DAN WILSON ARTICLES PG. 42

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Wilson could catch berth in Torre's All-Star lineup

For certain, the Mariners won't equal their eight All-Stars of last year. Ichiro is the team's only lock to play in Milwaukee on July 9, and pitchers Freddy Garcia and Kazu Sasaki seem sure to be named to the pitching staff.

But catcher Dan Wilson rates more than a cursory glance from the New York Yankees' Joe Torre, who again will manage the American League team.

Among the best


Dan Wilson's offensive and defensive numbers compare favorably with the other top catchers in the American League. A look at the frontline catchers (entering June 25th):
CATCHER/TEAM G AVG. HR RBI FIELD.
Einar Diaz/Cleveland 62 .221 2 12 .984
John Flaherty/Tampa Bay 35 .248 3 18 .992
Geronimo Gil/Baltimore 51 .239 8 29 .991
Ramon Hernandez/Oakland 60 .224 4 22 .987
A.J. Hinch/Kansas City 39 .235 5 19 .990
Brandon Inge/Detroit 32 .255 4 9 1.000
Mark Johnson/Chi. White Sox 44 .203 2 8 .995
Bengie Molina/Anaheim 44 .266 0 27 1.000
A.J. Pierzynski/Minnesota 61 .325 4 27 .995
Jorge Posada/N.Y. Yankees 67 .262 10 43 .990
Ivan Rodriguez/Texas 26 .287 1 12 1.000
Jason Varitek/Boston 47 .263 5 27 .995
Dan Wilson/Seattle 52 .312 3 22 .997
Tom Wilson/Toronto 45 .260 5 19 .986
Torre's own Jorge Posada should be the starting catcher unless fans forget that Ivan Rodriguez of Texas was out injured the first two months of the season.

"If you're talking notoriety, Dan may not have a chance," Mariners pitcher Jamie Moyer said. "In that case, the fans are looking at Posada, Mike Piazza and Pudge Rodriguez. If you're talking all the many things that rarely get any attention, Dan should be an All-Star.

"Unfortunately, these things often come down to numbers, offensive numbers, and Dan may get overlooked."

But the numbers seem to support a case for Wilson, who was named to the AL club in 1996 when the All-Star Game was played in Philadelphia.

Carrying a .312 average into last night's game, Wilson is second to only A.J. Pierzynski of the Minnesota Twins in batting among catchers. Except for Posada's 43 runs batted in, run production is fairly equal among most frontline catchers around the league.

The defensive numbers also support the Seattle catcher. Wilson has a .997 fielding average and ranks second to Anaheim's Bengie Molina, the only first-string catcher at 1.000.

Do these numbers add up to All-Star? Can Wilson make it?

"I'd say it's a very remote possibility," Wilson said. "This year I'm not an everyday guy. It would be an honor, but it's not something I think about much. If it happens, great. I'd rather be surprised than disappointed."

If Rodriguez wins the vote and goes to Milwaukee, Wilson probably has no chance. But if Posada holds on to the lead in the vote, and Torre follows the practice of carrying three catchers, then the Mariner could be in there.



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Whither Wilson after this season?

Although both would like to play more, the job-sharing going on behind the plate between Dan Wilson and Ben Davis is working exceedingly well. Wilson's legs are fresh from unprecedented days off, and he is threatening to bat .300 in a season for the first time in his career. He hopes the hits will continue in the playoffs, when he typically has faded physically and statistically. Playing two out of three days, Wilson, 33, is making a compelling case for the Mariners to spend the money to keep him next year Ñ he's a free agent at the end of this season Ñ even though they obviously made Davis their catcher of the future when they gave up Brett Tomko, Tom Lampkin and minor-league shortstop Ramon Vazquez to get him. The inescapable process of deciding who will catch for the team next year will be jarring to not only Wilson but to a community that has come to claim him as one of its own.
No Mariner is as settled in Seattle as Wilson. After his trade from Cincinnati to Seattle in 1994, he waited until his wife, Annie, had finished her teaching obligation to move here permanently. "We were young and adventurous," he said, "and we didn't know what we know now about Seattle. We've come to absolutely love it here." The Wilsons settled in Montlake. They adopted one daughter, Sofia, from Bulgaria, and at about the same time had another, Josephine. They have since added a son, Elijah, and adopted another, Abraham, from Guatemala. "My wife was a teacher in the inner city and she talked about kids who came to school in T-shirts when it was 10 below zero outside," Wilson said. "She talked about kids in the world who need help and guidance. We decided to help out where we could." Dan and Annie serve on the board of directors for First Place School. They sponsor Dan Wilson's Assists for Homeless Children, making a donation to First Place School for every opposing base runner caught stealing. "We both find Seattle breathtaking," Wilson said. "The water, the mountains. It is a small city with a big-city feel. In most cities, you either live in the city or the suburbs. But Seattle has neat little neighborhoods, and we found one in Montlake." Other than Edgar Martinez, Wilson has the most seniority with the club. He has always been first-rate behind the plate, defensively and in managing pitchers. In 1996, he hit .285, drove in 83 runs and made the All-Star team. However, until last season there had been a general decline in his offensive numbers.
With first-round draft pick Ryan Christianson struggling in the minors, the Mariners this winter went after Davis, who had platooned with San Diego. Davis was young, powerful, a switch-hitter and didn't make much. Wilson responded to the challenge, although he says he didn't see it as one. Wilson and Davis share adjoining lockers and seem to thoroughly enjoy one another. "Maybe I'm a smarter hitter than I was," Wilson said, trying to explain his .316 average entering last night's game, which was 54 points above his lifetime average. (Davis is hitting .243.) "The baseball swing is an elusive thing," Wilson said. "I keep working at it. Right now, I'm trying to stay inside the ball, not chase it out front but let it get deep into the strike zone. Right now, it is working." Wilson seems comfortable in saying that he is no longer "an everyday player," although he plays more often than Davis. "Obviously, my role has changed," he said. "Ben has tremendous talent. He's a good player. Right now, both of us are doing what we can to hold down the catching situation." Davis has played in 41 games, Wilson 53. Entering last night's game, Wilson had 158 at-bats, Davis 111.
The Mariners will face a fiscal challenge behind the plate next season. Wilson makes $4.4 million, and for the first time Davis Ñ who makes $250,000 Ñ will be arbitration-eligible and due a big raise. How much can they afford to spend on catching? Would Wilson, who is a representative to the players union, stay in Seattle for less than market value? Make no mistake, the Mariners cherish him. "There might not be another player in the game who as a players rep is liked and respected by both the team and the players," said one Mariners executive. "Dan is thoughtful and honest." Wilson hasn't made any decisions. "I honestly haven't thought about next year," he said. "I'm glad the club has a policy not to deal with contracts during the season. I want to help the Mariners get to the World Series." Wilson is taking it day to day, more a way of life with him than a cliché. "We feel fortunate to have been in Seattle as long as we have," he said. "We have roots here, real roots. If things change next season, then we'd have to punt, I guess. Somehow we'd make the right decision for our family."

A Perfect Target
I’ve been working behind the plate for so many years that catcher’s gear is like a second skin.
(By Dan Wilson)
 I get asked about the gear a lot. Even my wife says, “I can’t believe you are out there in long pants and polyester shirts, and you have to wear all that stuff. “ On real hot days, it can get a little uncomfortable, but when you’ve got one 90 mph fastball after another coming at you, that beats the alternative. All it takes is one foul tip, or one ball into the shins, and you’re glad to have that protection no matter how hot it is.     Getting a foul tip into your mask is like getting punched in the face. You don’t feel the fist and you usually don’t get cut, but you feel the full impact. If it gets you straight on, it can give you a good jar and rattle your head. I suppose it’s kind of like getting a “stinger” in football, but you get used to it.     For a catcher, things like this are par for the course. If you want to thrive at this position, you’ve got to shake off- even laugh off- the bumps and bruises.     I’m not a big talker back there. Not many catchers are. If I know a guy well, I’ll say hello as he comes up to the plate. But as a hitter, I don’t want to be talked to, so I don’t really talk to the other players.     Occasionally, I’ll talk to an umpire; you have to build that relationship. He might tell me where he’d like me to set up. I move side to side a good distance and that could block him from where he’s trying to set up, so it’s just simple communication.     I might ask where pitches are, if he thought it was low, high, in or out. Sometimes it helps if you thought it was a strike. you can develop a trust over time, and they may start listening. That’s why, maybe more than any other player on the field, the catcher has to be locked in to every pitch.     The best pitch is a located fastball; it’s tough to hit one at 90 mph down and away. Then, when you take something off of that, you’re screwing up his rhythm, That’s what Jamie [Moyer] does so well with his changeup. If he just threw changeups, though, he’d start to get hit, so he keeps guys honest inside. When you’re controlling both sides of the plate, that’s amazing, that’s the name of the game.     Before every game I’ll get together with the starting pitcher and go over the hitters we’re facing that day. We’ll talk about what we want to do to each hitter- how we want to pitch him, what his tendencies are- so that when we’re in the middle of a game, we’re on the same page. Ultimately, though, the pitcher has the final decision. If I put down a sign, he can certainly shake me off.     One of the critical things you have to recognize quickly is the quality of the pitches. The pitcher might have both a good curve and slider, but on a particular start one may be better than the other. The average person probably won’t pick these things up right away, but you can’t fool guys in this league for long, so you have to be prepared to make adjustments.     I take a lot of pride in my work behind the plate, whether I’m helping a teammate pitch a good game or making a big defensive play, like a play at the plate. I look forward to those situations- getting your body in position, then catching the ball, and the guy runs into you to try to knock the ball loose and you’re able to hold on. That’s a good feeling.     Forget about the heat, the gear, the sore knees from crouching for three hours and the foul tips crashing into your face. It’s moments like that, knowing you’re helping your team... that’s what makes catching so worthwhile.

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