Oh, by the way, he’s black
My guess is that Preston Wilson will receive a standing ovation in his first home at-bat for the St. Louis Cardinals.
Depending on the lineup, that could be Friday night at Busch Stadium against the Chicago Cubs.
Houston waived Williams last week after he batted .269 with nine home runs and 55 RBI for the Astros this season. The Cardinals signed him on Friday morning and he promptly singled and homered in his first game with the Redbirds later that afternoon.
Oh, by the way, he’s black.
Hallelujah. The Cardinals have an African-American player.
Rejoice. The Redbirds are not the 2005 Astros, which went an entire season without a black player and became the first team in decades to advance to the World Series without an African American on the roster.
While some say Wilson’s skin color means nothing, I say it speaks volumes.
St. Louis’ baseball history is rich with more than just African-American participation – there has been domination. Less than 20 percent of the Baseball Hall of Fame’s members are black, but the Cardinals have three black players enshrined in Bob Gibson, Lou Brock and Ozzie Smith.
Has any player had more impact on baseball than the late Curt Flood? Bill White became a baseball statesman and worked for the National League for many years.
Some of the Negro League’s greatest stars hail from St. Louis, including “Cool Papa” Bell.
Elston Howard, the New York Yankees great catcher, was a native St. Louisan.
So, yes, I’m excited that the Cardinals signed Wilson. Beyond his blackness, he will also help the team.
He hit .312 against left-handed pitchers and .301 with runners in scoring position this season, something the Cardinals lineup has struggled with at times this year. He can play all the outfield positions, giving manager Tony La Russa more versatility during a game.
Wilson, a nine-year Major League veteran, collected his 1,000th career hit earlier this season against St. Louis on July 7 at Minute Maid Park.
He was a 2003 National League All-Star and led the league with 141 RBI that season while with Colorado.
Playing for the Florida Marlins in 2000, Wilson recorded his only 30-30 season with 31 home runs and 36 stolen bases, but has had six seasons with 25 or more home runs.
He also looks genuinely enthused to be a Cardinal. Unlike the cathartic Ronnie Belliard, Wilson hit the ground running from Day One as a Cardinal. Like Will Clark and seasoned veterans that suddenly found themselves in the hunt for a pennant instead of a zombie-lie march to the end of the season, Wilson knows he landed on his feet after being basically dismissed by the Astros.
It shows in his attitude on the bench. It shows in his conversation with new teammates.
While he was just 2-for-10 going into Tuesday night’s game in New York, Wilson had stolen a base and walked twice. He had also fanned just once, which is one of the weaker parts of his game.
St. Louis should stand up for Wilson. Not only to show appreciation for his being the Cards’ lone African American, but because he is showing that he indeed does understand the importance of working for Cardinal Nation.