Dan Wilson (catcher)

Last updated

Dan Wilson
1988 P&L - Daniel Wilson (cropped).jpg
Wilson with the Cotuit Kettleers in 1988
Seattle Mariners – No. 6
Catcher/Manager
Born: (1969-03-25) March 25, 1969 (age 55)
Barrington, Illinois, U.S.
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
MLB debut
September 7, 1992, for the Cincinnati Reds
Last MLB appearance
September 30, 2005, for the Seattle Mariners
Men's baseball
Representing Flag of the United States.svg  United States
World Junior Baseball Championship
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 1987 Windsor Team

Daniel Allen Wilson (born March 25, 1969) is an American former professional baseball player [1] and current manager of the Seattle Mariners. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher from 1992 through 2005, most notably as a member of the Seattle Mariners where he played 12 of his 14 seasons. [1] The 1996 All-Star selection began his career with the Cincinnati Reds before being traded to the Mariners, where he was regarded as one of the game's best defensive catchers. At the time of his retirement in 2005, Wilson held the American League record for career fielding percentage by a catcher. [2] [3] In 2012, Wilson was inducted into the Seattle Mariners Hall of Fame alongside his battery-mate, Randy Johnson. [3] Wilson was promoted from special assignment coordinator to manager of the Seattle Mariners after the team fired Scott Servais on August 22, 2024. [4]

Contents

Baseball career

Amateur

Wilson excelled as a baseball player from a very early age. He led his hometown Barrington, Illinois team to a 3rd-place finish in the 1981 Little League World Series. At Barrington High School he starred as a pitcher and catcher. He was selected out of high school in the 26th round of the 1987 Major League Baseball Draft by the New York Mets, [5] but did not sign, electing instead to play college baseball at the University of Minnesota. In 1988, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Cotuit Kettleers of the Cape Cod Baseball League. [6]

Minor leagues (1990–1993)

He re-entered the draft in 1990; he was selected in the first round, seventh overall, by the Cincinnati Reds. [7] He signed in time to play 32 games with the Charleston Wheelers of the South Atlantic League. [8] He returned to Charleston at the start of the 1991 season, batting .315 in 52 games before earning a promotion to Class AA Chattanooga. [8] He started the 1992 season with Nashville in the Triple-A American Association, and he batted .251 in 106 games there before earning a September callup to the major leagues at age 23. [8] He returned to the minor leagues the following year, going to the Indianapolis Indians since the Reds had changed their AAA affiliation after the 1992 season, and he played 51 games for the Indians as well as 36 games in the majors for the Reds. [1]

Seattle Mariners (1994–2005)

After the 1993 season, the Reds traded Wilson to the Seattle Mariners for second baseman Bret Boone. [9] He made the Mariners' roster out of spring training in 1994 and became an established major-league player, replacing Dave Valle as the M's catcher. [10] In his first full season in the majors, he struggled at the plate, batting .216, but he showed signs of his defensive ability with a .986 fielding percentage. [1] That turned out to be the lowest fielding percentage he would have in the years he spent as the Mariners' primary catcher. [1] The 1995 season went better for him; he played 119 games, batting .278 and raising his fielding percentage to .995, as the Mariners won the American League Western Division pennant. [1] [11]

In 1996, Wilson set career highs with 146 games played, 18 home runs, 83 runs batted in, and a .774 OPS. [1] In addition, he made his only All-Star appearance. [1] Wilson hit three home runs in an April 11, 1996 game in Detroit. [12] The 1996 season was also his first working with starting pitcher Jamie Moyer.

Wilson was the battery-mate for Mariners pitcher Randy Johnson on June 24, 1997, when Johnson struck out 19 batters in a game against the Oakland Athletics, just one strikeout less than the major league single-game strikeout record of 20 strikeouts in a 9 inning game. [13] Approximately six weeks later on August 8, 1997, the battery-mates teamed up to strike out another 19 batters in a game against the Chicago White Sox. [14]

On May 3, 1998, Wilson hit an inside-the-park grand slam, an unusual feat for any ballplayer, and especially for a catcher. [15] Wilson remained a dependable battery mate for Mariners pitchers over the next several seasons. In the 2000 season, Wilson's numbers declined to a .235 batting average and .990 fielding percentage; [1] he was also limited to 90 games because of injuries. However, in 2001, he regained his form, playing 123 games (122 at catcher) and posting a .265 batting average and a .999 fielding percentage (one error in 744 total chances). [1] Although it was becoming late in his career, he posted a .295 batting average in 115 games for the Mariners in 2002, and a .998 fielding percentage over 96 games in 2003. [1] In what ended up being his last full healthy season in the majors, he batted .251 with 33 RBI in 2004. [1]

Wilson lost his starting job at the beginning of the 2005 season to Miguel Olivo. On May 4, he suffered a torn ACL in his right knee during a game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Wilson had intended the 2005 season to be his last as a player, and he announced his retirement, effective at the end of the 2005 season, on September 12. [2] Although a torn ACL commonly keeps athletes sidelined for most of a season, Wilson spent most of the rest of the season rehabilitating his knee and was activated from the disabled list on Friday, September 30. He came back for one final inning on that night against the Oakland Athletics; he had not recovered enough to swing a bat, but he was able to crouch and throw. The Mariners' starting pitcher in that game was Jamie Moyer, with whom Wilson had formed a battery for 190 previous starts dating back to 1996. Moyer pitched to five batters in the inning, which ended when Bobby Kielty flied out to center field, and the Athletics scored no runs. Moyer went on to pitch seven more innings, and the Mariners defeated the Athletics, 4–1. [16] [17]

Career statistics

In a 14-year major league career, Wilson played in 1,299 games, accumulating 1,097 hits in 4,186 at bats for a .262 career batting average along with 88 home runs and 519 runs batted in. [1] He ended his career with a .995 fielding percentage; the highest for a catcher in American League history, and the sixth highest in major league history. [2] [18] Wilson led American League catchers twice in fielding percentage, twice in putouts, twice in baserunners caught stealing and twice in range factor. [1]

Wilson set an American League record for catchers with 1,051 putouts in 1997, the fourth highest season total for a catcher in major league history. [19] His 1,128 total chances in 1997 were the sixth highest season total for a catcher in major league history. [20] In 2001, Wilson committed only one error in 122 games, for a .9987 fielding percentage, the fourth highest season average in major league history. [21] He played in more games as a catcher than any other player in Mariners history (1,281). [3] [22] He holds the Mariners career records for home runs by a catcher (including two inside-the-park home runs), and the team's single season record for catchers in RBI with 83 in 1996. [3]

Post-playing career

On January 17, 2012, Wilson was named to the Mariners Hall of Fame. [3] [23]

Since 2011, he has appeared as one of the color commentators for Seattle Mariners baseball games on Root Sports. Notably, along with Dave Sims, Wilson called the game on August 15, 2012 when Félix Hernández pitched the first perfect game in Mariners' franchise history. He was also broadcasting on Root Sports on June 8, 2012 when six Mariners' pitchers combined for a no-hitter.

On November 3, 2013, the Mariners announced that Wilson would become the team's Minor League Catching Coordinator. [24]

On August 22, 2024, Wilson was hired by the Mariners to become their manager after Scott Servais was fired the same day. [25] On September 26, the Mariners were eliminated from the postseason.

Managerial record

As of end of 2024 regular season
TeamYearRegular seasonPostseason
GamesWonLostWin %FinishWonLostWin %Result
SEA 2024 342113.6182nd in AL West–––
Total342113.61800–

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Olerud</span> American baseball player (born 1968)

John Garrett Olerud, Jr. is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a first baseman from 1989 through 2005, most notably as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays team that won two consecutive World Series championships in 1992 and 1993. He also played for the New York Mets, Seattle Mariners, New York Yankees, and Boston Red Sox.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Freehan</span> American baseball player and coach (1941–2021)

William Ashley Freehan was an American catcher in Major League Baseball who played his entire 15-year career with the Detroit Tigers. The premier catcher in the American League for several years from the 1960s into the early 1970s, he was named an All-Star in 11 seasons, the most All-Star seasons for a player to not be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. He was the MVP runner-up for Tigers' 1968 World Series winning team, handling a pitching staff which included World Series MVP Mickey Lolich and regular season MVP Denny McLain, who that year became the first 30-game winner in the majors since 1934.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rick Ferrell</span> American baseball player (1905–1995)

Richard Benjamin Ferrell was an American professional baseball player, coach, scout, and executive. He played for 18 seasons as a catcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1929 through 1947 for the St. Louis Browns, Boston Red Sox, and Washington Senators. His brother, Wes Ferrell, was a major league pitcher for 15 seasons, and they were teammates from 1933 through part of 1938 on the Red Sox and Senators. Following his three seasons in minor league baseball, he appealed to the Commissioner of Baseball to become a free agent, claiming that he was being held in the minors though he deserved promotion. The Commissioner agreed, and he was granted free agency; he signed with the St. Louis Browns.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry Blanco</span> Venezuelan baseball player & coach (born 1971)

Henry Ramón Blanco is a Venezuelan professional baseball coach and former player. He is currently the catching and strategy coach for the Washington Nationals. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball from 1997 to 2013, appearing for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Colorado Rockies, Milwaukee Brewers, Atlanta Braves, Minnesota Twins, Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres, New York Mets, Arizona Diamondbacks, Toronto Blue Jays, and Seattle Mariners. He later served as quality assurance coach for the Cubs. Although a light-hitting player, he was regarded as one of the best defensive catchers of his era.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ray Schalk</span> American baseball player and coach (1892–1970)

Raymond William Schalk was an American professional baseball player, coach, manager and scout. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball for the Chicago White Sox for the majority of his career. Known for his fine handling of pitchers and outstanding defensive ability, Schalk was considered the greatest defensive catcher of his era. He revolutionized the way the catching position was played by using his speed and agility to expand the previously accepted defensive capabilities for his position. Schalk was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1955.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charlie Bennett</span> American baseball player (1854–1927)

Charles Wesley Bennett was an American professional baseball player from 1875 or 1876 through the 1893 season. He played 15 years in Major League Baseball, principally as a catcher, with the Milwaukee Grays, Worcester Ruby Legs, Detroit Wolverines and Boston Beaneaters. He played on four pennant-winning teams, one in Detroit and three in Boston, and is one of only two players to play with the Detroit Wolverines during all eight seasons of the club's existence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rich Gedman</span> American baseball player (born 1959)

Richard Leo Gedman is an American professional baseball coach and former catcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox (1980–1990), Houston Astros (1990–1991), and St. Louis Cardinals (1991–1992). He currently serves as hitting coach with the Triple-A Worcester Red Sox of the International League. Listed at 6 feet 0 inches (1.83 m) and 210 pounds (95 kg), he batted left-handed and threw right-handed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jamie Moyer</span> American baseball pitcher (born 1962)

Jamie Moyer is an American former professional baseball pitcher. Over his 25-year career in Major League Baseball (MLB), Moyer pitched for the Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers, St. Louis Cardinals, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Seattle Mariners, Philadelphia Phillies, and Colorado Rockies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ted Simmons</span> American baseball player and coach

Ted Lyle Simmons is an American former professional baseball player and coach. A switch-hitter, Simmons was a catcher for most of his Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the St. Louis Cardinals (1968–1980), the Milwaukee Brewers (1981–1985) and the Atlanta Braves (1986–1988). Although he was often overshadowed by his contemporary, Johnny Bench, Simmons is considered one of the best hitting catchers in MLB history. While his power numbers paled in comparison to Bench, Simmons still managed to hit for a higher batting average despite playing home games in a notoriously tough hitter's park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kelly Shoppach</span> American baseball player (born 1980)

Kelly Brian Shoppach is an American former professional baseball catcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Indians, Tampa Bay Rays, New York Mets, Seattle Mariners and Pittsburgh Pirates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raúl Ibañez</span> American baseball player (born 1972)

Raúl Javier Ibañez is an American former professional baseball left fielder in Major League Baseball (MLB) now serving as vice president of baseball development and special projects for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He played 11 of his 19 big league seasons for the Seattle Mariners, while also playing for the Kansas City Royals, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees, and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. While primarily a left fielder, Ibañez often saw considerable time as a designated hitter (DH), throughout his career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gus Mancuso</span> American baseball player, coach, scout, and broadcaster

August Rodney Mancuso, nicknamed "Blackie", was an American professional baseball player, coach, scout and radio sports commentator. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball with the St. Louis Cardinals, New York Giants, Chicago Cubs (1939), Brooklyn Dodgers (1940) and Philadelphia Phillies (1945).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Del Crandall</span> American baseball player and manager (1930–2021)

Delmar Wesley Crandall was an American professional baseball player and manager. Crandall played as a catcher in Major League Baseball from 1949 to 1966, most prominently as a member of the Boston / Milwaukee Braves where, he was an eleven-time All-Star player and was a member of the 1957 World Series winning team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dave Valle</span> American baseball player (born 1960)

David Valle is an American former professional baseball player. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox, Milwaukee Brewers, and Texas Rangers from 1984 to 1996. He attended Holy Cross High School in Flushing, New York. In 1995, Valle founded Esperanza International, a microfinance organization that serves families in poverty in the Dominican Republic. He's been an on air analyst for MLB Network since 2009, including appearing on MLB Now and MLB Tonight.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muddy Ruel</span> American baseball player, manager, and executive (1896-1963)

Herold Dominic "Muddy" Ruel was an American professional baseball player, coach, manager and general manager. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball from 1915 to 1934 for the Washington Senators, St. Louis Browns, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, and Chicago White Sox.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob O'Farrell</span> American baseball player and manager (1896-1988)

Robert Arthur O'Farrell was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for 21 seasons with the Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals and the New York Giants. O'Farrell also played for the Cincinnati Reds, albeit briefly. He was considered one of the greatest defensive catchers of his generation.

James Eric Bullinger is an American former professional starting pitcher. He played for the Chicago Cubs (1992-1996), Montreal Expos (1997) and Seattle Mariners (1998) of Major League Baseball (MLB). He batted and threw right-handed. He is the brother of pitcher Kirk Bullinger. Jim Bullinger was converted to a pitcher in the Cubs' farm system, after initially playing as a shortstop. Before going pro, Bullinger played for the University of New Orleans, where his team made it to the 1984 College World Series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fatty Briody</span> American baseball player (1858–1903)

Charles F. "Fatty" Briody, nicknamed "Alderman", was an American professional baseball player whose career spanned from 1877 to 1888. He played eight seasons in Major League Baseball— for the Troy Trojans (1880), Cleveland Blues (1882–1884), Cincinnati Outlaw Reds (1884), St. Louis Maroons (1885), Kansas City Cowboys (NL) (1886), Detroit Wolverines (1887) and Kansas City Cowboys (AA) (1888).

Kevin Patrick Pasley is a retired professional baseball player whose career spanned 12 seasons. For parts of four seasons, Pasley, a catcher, played in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Seattle Mariners (1977–78). Over his career in the majors, he compiled a .254 batting average with eight runs scored, 31 hits, seven doubles, one home run, and nine runs batted in (RBIs). Pasley hit his only career major league home run in his final at-bat in the majors on October 1, 1978.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Kearney</span> American baseball player (born 1956)

Robert Henry Kearney, is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the San Francisco Giants, Oakland Athletics, and Seattle Mariners from 1979 to 1987.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 "Dan Wilson at Baseball Reference". Baseball-reference.com. Retrieved November 24, 2011.
  2. 1 2 3 "Longtime Mariners catcher Dan Wilson to retire". ESPN.com . September 12, 2005. Retrieved October 10, 2009.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Dan Wilson at the Seattle Mariners Hall of Fame". mlb.com. Retrieved December 24, 2020.
  4. ↑ "Mariners dismiss Servais as manager, name Dan Wilson as replacement". MLB.com .
  5. ↑ "1987 Major League Baseball Draft". thebaseballcube.com. Archived from the original on October 22, 2010. Retrieved November 24, 2011.
  6. ↑ "Major League Baseball Players From the Cape Cod League" (PDF). capecodbaseball.org. Retrieved January 9, 2020.
  7. ↑ "1990 Major League Baseball Draft". thebaseballcube.com. Archived from the original on August 28, 2010. Retrieved November 24, 2011.
  8. 1 2 3 "Dan Wilson minor league statistics at Baseball Reference". Baseball-reference.com. Retrieved November 24, 2011.
  9. ↑ Dan Wilson Trades and Transactions at Baseball Almanac
  10. ↑ 1994 Seattle Mariners at Baseball Reference
  11. ↑ 1995 American League standings at Baseball Reference
  12. ↑ Chicago Tribune
  13. ↑ "June 24, 1997 Oakland Athletics at Seattle Mariners Play by Play and Box Score". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. June 24, 1997. Retrieved December 9, 2012.
  14. ↑ "August 8, 1997 Chicago White Sox at Seattle Mariners Play by Play and Box Score". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. August 8, 1997. Retrieved December 9, 2012.
  15. ↑ Inside The Park Grand Slams at The Encyclopedia of Baseball Catchers
  16. ↑ Finnigan, Bob (October 1, 2005). "Wilson goes out a winner". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). (Seattle Times). p. C2.
  17. ↑ "Dan Wilson activated from 60-day DL". Mariners.com. September 30, 2005. Retrieved October 10, 2009.[ dead link ]
  18. ↑ Catchers Career Fielding Percentage at Baseball Reference
  19. ↑ Single Season Records For Putouts by Catcher at Baseball Reference
  20. ↑ Season Fielding Leaders at The Encyclopedia of Baseball Catchers
  21. ↑ Single Season Records For Fielding Percentage by Catcher at Baseball Reference
  22. ↑ Most Games Caught For Team at The Encyclopedia of Baseball Catchers
  23. ↑ "Randy Johnson, Dan Wilson named to Mariners Hall of Fame". seattletimes.com. Retrieved January 27, 2012.
  24. ↑ "Dan Wilson named Mariners Minor League catching coordinator". Seattle Mariners . December 3, 2013. Retrieved December 4, 2013.[ dead link ]
  25. ↑ "Mariners dismiss Scott Servais as manager". MLB.com. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.