St. Louis – Twenty years ago, St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Preston Wilson almost witnessed one of the most famous moments in World Series history. Yet Wilson had to play in 1,083 major-league games – including 284 for the Rockies – before playing a postseason game.
If the Cardinals win two more games against the New York Mets, Wilson will suit up for the World Series, just as his stepfather, Mookie Wilson, did in 1986.
A strange twist of fate brought Preston Wilson to this career pinnacle. Houston unceremoniously released him Aug. 15, and no team claimed him. On Aug. 19, the Cardinals, desperate for outfield depth, signed Wilson.
“It’s been a strange year, to be honest with you,” said Wilson, 32. “There were a lot of things that I never thought would happen. But I think to go through what I went through this year, to have a situation where I was actually released and then now to be able to play in the postseason, I definitely wouldn’t have seen that coming.”
Wilson has been more than an emergency backup riding the pine. He started Saturday night’s Game 3 of the League Championship Series, singling once and scoring twice. He made the highlight reel in the fifth when he gunned down the Mets’ Jose Valentin, who unwisely tried to stretch a single into a double.
“I was always impressed with the way he played,” St. Louis manager Tony La Russa said before Sunday’s Game 4. “He’s competitive and very dangerous, and when he gets it going, he’s got a very live bat.”
La Russa said he was tempted to start Wilson in left field again Sunday night, but chose red-hot Scott Spiezio instead. Spiezio hit .333 (3-for-9) in the first three games against the Mets, with two triples and five RBIs. Wilson hit .250 (2-for-8).
Twenty years ago, in the 10th inning of Game 6 of the World Series at Shea Stadium, Wilson’s stepfather hit the routine groundball heard round the world. It dribbled between the legs of Boston Red Sox first baseman Bill Buckner, scoring Ray Knight and lifting the Mets to a 6-5 victory. Two days later, after a rainout, the Mets won the World Series.
Preston Wilson practically grew up at Shea, tagging along with his stepdad and playing stickball with pitchers Sid Fernandez and Ron Darling during rain delays. And although he was at Game 6, he never actually saw the play that made his stepdad a hero and clung to Buckner like an albatross.
“I was right behind home plate in the loge level, watching the whole play,” Wilson said. “I saw everything up right to when the ball went between (Buckner’s) legs and everybody stood up. At 12 years old, I didn’t have much of a chance.”
Delgado cashes in
Wilson isn’t the only veteran getting his first taste of the playoffs. It took Mets first baseman Carlos Delgado 11 full big-league seasons and parts of three others to get to the postseason. The 34-year-old has made the most of it. He hit .429 in the first round against the Los Angeles Dodgers and enters tonight’s Game 5 hitting .400 in the NLCS with three homers and nine RBIs.
Delgado has had a noteworthy career, but he has toiled in the shadows because he had never been in the playoffs. He is one of only four players to bat .300, hit 30 home runs and drive in 100 runs in a season in both leagues.
Seventh starter
The Mets’ Darren Oliver pitched six shutout innings of relief in their 5-0 loss in Game 3, prompting speculation that Oliver might start Game 7, if there is one.
“We’ll wait and see, but Darren has started for us and that’s a possibility,” manager Willie Randolph said. “He’s done great things for us this year … obviously as a long guy and he’s pitched in short spots for us, too. I love his versatility.”
Footnote
Mets pitcher Steve Trachsel, forced out of Saturday’s game after taking a Wilson line drive to the thigh, spent Sunday icing down his bruise. Trachsel is listed as day to day.
