Craig Wilson: A Tribute

by Charlie Wilmoth on Aug 3, 2006 3:58 AM EDT in News

Craig Wilson's new uniform colors and haircut may make him look ghostly, but that's a small price to pay (mlb.com)

Craig Wilson was my favorite Pirate. Now that's he's gone to a better place, I'd like to give him back some of the respect he deserved with the Pirates. All hail Craig!

December, 1996: The Bucs traded Orlando Merced, Carlos Garcia and Dan Plesac to the Blue Jays for Abe Nunez, Jose Silva, three career minor leaguers, and Wilson. The Jays had picked Wilson in the second round of the 1995 draft, and he'd hit reasonably well in Class A as a 19-year-old in the Jays' system.

1997: Wilson had an excellent year for a 20-year-old at Class A+ Lynchburg, hitting .264/.350/.476 with 19 homers. In spite of this, he spent part of 1998 at the same level, where he predictably killed the ball.

1999: Wilson killed the ball some more at Class AA, hitting .268/.367/.508. Still, he wasn't given the starting catching job at Class AAA Nashville in 2000 - the Bucs preferred Tim Laker. Luckily, Wilson wound up hitting a couple of pinch-hit homers early in the season. To the Pirates' credit, they made Wilson a starter, and he hit .283/.383/.604 as a 23-year-old.

2001: Despite his ridiculous season at Class AAA in 2000 - no Pirate prospect has hit nearly that well in Class AAA since then - the Bucs wouldn't give Wilson a shot at a job in Spring Training. Thanks to injuries, he ended up on the team anyway. Wilson quickly reeled off a string of pinch-hit homers, prompting an earnest young fan to ask Rob Neyer what the Bucs were thinking playing Kevin Young ahead of Wilson. Neyer replied:

So the question is, as I see it, "Does Craig Wilson deserve to play ahead of Kevin Young?" This season, Wilson has a 915 OPS and Young has a 733 OPS. Big plus for Wilson. However, Wilson's problem has always been the strike zone. He doesn't walk often, and in the high minors he struck out roughly once per game. This season the strikeouts are out of control -- 118 at-bats, 46 strikeouts; if Wilson played 150 games he'd set a new record -- and managers absolutely despise strikeouts. But the real problem here is that Wilson and Kevin Young both bat right-handed, so there's no obvious way to use them effectively. All of which is to say that while I've not been at all impressed with McClendon as a manager, he's doing about as well as he can with the first basemen that are available to him. The real villain here is the now-departed Cam Bonifay, who stuck the Pirates with Young's ridiculous contract.

This confused the young fan, who thought he had served up a fat one for Neyer to hit out of the park. Wilson should have been starting - there can never be an excuse for a 24-year-old on a horrible team tying the major league record for pinch hit home runs in a season, as Wilson did that year. Anyway, Wilson hit .310/.390/.589, which would've placed him among the best hitters in the National League if he hadn't been limited to 158 at bats.

2002: In spite of his performance in 2001, the Bucs didn't give Wilson a starting job in 2002 - they preferred Kevin Young, Armando Rios - just about anyone else, really. The Bucs scored a pathetic 641 runs, and Young and Rios were huge parts of the problem. Wilson was far better than either of them.

2003: Still no starting job for Wilson, as the Bucs loaded up on cheap free agents, including Randall Simon, Reggie Sanders and Matt Stairs. Sanders and Stairs legitimately outplayed Wilson, but Simon was a complete waste of time, and Wilson hit a stellar .262/.360/.511. Wilson also served as the Bucs' backup catcher to Jason Kendall. The Pirates had been wasting a roster spot on Keith Osik in 2001 and 2002. Given that Kendall rarely needed a day off and that Wilson could easily fill in at catcher, they would have been well-served to let Wilson be the backup catcher and use the bench spot they'd saved on someone who could hit.

2004: Despite Wilson's strong season and a much less favorable free agent market, the Pirates still wouldn't open up a starting job for Wilson. They penciled the newly-acquired Jason Bay in as the starter in left field, and free agents Raul Mondesi and Randall freaking Simon in right and at first, respectively. Wilson didn't complain. Bay started the year hurt, Mondesi ended up quitting the team and Wilson started the season on a tear. This began a bizarre sequence of events in which the Pirates aggressively promoted Wilson as an All-Star candidate, even though they themselves had thought him unworthy of a starting job only a few months before. Anyway, Wilson cooled down but still ended up hitting 29 homers and keeping the offense respectable while Mondesi, Simon and Chris Stynes all imploded.

2005: For the only time in his major league career, Wilson began the season with a starting job. He had a disappointing season, missing substantial amounts of time with injuries to his hand and not hitting for much power when he did play. However, he was still an asset at the plate - thanks in part to his willingness to get hit by pitches and to an excellent walk rate, his .387 OBP was solid.

2006: In the off-season, the Bucs thought it'd be a good idea to trade for Sean Casey and sign what was left of Jeromy Burnitz. Pirates GM Dave Littlefield talked about the need for depth when he acquired Burnitz, but that acquisition had nothing to do with depth. A team need not pay $6.7 million for depth. Instead, the Burnitz acquisition was about blocking Wilson, even though there was absolutely no reason to think that Burnitz would outplay Wilson. In spite of this, Wilson started the year on a positive note, reporting to camp early and "on his own" to catch for the huge number of pitchers in spring training.

After the season began, Burnitz predictably tanked and Wilson filled in capably when Casey went down with an injury. In spite of this, Wilson went back to the bench when Casey returned. In April, it came out that the Pirates hated Wilson in part because he has a sense of humor and drinks a lot of Pepsi. I wish I were kidding about this. Wilson finally expressed muted frustration about not receiving more playing time. As the season went on he received less and less, until!

July 31, 2006: Wilson was finally traded, to the Yankees. Appropriately, the deal was lopsided - the Pirates didn't receive nearly enough in return for Wilson. Wilson had two hits in his first game with the Yankees.

Craig Wilson, Bucs Dugout salutes you. You almost make me want to root for the Yankees. It's hard to feel much sympathy for a millionaire baseball player, but the Pirates have screwed you over in just about every way they could. They've said they didn't like you because you strike out too much, but then they acquired Burnitz and Jose Hernandez. They've said they didn't like you because your defense wasn't great, but then they acquired Xavier Nady on the same day they traded you away. I can only conclude that you were repeatedly jobbed for personal reasons. Perhaps you looked at Kevin McClatchy's wife wrong one day, or something. Whatever the case may be, I am sorry, and I wish you the best, and I hope you hit the crap out of the ball for the rest of the season and make the Pirates' management look as stupid as they are. Stay happy, Craig.

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So long Craig

Well said, Charlie. I hope somebody someday will explain all the ways in which Craig was overlooked, ignored and just flat out screwed by the club. It defies a logical explanation. I doubt if anyone will have the guts to come forward and admit they did him wrong. But they clearly did.

By the way, is McClatchy married? I didn't think he was but maybe I'm wrong.

by clemente in right on Aug 3, 2006 8:19 AM EDT reply actions

Re: married

I didn't know, I just made that part up. :)

by Charlie Wilmoth on Aug 3, 2006 1:54 PM EDT up reply actions

Craig (and McClatchy)

The situation for Craig in 2000 was actually worse than you make it out. He slugged over .500 in a hitters' park in 1999 when he was coming off TJ surgery. According to one of the Pirates' minor league staffers (I think it was whoever was managing at AAA), shortly before the 2000 season all the minors catching assignments had been made and Craig didn't have a home. In other words, nobody on the staff thought he was any good. The AAA manager "volunteered" to take Craig as a 3rd string catcher, behind Laker and the immortal Randy Knorr. A string of PH HRs settled that, and Knorr was released. So the inability to judge talent has a long tradition in Pirateland, as does the baffling aversion to Craig Wilson.

By the way, is McClatchy married?

No. There are long-standing rumors about him, the nature of which you can probably guess.

by WTM on Aug 3, 2006 9:23 AM EDT reply actions

Aargh

That should have been "PITCHERS' park."

by WTM on Aug 3, 2006 9:24 AM EDT up reply actions

Craiggers - Not A Yankee

It breaks my heart to see him shorn and shaved, it really does. Being a part of the most passionless, boring team in American sports is going to completely suck the fun out of Craig. I absolutely hate the Red Sox, but that team's so much more his style.

by psk984 on Aug 3, 2006 9:40 AM EDT reply actions

Craig Wilson

Yeah, either the Red Sox or the Angels (he supposedly has a home near Angels Stadium) would seem to be a better fit. But at least he's on a winner and has a great chance to not only get to the playoffs but contribute to a World Series champ.

As for his career with the Pirates: What a waste. Let's see, his playing time here was blocked by the likes of Kevin Young, Armando Rios, Matt Stairs, Randall Simon, Raul Mondesi (?!), Randall Simon (again?!!), Sean Casey, Jeromy Burnitz (have we forgotten anybody?) ... well, what can we say? Good luck, Craig.

by bern1 on Aug 3, 2006 10:06 AM EDT reply actions

Don't forget

Jose Hernandez!

by Charlie Wilmoth on Aug 3, 2006 1:55 PM EDT up reply actions

that picture makes me puke

I can't even recognize the guy any more. I hate the Yankees almost as much as I love the Pirates. Because of this I refuse to wish him luck... I hope he sucks as a Yankee.

by Brian in 317 on Aug 3, 2006 10:34 AM EDT reply actions

CW

CW's my favorite too, Charlie. A few more tidbits.

Remember the opening day lineup in 2005, after he hit 264/354/499 with 29 HRs in 611 PAs mostly batting cleanup in 2004? The famous Tike Redman hitting 3rd lineup? People forget but CW was on the bench. It seems Sheets was pitching for Milwaukee and CW hadn't done well in something like 12 ABs over several years. 12 ABs! An explanation on par with "we don't want to overexpose him" that LLoyd had used for years to when asked why CW wasn't playing. I've always thought that was the quintessential slap in the face for CW.

Unless it was the time in '03 when Wilson was hot and named NL player of the week only to be back on the bench a few days later. Wilson is streaky, but no player in baseball has more consistent numbers year to year, which is what matters.

Even many of CW's supporters don't grasp his value. From 2000 through 2005, he had an OPS significantly better than the following established middle of the order hitters of roughly the same age: Pat Burrell, Carlos Lee, Aramis Ramirez, Alfonzo Soriano, and Sean Casey.

I think the Yankees will be smart enough to try him behind the plate. And soon realize they don't need Sal Fasano.

by rogero on Aug 3, 2006 11:28 AM EDT reply actions

It wasn't 12

It was 7.

by KPatrick on Aug 3, 2006 12:57 PM EDT up reply actions

Astros

It similar to the way the Astros handled Daryle Ward, Jason Lane and to a lesser extent Chris Burke. Although the Astros kept sending them down to get regular at bats in the minors. With Lane and Ward it killed their development process.
I respect the Rockies for letting go of Shealy.

by lgavind @ Bucs Dugout on Aug 3, 2006 12:06 PM EDT reply actions

Oh the Humanity

He looks like the guy from the movie Powder.

I too want to know the real story. They seriously hate him. Why?

by rory on Aug 3, 2006 12:33 PM EDT reply actions

According to Perrotto

They hate him because he has a goofy sense of humor, used the Mona Lisa in his painting graphic and, really, he drinks a lot of Pepsi.

I also suspect that Craig acquired a label somewhere along the way and the Pirates' front office takes those seriously.

by steve_z on Aug 3, 2006 1:44 PM EDT up reply actions

Tools

I don't discount the possibility that stupid things like that played a role--Bronson Arroyo's hair springs to mind--but I expect the basic problem was one shared by both Bonifay's and DL's staffs, especially the latter: tools goofiness. Both regimes have/had a habit of getting hung up excessively on young players' lack of speed or defensive skill, and seem(ed) completely unable to appreciate a guy whose only skill is hitting (unless he's a veteran, of course).

Craig has always looked awkward in the field and on the bases (although he actually runs OK), he's a guess hitter and takes a lot of bad swings, and he fans a lot. The Pirates have always preferred guys like Casey and Randall Simon, who have good reflexes, don't guess much, and are good at putting the bat on the ball. Never mind that the results are inferior. They seem to have a mindless, scout-oriented approach where they judge a hitter by how he looks in the batting cage and ignore his actual performance. I guarantee that anybody on DL's staff would have said that Simon was a better hitter than Craig, right up to the time they released him.

by WTM on Aug 3, 2006 2:22 PM EDT up reply actions

Whatever

ANYONE can interpret stats, Wilbur. It takes a practiced, experienced eye -- preferably one that played the game -- to know when a guy looks good standing in the box.

by KPatrick on Aug 3, 2006 2:31 PM EDT up reply actions

Tools

That's interesting, especially since DL used to be a scout. He must not have been a very good scout, though. Craig runs better and is better in the field than a lot of people give him credit for. In the outfield, he has a strong arm and at first base he has pretty nimble feet and a fairly reliable glove. It's a shame they wouldn't let him play. It seems the Pirates administration focus on their player's weaknesses, instead of their skills and strengths. It also seems as if the Pirates don't trust their own players, and the players know it.

by bern1 on Aug 3, 2006 2:34 PM EDT up reply actions

I suppose it's tools

The odd thing, though, the federales continually wash out guys who perform, their team loses consistently and often, their minor league system is nearly barren except for 3 blue chip, first round draft picks and a bunch of capable middle relievers. Watching the organization is like observing a cargo cult from without. It all seems so strange and avoidable. Yet, those inside the cult take everything seriously

Despite their record, you can see the makings of a pretty good team in this year's squad. Currently, they are 7.5 games beneath their first order Pythagorean projection. But, to make good on that promise, the Pirates would need a very perceptive front office. Clearly, that's just what we lack.

I'm nearly tempted to root for the Yankees this fall.

by steve_z on Aug 3, 2006 3:34 PM EDT up reply actions

Explaining the unexplainable

You could probably spend a lot of time trying to figure out all the little things the Pirates do wrong that keep them losing. In fact, most of the stuff I've written at onlybucs has attempted to do that. The bottom line, though, is that they just have a knack for getting the least out of what they have, with this year's team being the ultimate example.

In evaluating GMs, people invariably focus on trades and FA signings, but I'm convinced that the factors contributing to success or failure are much more subtle than that. Issues like timing (buying high/selling low, for example), being willing to take risks, looking beyond the next five minutes, getting that extra draft pick, etc. There's just something wrong, sometimes major sometimes minor, with nearly everything this team does.

by WTM on Aug 3, 2006 3:45 PM EDT up reply actions

I'd imagine...

...it's a bad team to play (work) for.

It's certainly not a meritocracy. The bosses in the organization always send blame downward while hogging all the credit, which is an amazing feat to accomplish given that the fans follow the team and the players, not the management staff! The team is cheap and petty. The higher ups would rather spend money on the players than level with them for any reason.

But, most of all, the bosses are incopetent. For the players, that's like going into battle with horses instead of tanks.

by steve_z on Aug 3, 2006 4:14 PM EDT up reply actions

Atmosphere

I'm becoming more and more convinced that this is a major issue. There've been too many players who just fell apart when they got to Pgh., or who did better once they left.

The problem is, the idiots running the team think they need Proven Veterans to overcome this problem. Then they go out and get guys like Burnitz, Randa and Casey, who spent nearly their whole careers on bad teams and who in some cases are only in Pgh. because there was nowhere else to go. And there are the added issues of DL's habit of trying to force injured players to play, and his vindictive attitude toward young players (Duaner Sanchez being a prime example). I'm guessing they've got a clubhouse made up mainly of veterans who're just mailing it in and young guys who can sense that something just ain't right and are depressed that they've got X number of years until they can leave as FAs.

In every organization I've worked in, the atmosphere was created at the top and extended down. The Pirates have losers who aren't dedicated to winning at the top, and the players probably end up reflecting that attitude.

by WTM on Aug 3, 2006 4:35 PM EDT up reply actions

Reply

Having been around scouts a lot, I can confirm that a scout has strong opinions about everything and is very reluctant to change that opinion. Most scouts will say their first impression of a player is the lasting and correct impression. It doesn't surpise me one bit that the Pirates would operate in the same manner.

Scouts will also focus on what a player can't do as this separates the prospects in their eyes.

by Greg Schuler on Aug 7, 2006 2:31 PM EDT up reply actions

damn damn

Good for Wilson!!! screw littlefield by hitting a GW Hr in the playoffs or WS even i dont know what happend behind the scenes but Wilson never did anything in my years of following the bucs for me to say he was a bad seed, so to treat him like that was/is messed up

~Fire Littlefield/Tracy and i'll be a little happier~

by piratesfanzrule on Aug 3, 2006 12:36 PM EDT reply actions

Craig Wilson

Our secretary at work,who used to be Bill Veeck's personal secretary with the White Sox,by the way,and her husband are Pirates season ticket holders(Egad!). She told me that what was not seen by most people is how nice Craig Wilson was with the fans at PNC Park;unfailingly gracious and accomodating,with no ego whatsover.
Maybe this is what the Pirates didn't like about him. A solid,versatile player who consistently subordinated himself to the team effort,never complained,and was great with the customers. I mean,who would want a guy like that,right?!
I agree that it's hard to feel sorry for rich,famous,major league ballplayers. However,it's clear that somebody(sombodies?)with the Pirates seemed to have it out for Craig Wilson. Much as I DESPISE the Yankees,I wish Craig Wilson personal success.

by topsarge on Aug 3, 2006 5:19 PM EDT reply actions

"You almost make me...

... want to root for the Yankees.""

I can take that one step farther and say that I've "chosen" the Yankees to be my backup favorite team. What's nice is that with the Yankees being on ESPN 2 or 3 times a week, I'll still probably get to see him play more often than he did when he was in Pittsburgh.

by matskralc on Aug 3, 2006 11:43 PM EDT reply actions

SportsPickle

In this week's SportsPickle poll, the Pirates are running away with it as the biggest winner at the trade deadline. With 10 options, and over 1000 votes cast, 2/3rds of the vote in the poll so far has gone to option 10: "Pirates -- they managed to get rid of a lot of Pirates"

by DJAnyReason on Aug 3, 2006 11:52 PM EDT reply actions

Anyone familiar with Ted Nolan (Sabres coach)

Ted Nolan was Coach of the Year for the Buffalo Sabres, got canned for vague reasons, and was blackballed for several years. I'm not sure anyone really knows why. Publicly, it's a complete mystery, or at least I haven't even heard whispers about what it might have been.

Whenever something like that happens, I think two things, and I'm completely serious. He banged the wrong wife, or he's gay.

azibuck

by azibuck on Aug 4, 2006 11:29 AM EDT reply actions

Ted Nolan

I have read repeatedly that the unofficial official reason that Nolan was blackballed until recently was that he masterminded John Muckler's exit from the Buffalo Front Office. No GM wants a coach who undermines the authority of the front office and Nolan was reputed to be exactly that type of person. Nolan didn't help his own cause by constantly charging racism and refusing any job opportunities unless it was for a head coaching position.

Charles Wang hired Nolan directly - Neil Smith and Mike Milbury had no input. Wang has some curious ideas how to run a franchise, and hiring Nolan seems about right.

I will say that Lindy Ruff did much more with essentially the same team than Nolan - I always thought that Nolan played up the udnerdog aspect too much. According to reports I have read/heard/seen Ruff had to completely revamp the mentality of the team, convincing them they were good enough to compete at the NHL level.

by Greg Schuler on Aug 7, 2006 2:26 PM EDT up reply actions

Ted Nolan

Ted Nolan is a great coach who was reputed to have had issues with alcohol. Hey, it happens.

It was a shame he got blackballed, and it's good to see he's getting a chance with the Islanders. Personally, I wouldn't have cared if he'd shown up to work drunk every day. I thought at the time and still believe that the Penguins should have hired him instead of some of the goofs they put behind the bench after they jettisoned what's his name (the HOF coach guy who went on to Detroit and has won, like eight Stanley Cups). I mean, Nolan couldn't have been any worse than that Ivan Hlinka dude.

by bern1 on Aug 4, 2006 11:56 AM EDT reply actions

Or . . .

. . . the Pirates spent years being criticized for not playing Craig enough and simply resented it, and took it out on him.

Their decision to bury him on the bench recently isn't really that hard to understand. Having decided to let him walk and having brought in an obviously inferior player in Burnitz to start over him--one who sucked from day one--they were probably living in terror that he'd go on one of his hot streaks before they could dump him. PR considerations have been the #2 factor, after money, in nearly all their significant decisions for years.

by WTM on Aug 4, 2006 6:38 PM EDT reply actions