Bill Wilkinson (baseball)
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| Bill Wilkinson | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Wilkinson with the Seattle Mariners c. 1987 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: August 10, 1964 Greybull, Wyoming, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Left | |
| MLB debut | |
| June 13, 1985, for the Seattle Mariners | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| October 2, 1988, for the Seattle Mariners | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 5–8 |
| Earned run average | 4.13 |
| Strikeouts | 103 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
William Carl Wilkinson (born August 10, 1964) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. A left-handed pitcher, Wilkinson played for Major League Baseball's (MLB) Seattle Mariners in 1985, 1987, and 1988. He had a 5–8 win–loss record, 4.56 earned run average (ERA) and 103 strikeouts in 113+1⁄3 innings pitched.[1]
Wilkinson attended Cherry Creek High School in Greenwood Village, Colorado, where he was named the most valuable player and most outstanding athlete his senior season.[2]
The Mariners selected Wilkinson in the fourth round of the 1983 MLB draft, with the 87th overall pick.[3] On June 13, 1985, he made his MLB debut with the Mariners, and took the loss against the Kansas City Royals after allowing four earned runs in 5+2⁄3 innings.[4] Five days later, Wilkinson lost in his only other appearance during the 1985 season, which was also a start; he allowed five earned runs and recorded only one out. In his two MLB starts, Wilkinson was 0–2 with a 13.50 earned run average (ERA).[5] He was the fifth-youngest player in the American League in 1985.[6] Following his start against the Rangers, the Mariners demoted him to the minor leagues.[7] He strained his lower back on July 12 and missed the rest of the season.[2]
Wilkinson did not pitch in MLB in 1986; he instead played for the Mariners' Triple-A affiliate, the Calgary Cannons of the Pacific Coast League.[1][8] In 1985 and 1986, Wilkinson had a combined record of 13–9 while pitching for the Cannons, leading the team with 23 starts and 7 complete games.[2][9]
Wilkinson appeared in 56 games as a reliever for Seattle in 1987, the most of any Mariners pitcher that year.[10] He dealt with elbow tendinitis, going on the 15-day disabled list in late July.[2] He had a 3–4 record, with a 3.66 ERA and 10 saves.[1] The following season, Wilkinson pitched in 30 games, and posted a 2–2 record with two saves and a career-low 3.48 ERA.[1]
However, Wilkinson suffered an injury to his left shoulder. Before the 1989 season began, he was sent back down to the minors, where he was used as a starter.[9] In April, the Mariners traded Wilkinson to the Pittsburgh Pirates as part of a five-player transaction.[11][12] Wilkinson never pitched for the Pirates and did not return to MLB after 1988.[1] His final minor league season was 1992, when he pitched for two teams in the Oakland Athletics organization, posting an 0–3 record and 8.21 ERA in 23 games.[13]