Bill Wilkinson (baseball)

For other uses, see William Wilkinson (disambiguation).

Bill Wilkinson
Wilkinson with the Seattle Mariners c. 1987
Pitcher
Born: (1964-08-10) 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 record5–8
Earned run average4.13
Strikeouts103
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]

Career

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.[1] 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.[3] 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).[4] He was the fifth-youngest player in the American League in 1985.[5] Following his start against the Rangers, the Mariners demoted him to the minor leagues.[6] 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][7] 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.[8][2]

Wilkinson appeared in 56 games as a reliever for Seattle in 1987, the most of any Mariners pitcher that year.[9] 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.[8] In April, the Mariners traded Wilkinson to the Pittsburgh Pirates as part of a five-player trade.[10][11] 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.[12]

Personal life

Born in Greybull, Wyoming,[1] Wilkinson is the great-grandson of Jim Bluejacket, a right-handed pitcher who spent three seasons in the Federal League and National League from 1914 to 1916.[13] Bluejacket and Wilkinson were the first great-grandfather and great-grandson duo that have both played in MLB.[14][15] Wilkinson's brother, Brian, was selected in the 1987 MLB draft by the Mariners and reached High-A in 1991.[16][17]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Bill Wilkinson Statistics". Baseball Reference. Retrieved January 7, 2009.
  2. ^ a b c d Seattle Mariners 1988 Media Guide. 1988. p. 60.
  3. ^ "Kansas City Royals 4, Seattle Mariners 3". Retrosheet. Retrieved January 7, 2009.
  4. ^ "Bill Wilkinson 1985 Pitching Game Logs". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved March 19, 2026.
  5. ^ "1985 American League Other Leaders". Baseball Reference.
  6. ^ "Transactions". The New York Times. June 22, 1985. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
  7. ^ Slade, Daryl (June 28, 1986). "No choice except to be patient". Calgary Herald. p. E6. Retrieved December 17, 2011.
  8. ^ a b Slade, Daryl (April 4, 1989). "Cannons' Wilkinson learns lesson after shoulder injury". Calgary Herald. p. E4.
  9. ^ "1987 Seattle Mariners Statistics". Baseball Reference. Retrieved August 5, 2017.
  10. ^ "Friday's Sports Transactions". UPI. April 21, 1989. Retrieved March 19, 2026.
  11. ^ Gammons, Peter (May 15, 1989). "Inside: Baseball". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on April 9, 2008. Retrieved December 19, 2024.
  12. ^ "Bill Wilkinson (Minor Leagues)". Baseball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on February 27, 2009. Retrieved October 17, 2019.
  13. ^ "Jim Bluejacket Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 7, 2009.
  14. ^ Kane, Matt (June 18, 2007). "The fathers of baseball". The Herald Journal. Retrieved January 7, 2009.
  15. ^ "Jim Bluejacket". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved March 19, 2026.
  16. ^ "Bob Boone's Son Bret, a Shortstop, Is Selected by the Twins in Draft". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. June 12, 1987. Retrieved September 18, 2009.
  17. ^ "Brian Wilkinson - Minor League Baseball Statistics". The Baseball Cube. Retrieved March 19, 2026.
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