- Vance Wilson
Infobox MLB player
width = 250px
name = Vance Wilson
team = Detroit Tigers
number = 13
position = Catcher
birthdate = birth date and age|1973|3|17
birthplace = city-state|Mesa|Arizona
bats = Right
throws = Right
debutdate = April 24
debutyear = 1999
debutteam = New York Mets
statyear = 2007
stat1label =Batting average
stat1value = .250
stat2label =Home run s
stat2value = 25
stat3label = Runs batted in
stat3value = 129
teams =
*New York Mets (by|1999–by|2004)
*Detroit Tigers (by|2005–present)Vance Allen Wilson (born
March 17 ,1973 inMesa, Arizona ) is aMajor League Baseball catcher for theDetroit Tigers . Wilson stands at 5'11" tall, and weighs 215 pounds. He bats and throwsright-handed .Early career
Wilson was a high school standout at
Red Mountain High School inArizona and continued his hometown success atMesa Community College where he tagged a Junior College All-American in 1994.The
New York Mets selected Wilson in the 44th round of the 1993 Amateur Draft, and the catcher signed with the team the following summer after finishing his college career.After five arduous and injury riddled seasons in the Mets minor league system Wilson made his major league debut on
April 24 , 1999 as a defensive replacement against theChicago Cubs . Wilson's immediate tenure in New York was short-lived however, and he began the 2000 and 2001 seasons with Triple-A Norfolk.New York Mets
Wilson finally began to play regularly with the Mets in late 2001, assuming the role of back up catcher behind perennial
National League All-StarMike Piazza . Used as a pinch-hitter and occasional spot-starter, Wilson's greatest value to the Mets was as a defensive replacement who could prevent runners from stealing bases (something Piazza struggled with). From 2001-2004 Wilson ranked amongst the top three National League catchers for lowest opposing stolen base percentage.The reserve catcher appeared in a career-high 96 games for the Mets in 2003, notching career-highs of 8
home runs and 39 RBIs. However, Wilson was hampered by injuries towards the end of the 2004 season, and the Mets dealt him to Tigers onJanuary 5 ,2005 forsecond baseman Anderson Hernandez .Detroit Tigers
In Detroit, Wilson once again found himself behind another perennial All-Star, this time backing up
Iván Rodríguez . During the latter half of 2005 he had a short starting stint, calling 22 games for the Tigers with Rodríguez on thedisabled list and ineligible list.He started 2006 once again on the bench as the Tigers began the race for the
American League crown. During the summer he signed a two-year extension with Tigers.In 2007, he tore a muscle in his right
forearm duringspring training and was expected to be on thedisabled list for the first half of the season. He then had a setback in early June that requiredTommy John surgery , which ended any chances of a return in 2007.Minor league catcherMike Rabelo was the back-up catcher in his absence for the remainder of the season. [http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070608&content_id=2013673&vkey=news_det&fext=.jsp&c_id=det]Wilson entered the 2008 major league season as the backup to
Iván Rodríguez . However, Wilson suffered yet another setback during his rehabilitation during the winter months. He is suffering from Plantar fasciitis, which is an inflammation in the ligament that connects the heel bone to the toes. It can cause pain simply moving around at any speed, whether walking or running. [http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080429&content_id=2609798&vkey=news_det&fext=.jsp&c_id=det] After Rodriguez was traded to theNew York Yankees , utility playerBrandon Inge took over as the team's starting catcher in Wilson's absence. Rabelo, part of the trade forDontrelle Willis andMiguel Cabrera , is no longer available, leaving the backup catching duties toDane Sardinha .External links
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