PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – For his decade playing for the Pirates, Jack Wilson was always about his teammates. This weekend, it’s about him going into the Pirates Hall of Fame.
“It still hasn’t really set in, and I don’t think it ever will,” Wilson told a group of Pittsburgh reporters Thursday. “This is something that I never envisioned happening, just because the names that are in this company, I feel like I hold them to such a high standard. It feels weird being included with them, but it’s definitely an extreme honor in a place I called home for 10 seasons and got to wear this uniform, this color and play for these people. Just really excited.”
Wilson played 1,159 games at shortstop for the Pirates (2001-09) hitting .269 with 217 doubles, 32 triples and 60 home runs. In two of those seasons he led Major League baseball in assists and double plays while also twice leading in range for a shortstop.
“That was everything to me because it wasn’t about me,” Wilson said. “Your defense is about taking care of your pitchers. They got the hardest job in the world to get big league hitters out, my thing wasn’t to be a great defender, my thing was to take care of my guys on the mound.”
Wilson said he would love the pitcher’s reaction when he would make a play for them and he said it hurt him when he made an error. So much so he would apologize to any pitcher if he made a mistake.
“I felt bad I made an error, I didn’t pick them up,” Wilson said. “They got their job done and I didn’t do mine. It was more about them than it was ever about me.”
He also played with an energy that was infectious. From his first game as a 23-year-old in 2001, Jack Wilson enjoyed baseball and fans took to him.
“That’s what makes it the most special,” Wilson said. “I think it was always meant for me to be here, just because the style of play and the way that I was raised was a lot like the people of Pittsburgh: Hard working. They work hard, they earn their money, they come to a baseball game and they saw a guy who just loved the game and played hard.”
“That’s what my dad instilled in me and that’s what every coach I had instilled in me. I think we saw life the same. You come out here, you work your butt off, you grind, and no matter what the scoreboard is or the record is, you’re always playing hard. I think that they appreciated that as fans.”
“I think that’s always the biggest compliment you can receive, how much they enjoyed watching you play. It’s really special.”
He’s had a little time to think about it, the Rob Mackowiak game where he hit a game-winning home run in the first game of a doubleheader and the game-tying home run in the second, the same day he became a father. Wilson remembers his buddy Freddy Sanchez winning the batting title in 2006, saying it’s special that Sanchez came to Pittsburgh to be a part of the ceremonies.
Wilson could hit too, in 2004 he won a Silver Slugger with 41 doubles, 12 triples (led MLB), 11 home runs, a .308 average and .794 OPS.
While the results weren’t what they wanted, Wilson is proud of his early 2000s Pirates teams because they always battled. He thinks some of those players will be in the Pirates Hall of Fame at some point as well, but this weekend is about Jumpin’ Jack Flash.
“I love being a Pittsburgh guy,” Wilson said. “I tell people all the time, 'I was born and raised in Southern California, but I grew up in Pittsburgh.’ I became a dad here, I became a guy that learned from really good veterans early in my career, to becoming a veteran and trying to mentor the younger players coming up.”
“I think it’s all kinda meshed into one really cool feeling.”
LISTEN to what Wilson said about fans, game, Pirates
LISTEN to what Wilson said about fans, game, Pirates
