Mookie Wilson: Mets Team Hall of Famer & 1986 World Series Hero (1980 - 1989) Coach (1996 - 2011)
William Hayward Wilson was born on February 9, 1956, in Bamberg, South Carolina. He is one of four Wilson brothers. Mookie: William earned his nickname as a small child when he couldn’t pronounce the word milk, instead saying "mook". Mookie gave a lot of credit to his high school coach, Dave Horton at South Carolina, for teaching him how to be a pro ball player. Mookie was first chosen by the Los Angeles Dodgers but decided not to sign & attend college. College: He went to the University of South Carolina, playing outfield & pitching there. He played in the College World Series in 1977, losing to Arizona State. He was named to the All-Tournament outfield team. He was soon drafted by the New York Mets in the second round of the 1977 draft. He spent four years in the Mets minors, hitting over .290 with double figures in triples three times. In 1979 at AAA Tidewater, the speedy Wilson stole 49 bases then followed that up w...