Have a look at this 1985 Topps Woolworth All-Time Record Holder card.
It features Willie Wilson in a fairly ordinary pose, with bat in hand. Mr. Wilson gained entry into this 44-card set largely as a result of his 1980 season, which was anything but ordinary. He actually set three records that year. All three are listed on the back of the card.
And although the second one might not exactly fascinate some fans of the modern game, it sure does impress me.
Want to know what it is?
Set A.L. record with 184 singles in 1980.
One hundred and eighty four singles. Would you like to know how many Major League players totaled at least 184 hits during the 2024 season?
Six.
That's right. Six players reached 184 total hits last year.
Not 184 singles.
184 hits.
That's a remarkable difference.
And hey, listen. The game changes. New strategies emerge. Rules are added or removed. Player types come in and out of fashion. This kind of stuff needs to happen to the game over time. If not, it becomes stagnant, and eventually viewership declines. And let's be fair: There are some exciting aspects of the modern game, not to mention exciting players.
But man, I miss that Willie Wilson type. Hit singles, steal bases, score runs. Come on, name a few more with me.
Willie McGee. Vince Coleman. Tim Raines. Lenny Dykstra. Paul Molitor.
You'd still get some of those guys in decades to follow, of course. Kenny Lofton. Juan Pierre. Dee Gordon. Ichiro Suzuki. Even Jose Altuve fits the bill to a certain extent.
But over the past decade or two, the speedy slap-hitter has become almost extinct. And I think that's a real shame.
Just look at Willie Wilson go.
For his career, Wilson totaled 2207 hits, 1169 runs,
281 doubles, 147 triples, and 668 stolen bases (12th all-time as of this writing), finishing with an 83% stolen
base percentage (19th all-time as of this writing). He led the A.L. in triples five times, and four of those times he led the majors, too. Add to that his 13
career inside-the-park home runs, which is the most of any player in the modern era.
It's also noteworthy that Wilson was a switch-hitter, and is one of only two players in MLB history to have collected 100 hits from both sides of the plate in a season. (Garry Templeton is the other.)
But let's go back to his 1980 season.
That year, Wilson led the majors in plate appearances (745), at-bats (705), runs (133), hits (230), and triples (15). He also took home a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger award, and finished 4th in A.L. MVP voting behind George Brett, Reggie Jackson, and Goose Gossage.
He'd put up great numbers over the next few seasons as well, and was an integral part of the 1985 World Champion Kansas City Royals.
The man had a great career, and brought a certain kind of excitement to the game of baseball. Let's make sure we give a little more credit where credit is due.
As for today's game? I'd love to see a resurgence in the speedy slap-hitter. How about you readers? Feel the same way? Do any current MLB players fit the bill?
Share in the comment section, and thanks for reading!
PS: Next week's post will come on Saturday instead of Sunday, in order to mark a baseball-related anniversary. Be sure to tune in!
LOVED Willie Wilson that season. I remember him as the most exciting player in baseball at the time (although Rickey was around then). I can still recall a TV highlight of Wilson -- maybe a 'This Week in Baseball' profile -- of him racing around the bases. He's one of the players where I don't think he got his due on baseball cards as most are standard shots, only his '85 Topps card (and I guess '83 Topps) approaches what he was on the field.
ReplyDeleteSince that's the type of player I knew growing up, I do miss that part of the game. 75 percent of your offense coming from home runs is not as exciting to me but stolen bases have come back the last couple of years so that's a good sign.
Willie Wilson and TWIB. Can't get much more classic than that!
DeleteAnd yes, I like how stolen bases have been coming back over the past couple of seasons. Here's to the pendulum swinging a little farther in that direction!
I loved watching Willie Wilson play.
ReplyDeleteI have no idea how many Royals games I saw with him in the lineup, 200? I do know the only inside the park home run I’ve seen (in person) was one of his. It was against Boston. He led off and I think it was either the second or third pitch. He hit a ball in the left field corner that bounced back over towards center. 1-0 Royals in the bottom of the first. That was the final score. I think Dennis Leonard, another underrated pitcher in that era, was the pitcher and he threw a 3 or 4 hitter.
I had an opportunity to chat with Willie several years ago. He said he remembered the hit and thought “Denny” was pitching that day. A very nice gentleman.
Great experiences and memories, kcjays. Thanks very much for sharing! Must have been so cool to watch an inside the park home run at the stadium.
DeleteI was a big fan of Wilson, too. I have always been a Mets fan, but with the Mets being terrible post-Seaver trade and a guy with my name starring for KC, I became a Royals fan for a while. And then along came Wilson who was from my area of NJ and, as you explain well, was a ton of fun to watch. I'd even be seen wearing a Royals cap!
ReplyDeleteA royals cap? That takes some commitment, my friend. Glad to see so many Willie Wilson fans here in the comments!
DeleteI used to play a baseball game on my Apple IIe where you could replay different World Series. It had the 1980 teams and I'd always play as the Phillies (Steve Carlton was one of my favorite players). I learned to appreciate Wilson's ability to hit through that game and then following him in the morning box scores. I have always had a deep appreciation for guys who could slap the ball for singles (Gwynn and Ichiro are two of my all-time favorite players).
ReplyDeleteOh man, old computer games and the morning box scores. That brings back so many good memories, Fuji. And I think we're birds of a feather when it comes to slap hitters. I had a chance to watch Ichiro at Yankee Stadium, and it was a treat.
DeleteGreat player and fun post!
ReplyDeleteMuch appreciated Jafronius! Always good to see you here.
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