- Preston Wilson
Infobox MLB player
name=Preston Wilson
width=250
caption=Wilson with the Cardinals on April 1, 2007
position=Outfielder
team=Free Agent
number=
bats=Right
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date and age|1974|7|19
birthplace=city-state|Bamberg|South Carolina
debutdate=May 7
debutyear=1998
debutteam=New York Mets
statyear=May 9, 2007
stat1label=Hits
stat1value=1055
stat2label=Home run s| stat2value=189
stat3label=Batting average
stat3value=.264
teams=
*New York Mets (by|1998)
*Florida Marlins (by|1998-by|2002)
*Colorado Rockies (by|2003-by|2005)
*Washington Nationals (by|2005)
*Houston Astros (by|2006)
*St. Louis Cardinals (by|2006-by|2007)Preston James Richard Wilson (born
July 19 1974 in Bamberg,South Carolina ) is aMajor League Baseball outfielder who is currently a free agent. He is both the nephew and stepson of formerNew York Mets starMookie Wilson . [http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2279370 Wilson agrees to $4M, one-year deal with Astros, "Associated Press"] ] (Mookie married Preston's mother after his brother fathered Preston.)New York Mets
At age 17, he was drafted by the Mets out of
Bamberg-Ehrhardt High School in the first round of the 1992 amateur draft. The "Baseball America " 1992 High School Player of the Year, [http://houston.astros.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/team/player_career.jsp?player_id=133343 Official Major League Baseball biography, "MLB.com"] ] Wilson was ranked among the top 100 prospects in baseball by the magazine four times between 1993 and 1998. [ [http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/features/26983.html "Baseball America's" All-time Top 100 Prospects] ] He is known to be an aggressive hitter, according to scouts and media sources, based on his propensity to swing at the first pitch and his high strikeout rates. [http://archive.sportingnews.com/baseball/articles/20030709/482260.html "The Sporting News" scouting report] ] [http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/3563837.html Wilson adds punch to Astros, "Houston Chronicle"] ]After spending five seasons below Triple A, Wilson finally reached the majors in May 1998, but just two weeks after joining the Mets, he was traded to the
Florida Marlins with two other minor leaguers forMike Piazza . He returned to the minor leagues for most of the season.Florida Marlins
In 1999, he was the Marlins' regular center fielder. Wilson led the team in
home run s and runs batted in as a rookie, and he finished second in the NL Rookie of the Year balloting toCincinnati Reds relieverScott Williamson . The following season, Wilson joined the30-30 club , slugging 31 home runs and stealing 36 bases. He added 121 RBIs, good for eighth in the National League. Wilson also lived up to his reputation as a free swinger, nearly setting a new record for most strikeouts in a season. His total of 187 fell two shy ofBobby Bonds ' record at the time. (Adam Dunn later broke the strikeout record with 195). Wilson hit 23 home runs in each of the following two seasons, though his overall production dipped, partially due to missed games.Colorado Rockies
After the 2002 season, Wilson was involved in a six player deal which sent him and three others to the
Colorado Rockies forJuan Pierre andMike Hampton . Wilson rebounded in 2003, leading the National League with 141 runs batted in. He belted 36 home runs, and he was named to his first all-star team.Bothered by a knee injury in 2004, Wilson was limited to 58 games, affecting his power numbers.
Washington Nationals
He was acquired by the Washington Nationals in July 2005 for
pitcher Zach Day and outfielderJ. J. Davis . He led the team in homers and RBIs during the second half of the season, finishing with 25 and 90 respectively. [http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060704&content_id=1538277&vkey=news_was&fext=.jsp&c_id=was Nationals' notable July trades, "MLB.com"] ]Houston Astros
In the 2005 offseason, Wilson signed a one-year deal worth $4 million with the
Houston Astros , with a team option of three additional years at $24 million and a buyout of $500,000. Previously acenter fielder , Wilson shifted to left since Willy Taveras, the previous season's Rookie of the Year runner-up, was already occupying the position.OnApril 17 , by|2006, Wilson set an Astros record by striking out five times in a single game. This tied the MLB record. [http://www.usatoday.com/sports/scores106/106107/MLB673211.htm Astros 8, Brewers 7, "USA Today"] ] Despite early struggles, Wilson was batting .284 with 46 RBIs at the 2006 All-Star Break, with the potential for another 100+ RBI season. However, his power numbers were well below his previous years. He was referred to repeatedly on Houston's SportsRadio 610 as "Private Punch-out."t. Louis Cardinals
The
St. Louis Cardinals announced onAugust 18 , by|2006 that they had signed Wilson. The Cardinals took another chance on a discarded veteran since veteran center fielderJim Edmonds was out withpost concussion syndrome . Wilson was designated for assignment by Houston on Saturday,August 12 , before ultimately being given his release. He joined his new team six days later and was immediately inserted into the starting lineup. Wilson batted sixth and played right field, withJuan Encarnación moving to center field. He made an instant impact for the Redbirds, hitting a home run in an 11-3 rout of theChicago Cubs on the 18th. Wilson, like his stepfather Mookie in 1986, would win a World Series ring in 2006.The Cardinals re-signed Wilson for 2007, but he suffered a knee injury in early May and missed the rest of the 2007 season. After the end of the 2007 season Wilson was released. Wilson seems to have generated little interest during spring training 2008, leaving him a free agent. [http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080302&content_id=2400073&vkey=spt2008news&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb]
ee also
*
Top 500 home run hitters of all time
*30-30 club
*List of Major League Baseball RBI champions
*List of second generation MLB players References
External links
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