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Catchin' His Dream
At age 12, Dan Wilson was determined to one day play in the big leagues. Today, this Seattle Mariner has shared the field with some of baseball's greatest stars.

Imagine playing baseball in the Little League World Series at age 12 with 20,000 fans and a national TV audience watching!
Imagine pitching and catching for your high school team, winning the Illinois State Championship and being named Gatorade's national "High School Player of the Year."
Now fast forward your imagination 10 years. Picture yourself catching Randy Johnson's blazing fastball, playing in the same lineup with Ken Griffey Jr. and Alex Rodriguez — and being named to the American League All Star team.
Okay, time to wake up now, right? Not for Seattle Mariner Dan Wilson. He has experienced all this and more, but ask him what's the best thing about being a major league ballplayer and he is quick to answer that it's not the fame, money or fans cheering his name.
"One of the things I enjoy most is having a platform to do some good things in the community," Dan confides. "My wife and I try to do as much as we can in the short time that we have. When the uniform comes off, you're almost forgotten in a way, and you don't have as much time on this earth or the resources to make an impact."
Dan is unquestionably one of the "good guys" in professional sports, a welcome contrast to the spoiled millionaires who fill the headlines with their contract squabbles and rude behavior. Dan is known for taking time before and after games to sign autographs for just about all who ask. He's also a strong supporter of several community charities.
"I do think it's important for athletes to be role models," Dan says bluntly. "We're always in the spotlight, and kids do look up to us. And as a Christian, anytime I can spread the Word or be salt or light in the world, well, that's what it's all about.
"I also believe in making an impact in my community. Baseball players are very fortunate in being part of an experience where fans come out every night to see us. In Seattle, the community has built us a brand new ballpark, so there's a lot they've given us. To be able to turn around and give something back is important to me and my family."
Dan chooses to make Seattle his year-round home, though it was Barrington, Ill., where he grew up. The 31-year-old athlete is still remembered in Barrington, a suburb of Chicago. Well, "remembered" is probably an understatement. What Dan did in Barrington would be hard for anyone to forget.
Baseball's Boy Wonder
Start with the Little League World Series of 1981. Dan's team made it all the way to the final four in Williamsport, Pa., and though they lost the title to a team from Tampa, which featured current major leaguer Gary Sheffield, Dan pitched and won the consolation game that put his team into third place.
"It was an awesome experience, really incredible," Dan remembers. "There were lots of 'firsts' for me. It was my first time on an airplane, my first time meeting kids from foreign countries, and my first time playing before big crowds in a real stadium. I remember it being pretty overwhelming, but at the same time really fun. Now I look back at it and realize it prepared me somewhat for what was to come in my life."
What was to come next was a high school sports career that bordered on the superhuman. In addition to blowing away the competition in baseball, Dan won all-state hockey honors as a goalie and quarterbacked the football team.
But it was baseball where Dan truly dominated, owning the baseball diamond like Michael Jordan owned the basketball court. In four seasons he batted .414, highlighted by a .491 average his junior year (1986) when he led Barrington to the Illinois Class AA state championship. That same year he boasted a perfect 13-0 record as a pitcher. With his four year pitching stats — an incredible 31 victories and only three defeats — it was little surprise in Barrington when Dan was named Gatorade's 1987 "National High School Player of the Year."
And it was little surprise when his name was called in the major league draft that same year. The New York Mets selected the 18 year old right out of high school.
So, what did the young phenom decide to do? What would you do? Dan turned down a professional contract and enrolled at the University of Minnesota instead.
"I was only 18, and I felt like I was pretty young," Dan explains. "I knew I had some growing up to do and some issues to work out as far as being away from home. There's a natural progression for those things, and I decided it was best to go for the college experience. I also wanted to continue my education, knowing that sports might not work out for me. I wanted to get as much of that done as I could, and I figured if I went for three years and then turned pro, I would be close enough to my degree that I could always finish."
Catchin' His Dream
Dan stayed with the plan, majoring in mechanical engineering for three years and achieving 1st team All America honors as a junior. Along the way, he made a tough decision to leave pitching behind and focus on being the best catcher he could be. He was homing in on his professional career.
"As a Christian, anytime I can spread the Word or be salt or light in the world, well, that's what it's all about." — Dan Wilson
"I was drafted by the Mets as a pitcher out of high school, and that was one more reason I turned them down," Dan says. "I just didn't want to give up the chance to hit and play every day."
When the Cincinnati Reds tapped him as their seventh round draft choice in 1990, following his junior year, they made it clear they wanted Dan as an everyday catcher. The time had come for Dan to say, "Yes!"
Dan moved up the minor league ladder quickly, and by 1992 he appeared in his first major league game with the Reds.
"I struck out my first time up," Dan confesses. "I don't remember the pitcher, but I do remember I got my first hit off Tom Glavine."
In 1994, Dan was traded to the Seattle Mariners, and his career soon took off like the space shuttle. He quickly established himself as the M's first string catcher, and in 1996 he was selected to the American League All Star team.
"The All Star game was a real milestone in my career," he says. "It was pretty amazing to be in the same clubhouse with all those guys. And making it to the playoffs in 1995 and 1997 were also real thrills. I just smile when I think of those teams, and all the memories."
Dan is one guy who has memories by the truckload, and it would be easy for anyone to let those memories swell your head. So how come Dan comes across like the nice guy who lives down the block?
"One of my favorite scriptures is Colossians 3:12, which tells those of us who are Christians what people should see in our lives," Dan says. "It reads, 'Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.' I think that's what helps me stay grounded and keep perspective on things."

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