Inside the Park

Willie Wilson

Description

Willie Wilson played baseball with the mentality of a football player-a grimace, on his face. Totally unprepared for the spotlight of being in the major leagues, Wilson experienced the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, sometimes unable to tell them apart. He helped lead the Kansas City Royals to their rst World Series in only his second full season in the Major Leagues. His 1983 arrest on a cocaine charge could have been the defining moment of his life and sent him spiraling downward. Instead, he responded by helping the Royals to the World Series championship in 1985, playing a key role in the Series by batting.367 and scoring two runs and three RBIs in the Royals' win over the St. Louis Cardinals. On his way to winning the 1982 batting title, Wilson was the first switch hitter since Mickey Mantle to get 100 hits from each side of the plate, and his 13 inside-the-park home runs are the most of any modern day player in history. Willie tells his story of growing up a son of the south, displaced to New Jersey at age 7 when he met his mother for the first time. He was a shy child, seeking acceptance in athletics where he was a three-sport star at Summit (N.J.) High School. Drafted by the Royals in the first round of the 1974 amateur draft, Wilson turned down a football scholarship offer from Maryland to sign with the Royals. He quickly made his way through KC's minor league system, making his first appearance with the major league team just two years later. But Wilson's story transcends baseball. His life was rocked by the unexpected results of stardom and its demands and pitfalls. He tells a cautionary tale of how a shy young man who never even dated until the 11th grade can survive a post-career bankruptcy and turn his life around to help others with his inspirational tale. He now leads the Willie Wilson Baseball Foundation, hoping to share his experiences with inner-city youth so they can avoid the same missteps he made along the way.

Sujets

• Béisbol
• Baseball

Informations

• Publié par: Ascend Books
• Date de parution: 01 septembre 2013
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780989309547
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 6 Mo

Extrait

Courtesy of Kansas City Royals

“Wîîe payed eac and every game îke î was îs as. A grea cener Ieder and eadof îer and one o e bes base runners ï ever payed wî. He urned sînges o doubes doubes o rîpes and rîpes îno însîde-e-park ome runs.”  —George Bre,  ormer Royals îrd baseman, Hall o Fame 1999

“ï am proud o Wîîe’s revîaîzaîon în Kansas Cîy! Hîs curren învovemen wî underserved secors o e communîy încorporaed wî years o experîence on e ba Ied, provîde înspîraîona îe essons.”

—Helen Mor, Even Dîrecor, Wîllîe Wîlson Baseball Foundaîon

“Wîîe and ï were eammaes or over 10 years wî e Kansas Cîy Royas. We ad e opporunîy o pay în numerous campîonsîps încudîng beîng a par o e Royas Word Serîes wînnîng eam în 1985. Wîîe was a grea eammae and payer and îs a very good rîend o mîne.”  —Frank Wîe,  ormer Royals second baseman,  member Royals Hall o Fame

“Wîîe Wîson was sîmpy e ases man în e game and îs pay eecrîIed Royas baseba or many years. Hîs îe îs u o cerîsed rîumps and a ew srugges overcome – and în ‘ïnsîde e Park’ e es e aes o bo. Wîîe was a joy o wac and îs sory îs a joy o read.”  —Cur Nelson,  Dîrecor, Kansas Cîy Royals Hall o Fame

“Havîng Wîîe Wîson în cener Ied îs îke avîng our ouIeders, wîc says someîng abou e range and speed rîg ere.”  —Bîlly Scrîpure,  Wîlson’s Irs mînor league manager

“ï înk e coud ave made î în pro ooba dîrecy ou o îg scoo as a wîde receîver or a deensîve back, bu no as a runnîng back.”  —Howîe Anderson,  Wîlson’s ooball coac a Summî Hîg Scool

“He’s a wakîng doube. Wen ï’m în rîg Ied ï ope e doesn’ ge a î în my area because e’ be runnîng around e bases augîng wîe ï’m juggîng e ba.”  —Reggîe Jackson,  ormer Yankee rîg Ielder, Hall o Fame 1993

“here’s no quesîon Wîson îs e bes No. 1 drat pîck we’ve sîgned. He coud be e nex Wîîe Mays.”  —Royals GM Lou Gorman  ater sîgnîng Wîlson

“Men grow as rees, roug many pases o îe. Some rees wî and dîe în e ace o adversîy, some rîve as ey grow oder and sronger. Wîîe Wîson as grown îno a owerîng, srong oak … one resîîen o e seasons o îe, provîdîng sade and proecîon o a.”  —George H. Rîcer,  Presîden and Cîe Operaîng Oicer,  SmîIeld Foods, ïnc.

“Few aees ave ever eecrîIed a crowd e way Wîîe Wîson dîd wen e ran e bases and paroed e ouIed a Kaufman Sadîum. ï was sîmpy a îng o beauy!”  —Bob Kendrîck,  Presîden, Negro Leagues Baseball Museum

This page intentionally left blank

INSiDE THE Pàrk RUNNiNG THE BàSE PàTH Of LifE

WilliE WilSON wiTH KENT PUlliàM

Copyrîg © 2013 by Wîîe Wîson A RïGHTS RESERVED. No par o îs book may be reproduced or ransmîed în any orm by any means, eecronîc or mecanîca, încudîng poocopyîng and recordîng, or by any înormaîon sorage and rerîeva sysem, excep as may be expressy permîed în wrîîng rom e pubîser.

A names, ogos, and symbos a appear în îs book are rademarks o eîr îndîvîdua organîzaîons and însîuîons and ave been reproduced wî permîssîon. hîs noîce îs or e proecîon o rademark rîgs ony, and în no way represens e approva or dîsapprova o e ex o îs book by ose organîzaîons or însîuîons.

Requess or permîssîon soud be addressed Ascend Books, C, An: Rîgs and Permîssîons Deparmen, 12710 PLumm Rd., Suîe 200, Oae, KS. 66062. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Prîned în e Unîed Saes o Amerîca ïSBN- 978-0-9889964-2-7 ïSBN: e-book 978-0-9889964-3-4 îbrary o Congress Caaogîng-în-Pubîcaîons Daa Avaîabe Upon Reques

Pubîser: Bob Snodgrass Pubîcaîon Coordînaor: Be Brown Edîor: Jîm Bradord Dus Jacke and Book Desîgn: Rob Peers Saes and Markeîng: enny Coen, Dyan Tucker

A poos couresy o Wîîe Wîson uness oerwîse îndîcaed.

Every reasonabe aemp as been made o deermîne e ownersîp o copyrîg. Pease noîy e pubîser o any erroneous credîs or omîssîons, and correcîons wî be made o subsequen edîîons/ uure prînîngs. he goa o e enîre saf o Ascend Books îs o pubîs quaîy works. Wî a în mînd, we are proud o ofer îs book o our readers. Pease noe, owever, a e sory, e experîences and e words are ose o e auor aone.

Prîned în e Unîed Saes o Amerîca

www.ascendbooks.com

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Contents

Foreword By Ken Pullîam ï’s ïn Your Hands Bobbîe Lee Wîllîe James Hîllopper Role Models ï’m Goîng o Play Fooball ï Never Played e OuIeld My ïnroducîon o e Mîdwes Playîng în Fron o My Famîly Learnîng o Swîc Hî ïnsîde e Park Fînd a Drîver or Your Car Sealîng Bases Earnîng My Spo K K K K K K K K K K K K Player o e Year ï Souldn’ Have Sa Ou Peer Pressure heDayMyLîeCanged Jaîl Tîme

11 15 19 27 33 41 47 55 61 65 69 75 79 83 91 99 107 111 117 121 145

21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43

Suspended Comeback Sory ï Couldn’ Handle Beîng a Celebrîy A Lîeîme Deal Lass Two Years Geîng Back o e Serîes Don’ Coun Us Ou “Welcome Home World Serîes Camps” Begînnîng o e End Fînal Four Years wî e Royals My Walkîng Papers Playîng e Game Two Years wî e A’s he Cubbîes Wa’s Nex? Losîng All My Money How hîs Afeced My Famîly ï Wasn’ Ready o Coac Jus Los Geîng ïno e Royals Hall o Fame Sellîng My Suf Fîndîng My Way Foundaîon or My Lîe A Good Place Goîng Forward Sas Acknowledgemens Auor Bîos

149 151 155 163 167 173 177 185 191 197 201 205 215 225 229 233 235 239 243 247 249 255 263 267 271 272

Dedîcaed o e memory o Madear Annîe Mae Tîmoy Ma Doroy ynn and Buck Anony ynn