seasons in the Mets'
farm system In sports, a farm team (also referred to as farm system, developmental system, feeder team, or nursery club) is generally a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any successful pl ...
, and earned
International League The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major ...
Rookie of the Year honors in . After stealing 50 bases and scoring 92 runs for the Tidewater Tides in , 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),
manager Management (or managing) is the administration of organizations, whether businesses, nonprofit organizations, or a government bodies through business administration, nonprofit management, or the political science sub-field of public administra ...
Joe Torre Joseph Paul Torre Jr. (; born July 18, 1940) is an American professional baseball Senior management, executive and former player, Manager (baseball), manager, and television color commentator. He has served as a special assistant to the Commiss ...
stuck with Wilson in center field for 26 of the 31 games remaining on the Mets' schedule.


Mets stolen base king

Wilson again got off to a slow start in , with his
batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average is ...
dipping to .203 on May 24. When Torre shifted Lee Mazzilli, who had been the Mets'
center fielder A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball and softball fielding position between left field and right field. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the ...
and the face of the organization since his rookie year in , to left field to make room for Mookie in center, he began to turn it around. He ended the first half of the
strike Strike may refer to: People *Strike (surname) * Hobart Huson, author of several drug related books Physical confrontation or removal *Strike (attack), attack with an inanimate object or a part of the human body intended to cause harm * Airstrike, ...
-shortened season at .288 with 11 stolen bases, 21 runs scored and a .340
on-base percentage In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) measures how frequently a batting (baseball), batter reaches base (baseball), base. An official Major League Baseball (MLB) statistic since 1984, it is sometimes referred to as on-base average (OBA ...
leading off for the Mets. His average dipped to .259 in the second half; however, he still stole 13 bases and scored 28 runs. Two of the three home runs he hit in 1981 came in the second half, and both were of the game winning dramatic variety. On August 25, he hit a ninth-inning homer off
Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. They are one of two major leag ...
closer Joe Sambito to carry the Mets to a 2–1 win. On September 20, he took St. Louis Cardinals closer and future Hall of Famer Bruce Sutter deep with Frank Taveras on second for the come from behind victory. With Wilson and fellow rookie Hubie Brooks now at the top of the Mets' lineup, the perennial cellar dwellers managed to compete in the second half of the season, finishing 5.5 games back of the
National League East The National League East is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. Along with the American League Central, it is one of two divisions to have every member win at least one World Series title. After having internal, informal divisions for ...
division winning
Montreal Expos The Montreal Expos () were a Canadian professional baseball team based in Montreal. The Expos were the first Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located outside the United States. They played in the National League (baseball), National League ...
. Mookie became a fixture atop the Mets' lineup through , and was soon himself the face of the organization. In , 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 to 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 , missing two months of the season after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder. He returned in September, but in a very limited role. The second major injury of his career came the following spring, when Mets
shortstop Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball positions, baseball or softball fielding position between second base, second and third base, which is considered to be among the Defensive spectrum, most demanding defensive positions. Historically, the ...
Rafael Santana nailed Wilson in the eye with a thrown ball during base running drills. Wilson needed to be carted off the field and required 21 stitches. When he returned in May , he was used more frequently in left field, as Lenny Dykstra was batting .300 as the Mets' new lead-off hitter and center fielder. Regardless of the negative effect the eye injury had upon his vision, he posted a respectable .979
fielding percentage In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a baseball positions, defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball. It is calculated by the sum of putout ...
, with seven assists, while committing just five errors splitting time between left and center. He also batted .289 with nine home runs, 25 stolen bases and 45 RBI as the Mets won first place in the NL East by 21.5 games over the
Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...
.


1986 World Series

In the postseason for the first time in his career, Wilson batted just .115 in the 1986 National League Championship Series against the Houston Astros. However, he scored the only run allowed by NLCS MVP Mike Scott in game four of the series, and drove in and scored a run in the ninth
inning In baseball, softball, and similar games, an inning is the basic unit of play, consisting of two halves or frames, the "top" (first half) and the "bottom" (second half). In each half, one team bats until three outs are made, with the other tea ...
of game six when the Mets scored three runs in their last at bat to send the game into
extra innings Extra innings is the extension of a baseball or softball game in order to break a tie. Ordinarily, a baseball game consists of nine regulation innings (in softball and high school baseball games there are typically seven innings; in Little Lea ...
. He was batting a far better .273 in the
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...
when he came to the plate in the tenth inning of game six. The
Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...
scored twice in the top of the tenth inning to go up 5–3 in a series they led three games to two. After retiring Wally Backman and
Keith Hernandez Keith Hernandez (born October 20, 1953) is an American former professional baseball first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals, New York Mets, and Cleveland Indians. Hernandez was a five-time Major League ...
, Red Sox
relief pitcher In baseball and softball, a relief pitcher or reliever is a pitcher who pitches in the game after the starting pitcher or another relief pitcher has been removed from the game due to fatigue (medical), fatigue, injury, ineffectiveness, ejection ...
Calvin Schiraldi surrendered singles to the next three batters to bring the score to 5–4 with runners on first and third. With Wilson stepping up to the plate, Bob Stanley replaced Schiraldi on the mound. During his ten pitch
at-bat In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens upon completion of his turn at bat, b ...
, Wilson avoided being hit by a wild pitch that scored Kevin Mitchell from third and tied the score. Three pitches later, he hit a slow roller to Bill Buckner at first base. Aware of Wilson's speed, Buckner tried to rush the play. As a result, the ball rolled beside his glove, through his legs and into right field, allowing
Ray Knight Charles Ray Knight (born December 28, 1952) is an American former infielder best remembered for his time with the Cincinnati Reds and New York Mets in Major League Baseball (MLB). Originally drafted by the Reds in the tenth round of the 1970 M ...
to score the winning run from second base. 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. (If Buckner had made that play and Wilson had been safe, Howard Johnson would have been the next batter with runners on first and third. If Wilson had been put out by Buckner, the game would have gone into an 11th inning.) Wilson went one for three in game seven, scoring one of three runs the Mets plated in the sixth inning while trailing 3–0. The Mets went on to win the 1986 World Series.


Mets crowded outfield

The Mets acquired Kevin McReynolds to play left field prior to the start of the season, creating something of a logjam in their
outfield The outfield, in cricket, baseball and softball is the area of the field of play further from the batsman or batter than the infield. In association football, the outfield players are positioned outside the goal area. In bat and ball games ...
. Both Wilson and Dykstra expressed displeasure with the situation, with Wilson going so far as to request a trade. His trade request went ungranted, and Mookie went on to post a career high .299 batting average platooning with Dykstra in center. Mookie was having his poorest major league season in . Through 104 games on the Mets' schedule, he was batting .234 with three home runs, 19 RBIs and 31 runs scored. Regardless, the Mets were still in first place in the NL East by four games over the
Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...
. 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 on September 5, matching his career high with four RBIs to give the Mets a ten-game lead in their division. They went on to win 100 games that season, and win the 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 regular season dominance over the Dodgers, the Mets lost the series in seven games. Wilson appeared in four games and collected two hits in 13 at bats. Mookie could have become a
free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...
at the end of the 1988 season; however, the Mets picked up the option they had on his contract. He started the season batting just .199 through 52 games when the Mets acquired Juan Samuel from the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for Dykstra and Roger McDowell with the intention of having Samuel take over as the Mets' new everyday center fielder and lead-off hitter.


Toronto Blue Jays

On July 31, the same day the
Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Since 1989, the team has p ...
selected Lee Mazzilli off waivers from the Mets, they also acquired Mookie Wilson, for reliever Jeff Musselman and minor league
pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...
Mike Brady. Mookie Wilson was immediately plugged into the starting lineup, as
right fielder A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In the ...
Junior Felix had separated his shoulder against the right-field wall the previous day in
Yankee Stadium Yankee Stadium is a baseball stadium located in the Bronx in New York City. It is the home field of Major League Baseball’s New York Yankees and New York City FC of Major League Soccer. The stadium opened in April 2009, replacing the Yankee S ...
. After a slow start (6-for-40 in his first 10 games), Mookie Wilson came alive when he returned to
Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
for the first time since the 1986 World Series. Mookie went 9-for-14 with four runs scored and an RBI in the Jays' three-game sweep at
Fenway Park Fenway Park is a ballpark located in Boston, Massachusetts, less than one mile from Kenmore Square. Since 1912, it has been the home field of Major League Baseball's (MLB) Boston Red Sox. While the stadium was built in 1912, it was substantia ...
. From there, they travelled to
Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...
to face the first place Orioles. Mookie Wilson hit his first home run as an
American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is the younger of two sports leagues, leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western L ...
r, as the Jays took two out of three from their division rivals. In all, he batted .432 over the rest of the month to help his new team jump into a first place tie with the
Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. As one of the America ...
in the
American League East The American League East is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. MLB consists of an East, Central, and West division for each of its two 15-team leagues, the American League (AL) and National League (baseball), National League (NL). T ...
. On September 1, Mookie Wilson went three for four with a run and an RBI against a trio of
Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team is named afte ...
pitchers to help the Jays attain sole possession of first place. On September 30, with the Jays trailing 3–1 to the Orioles, Mookie Wilson singled in a run, and eventually came around to score the winning run in the Jays' division clinching game. The Jays returned to the postseason for the first time since 1985, but were handily defeated by the heavily favored AL champion
Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (frequently referred to as the Oakland A's) were an American Major League Baseball (MLB) team based in Oakland, California from 1968 to 2024. The Athletics were a member club of the American League (AL) American League We ...
in the
1989 American League Championship Series The 1989 American League Championship Series was a semifinal series in Major League Baseball's 1989 Major League Baseball postseason, 1989 postseason played between the 1989 Oakland Athletics season, Oakland Athletics and the 1989 Toronto Blue Ja ...
, four games to one. Mookie Wilson went two for four with an RBI and run scored in the Jays' game three victory. After the season, Mookie Wilson signed a two-year deal to stay with the Jays as their starting center fielder. He logged 629
plate appearance In baseball, a player is credited with a plate appearance (denoted by PA) each time he completes a turn batting. Under Rule 5.04(c) of the Official Baseball Rules, a player completes a turn batting when he is put out or becomes a runner. This ha ...
s in , his most since . At 34 years old, Mookie Wilson still stole 23 bases and hit four triples. He relinquished the starting center field job to Devon White in , and was part of a revolving door of
left fielder In baseball, a left fielder, abbreviated LF, is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In the numbering system ...
s employed by manager Cito Gaston. The system worked, as the Jays won their division by seven games over the Red Sox. In the postseason for the fourth time in six years, Mookie Wilson appeared in three of the five 1991 American League Championship Series games. He went two for eight with a walk. The option was not picked up on Wilson's contract after the season. He nearly signed with the Red Sox for the season, but the Sox chose to go with Herm Winningham instead. When no one else contacted Wilson, he retired.


Career statistics

In 25 postseason games (1 World Series, 1 NLCS, 1 ALCS) Wilson hit .207 (19-for-92) with 10 runs, 4 RBI, 6 stolen bases and 7 walks.


Post-playing career

From 1996–, Wilson served as the Mets' first-base coach. In and , he managed the Rookie League Kingsport Mets team, and in , Wilson managed the single-A Brooklyn Cyclones. After serving as the organization's baserunning coordinator, Wilson returned as first-base coach in . He moved into a front office job after the season, and was replaced at first base by
Tom Goodwin Thomas Jones Goodwin (born July 27, 1968) is an American former professional baseball player and the current first base coach for the Atlanta Braves. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 14 seasons, primarily as a center fielder, from 1 ...
. In , he managed the U.S. Team in the All-Star Futures Game held at
Citi Field Citi Field is a baseball park, baseball stadium located in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, in the Boroughs of New York, borough of Queens, New York City, United States. Opened in 2009, Citi Field is the home of Major League Baseball's New York M ...
.


Personal life

The Mets drafted Wilson's brother John in the 17th round of the 1982 amateur draft. A speedster like his brother, John stole 56 bases for the Columbia Mets of the
South Atlantic League The South Atlantic League, often informally called the Sally League, is a Minor League Baseball league with teams predominantly in states along the Atlantic coast of the United States from New York to Georgia. A Class A league for most of its h ...
in 1984. Mookie also has a brother, Phil, who played minor league ball for the Minnesota Twins and Montreal Expos. Another brother, Richard, is the biological father of former major league outfielder Preston Wilson. On June 22, 1978, Mookie Wilson married Preston's mother, Rosa Gilbert, making him both Preston's stepfather and uncle. Wilson was an outfielder for the
Texas League The Texas League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated in the South Central United States since 1902. It is classified as a Double-A league. Despite the league's name, only its five South Division teams are actually based in the ...
Class AA Double-A (officially Class AA) is the second-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946, below only Triple-A. There are currently 30 teams classified at the Double-A level, one for each team in Major League B ...
Jackson Mets at the time of the wedding. The ceremony was conducted at the home plate of Smith-Wills Stadium in
Jackson, Mississippi Jackson is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Mississippi, most populous city of the U.S. state of Mississippi. The city sits on the Pearl River (Mississippi–Louisiana), Pearl River and is locate ...
, 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. Wilson earned a bachelor's degree in 1996 from Mercy College in New York. He has been a resident of Lakewood Township, New Jersey, where he and his wife started an educational center for girls, "Mookie's Roses", in 1986. In 2001, Wilson and his family released a
gospel Gospel originally meant the Christianity, Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the second century Anno domino, AD the term (, from which the English word originated as a calque) came to be used also for the books in which the message w ...
CD entitled ''Don't Worry, the Lord will Carry You Through''. Wilson became an ordained Baptist minister in 2014.


See also

*
List of Major League Baseball career stolen bases leaders In baseball statistics, a stolen base is credited to a baserunning, baserunner when he successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is throwing the ball to home plate. Under Rule 5.06 of Major League Baseball's (MLB) Official Rules ...


References


External links

, o
Baseball Almanac
o
The Ultimate Mets Database
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Mookie 1956 births Living people African-American baseball coaches African-American baseball managers African-American baseball players American expatriate baseball players in Canada Baseball coaches from South Carolina Baseball players from South Carolina Brooklyn Cyclones managers Jackson Mets players Major League Baseball center fielders Major League Baseball first base coaches Mercy University alumni New York Mets coaches New York Mets players People from Bamberg, South Carolina South Carolina Gamecocks baseball players Spartanburg Methodist Pioneers baseball players Sportspeople from Lakewood Township, New Jersey Baseball players from Staten Island Tidewater Tides players Toronto Blue Jays players Wausau Mets players 21st-century African-American sportsmen 20th-century African-American sportsmen