Brad Wilkerson
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Toronto Blue Jays — No. 35 | |
| Outfielder / First baseman | |
| Born: June 1, 1977 | |
| Bats: Left | Throws: Left |
| Major League Baseball debut | |
| July 12, 2001 for the Montréal Expos | |
| Selected MLB statistics (through May 16, 2008) |
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| Batting average | .249 |
| Hits | 748 |
| Home runs | 118 |
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| Olympic medal record | |||
| Men’s Baseball | |||
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| Gold | 2000 Sydney | Team competition | |
Stephen Bradley Wilkerson (born June 1, 1977 in Owensboro, Kentucky) is an outfielder and first baseman for the Toronto Blue Jays. Previously, Wilkerson played with the Montreal Expos, Washington Nationals, Texas Rangers, and Seattle Mariners. He bats and throws left-handed.
He and his wife, Dana, have two young daughters, Ella Grace (Gracie) and Ava. On the field, Brad is affectionately known as "The Wilk." Originating during his days with the Expos, the nickname struck a chord with the Montreal faithful, who accordingly, spurred the phrase "Ahya The Wilk!"
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[edit] Amateur career
A line drive hitter and versatile defensive player, Wilkerson attended the University of Florida and was selected by the Montreal Expos in the first round (33rd pick) of the 1998 amateur draft.
Wilkerson played for the national junior team in 1995. He was both a pitcher as well as a hitter. He was the MVP of the World Junior Championship, pitching a three-hit shutout against Taiwan in the gold medal game and hitting .360 with three home runs and eight RBI for the tournament, leading Team USA in homers and RBI. A two-time first-team All-American, Wilkerson led Florida to the College World Series in 1996 and 1998 with both his hitting and pitching. The Gators went to the College World Series, where Brad hit a dramatic grand slam to beat state rival Florida State.
The Gators made a return trip to the CWS two years later in Brad's junior year. As a junior, he became the first player in college history to hit 20 home runs, steal 20 bases, and win 10 games as a pitcher in the same year. Brad was named the College Player of the Year by Rotary Smith.[1]
[edit] Early Career
[edit] Minors
Initially, Wilkerson struggled in the minors. In 1999, Wilkerson hit only .235 with eight home runs and 49 RBI at Double-A Harrisburg, a challenging assignment for his first full professional season. Back in the Eastern League to start the (2000) season, Wilkerson tore up the league, hitting .336, 6, 44 with 36 doubles. He was on pace to break the AA Eastern League record for doubles in a season before he was promoted to Triple-A Ottawa, of the International League. For the season, he was hitting .304-15-75 with 47 doubles in 408 at bats.
[edit] Olympic Games
While coming up through the minors, Wilkerson was a member of the gold medal-winning USA baseball team in the 2000 Sydney Olympics. In one of the biggest upsets in Olympic history, Team USA defeated Cuba 4-0 in the Gold Medal Game.
[edit] Major League Career
Wilkerson debuted with Montreal on July 12, (2001), appearing in 38 games at left field. He recorded his first major league hit off future hall-of-famer Greg Maddux and his first major league home run off Jason Marquis.
From 2002-2003, Wilkerson delivered almost identical seasons with a .266 average, 20 home runs and 59 RBI in (2002), and .268, 19, 77 in (2003). In 2002 Brad hit 20 home runs, an Expos rookie record and was named Rookie of the Year by The Sporting News. His most productive season came in (2004), when he posted career-highs in homers (32), hits (146), doubles (39), runs (112), bases on balls (106), slugging percentage (.498) and OPS (.872), and hitting .255 with 67 RBI.
Wilkerson opened the (2005) season as the regular center field and leadoff hitter for the new Washington Nationals. On December 7, 2005, Wilkerson was traded to the Texas Rangers along with outfielder Terrmel Sledge and minor league pitching prospect Armando Galarraga for second baseman Alfonso Soriano.
Wilkerson has hit for the cycle twice, the first on June 24, 2003 against Pittsburgh (with the Expos). In that occurrence, Wilkerson became the first player since 1957 to have the minimum four plate appearances and hit for a natural cycle. The second time was on April 6, 2005 against Philadelphia (with the Nationals).
While playing for the Texas Rangers in 2007, Wilkerson hit three home runs in one game - the third player to do so in 2007 behind Alfonso Soriano and Carlos Lee. An injury to, and later the trade of, Mark Teixeira led to Wilkerson making many of his starts at first base in 2007.
On January 31, 2008, Wilkerson signed a one-year contract with the Seattle Mariners. On April 30, he was designated for assignment, and on May 8 was given his unconditional release. On May 9, he signed with the Toronto Blue Jays.[2]
[edit] Awards and accomplishments
- Rotary Smith Award (1998)
- Set Eastern League record for doubles in a season (36, in 2000)
- TSN Rookie of the Year Award (2002)
- Led major leagues in first inning home runs from the leadoff spot (nine, in 2004)
- Set a Montreal Expos all time record with 12 home runs from the leadoff spot
- Hit last home run ever in Montreal Expos history (2004)
[edit] Trivia
- Appeared once more in a Montreal Expos uniform during the Major League Baseball Japan All-Star Series shortly after the 2004 regular season. The Expos were to become the Washington Nationals for the 2005 season, prompting some to refer to Wilkerson as "The Last Expo."
- According to an 2007 interview on MLB on Five he has been a Liverpool FC fan since childhood; coincidentally the club is now co-owned by Texas Rangers owner Tom Hicks.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube
- Official website
- Baseball America
| Awards | ||
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| Preceded by Albert Pujols |
Sporting News NL Rookie of the Year 2002 |
Succeeded by Scott Podsednik |
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