Pullian Kent - Inside the Park: Running the Base Path of Life

Willie played each and every game like it was his last. A great center fielder and leadoff hitter and one of the best base runners I ever played with. He turned singles to doubles doubles to triples and triples into inside-the-park home runs.

George Brett,
former Royals third baseman, Hall of Fame 1999

I am proud of Willies revitalization in Kansas City! His current involvement with underserved sectors of the community incorporated with years of experience on the ball field, provide inspirational life lessons.

Helen Mohr,
Event Director,
Willie Wilson Baseball Foundation

Willie and I were teammates for over 10 years with the Kansas City Royals. We had the opportunity to play in numerous championships including being a part of the Royals World Series winning team in 1985. Willie was a great teammate and player and is a very good friend of mine.

Frank White,
former Royals second baseman,
member Royals Hall of Fame

Willie Wilson was simply the fastest man in the game and his play electrified Royals baseball for many years. His life is full of cherished triumphs and a few struggles overcome and in Inside the Park he tells the tales of both. Willie was a joy to watch and his story is a joy to read.

Curt Nelson,
Director, Kansas City Royals Hall of Fame

Having Willie Wilson in center field is like having four outfielders, which says something about the range and speed right there.

Billy Scripture,
Wilsons first minor league manager

I think he could have made it in pro football directly out of high school as a wide receiver or a defensive back, but not as a running back.

Howie Anderson,
Wilsons football coach at Summit High School

Hes a walking double. When Im in right field I hope he doesnt get a hit in my area because hell be running around the bases laughing while Im juggling the ball.

Reggie Jackson,
former Yankee right fielder, Hall of Fame 1993

Theres no question Wilson is the best No. 1 draft pick weve signed. He could be the next Willie Mays.

Royals GM Lou Gorman
after signing Wilson

Men grow as trees, through many phases of life. Some trees wilt and die in the face of adversity, some thrive as they grow older and stronger. Willie Wilson has grown into a towering, strong oak one resilient to the seasons of life, providing shade and protection to all.

George H. Richter,
President and Chief Operating Officer,
Smithfield Foods, Inc.

Few athletes have ever electrified a crowd the way Willie Wilson did when he ran the bases and patrolled the outfield at Kauffman Stadium. It was simply a thing of beauty!

Bob Kendrick,
President, Negro Leagues Baseball Museum

Running the
Base Path of Life

Willie
Wilson

with Kent Pulliam

Copyright 2013 by Willie Wilson

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Printed in the United States of America

ISBN-978-0-9889964-2-7

ISBN: e-book 978-0-9889964-3-4

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publications Data Available Upon Request

Publisher: Bob Snodgrass

Publication Coordinator: Beth Brown

Editor: Jim Bradford

Dust Jacket and Book Design: Rob Peters

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All photos courtesy of Willie Wilson unless otherwise indicated.

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Printed in the United States of America

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Dedicated to the memory of
Madear Annie Mae Timothy
Ma Dorothy Lynn and
Buck Anthony Lynn

W illie Wilson was an integral part of the Royals teams of the 1980s. He, George Brett, Frank White, Amos Otis and Hal McRae were the nucleus of Royals teams that went to the World Series in 1980 and won the World Series in 1985.

Over the next 43 chapters that fit with the year-to-year arc of Willies career and life, youll learn how he has met and overcome many challenges in life.

Some would characterize Wilson as a Punch-n-Judy hitter he ranks second on the team for most singles in a career. But when Wilson reached first base he was in scoring position. Brett knocked him in 321 times the second highest total of one teammate batting in another since 1950.

In 1980, the first season the Royals reached the World Series, Wilson had the most prolific year ever for a Royals batter, and it went largely unrecognized because Brett was chasing a .400 batting average that season. Wilson had 55 more hits than Brett that year. He had the most hits ever by a Royals player in a single season that year, the most plate appearances, most at bats, most singles and most multi-hit games from that season alone.

He still holds the Royals record for stolen bases with 83 in the 1979 season. He holds the single-season record for triples with 21 in the 1985 season.

In the 80s, Wilson was the Royals hitter, collecting 1,639 hits to Bretts 1,446. His total ranked second in the Major Leagues to Robin Yount, who had 1,731 hits during the 1980s. In the 1980s Wilson scored 865 runs. Thats 12.6 percent of the runs the Royals scored in the decade, and nearly 100 more runs than the next closest player.

Brett remains the iconic hitter in Royals history. His Baseball Hall of Fame status reflects that, and Brett is atop virtually every career batting record in Royals history. Wilson ranks in the top 10 of virtually every batting category the Royals keep save home runs and is in the top five in most categories.

Twice during the 1980s Wilson was selected as the Royals Player of the year 1981 and 1984. Ironically, both seasons came after epic failures. The 1981 award followed the dubious record of 12 strikeouts in the World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies. In 1984, Wilson was coming off a winter in jail following a three-month prison sentence for his part in the drug scandal that rocked the Royals through the latter half of the 1983 season. He missed the first 45 days of the season and still played in more games than all but two other Royals.