Christopher John Wilson (born November 18, 1980) is an American
auto racing
Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition.
Auto racing has existed since the invention of the automobile. Races of various sorts were organise ...
team owner and former
professional baseball
Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world.
Mod ...
pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...
. Wilson pitched in
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
(MLB) for the
Texas Rangers from 2005 to 2011 and the
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team ha ...
from 2012 to 2015. He is the founder and owner of
sports car
A sports car is a car designed with an emphasis on dynamic performance, such as handling, acceleration, top speed, the thrill of driving and racing capability. Sports cars originated in Europe in the early 1900s and are currently produced by ...
team CJ Wilson Racing, which competes in
IMSA
The International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) is a North American sports car racing sanctioning body based in Daytona Beach, Florida under the jurisdiction of the ACCUS arm of the FIA. It was started by John Bishop, a former executive direc ...
Michelin Pilot Challenge
The Michelin Pilot Challenge is a grand touring and touring car racing series run by the International Motor Sports Association. Originating from the Canadian Motorola Cup, the series was taken over by Grand-Am in 2001 to become the Grand-Am Cu ...
full-time and
WeatherTech SportsCar Championship
The IMSA SportsCar Championship, currently known as the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship under sponsorship, is a sports car racing series based in the United States and Canada and organized by the International Motor Sports Association (IMS ...
part-time.
College
After attending
Fountain Valley High School
Fountain Valley High School (FVHS) is a public high school in Fountain Valley, California, USA. It was established in 1966 and is a part of the Huntington Beach Union High School District. It is notable for its rivalry with Edison High School, p ...
(graduating in 1998), Wilson played at
Santa Ana College
Santa Ana College is a public community college in Santa Ana, California.
History
In 1915, Santa Ana Junior College opened its doors to 25 students as a department of Santa Ana High School. It was the second community college founded in Orange ...
where in 2000 he was named the
MVP
In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...
of the
Orange Empire Conference Orange Empire Conference (OEC) is a community college athletic conference in Orange County, California. Member institutions and the OEC are governed by the California Community College Athletic Association.
Commissioner
*John Keever
Member Insti ...
, and awarded the California
Junior College
A junior college (sometimes referred to colloquially as a juco, JuCo or JC) is a post-secondary educational institution offering vocational training designed to prepare students for either skilled trades and technical occupations and workers in su ...
Co-Player of the Year award. Wilson played
outfield
The outfield, in cricket, baseball and softball is the area of the field of play further from the batsman or batter than the infield. In association football, the outfield players are positioned outside the goal area.
In cricket, baseball and ...
,
first base
A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...
,
starting pitcher
In baseball (hardball or softball), a starting pitcher or starter is the first pitcher in the game for each team. A pitcher is credited with a game started if they throw the first pitch to the opponent's first batter of a game. Starting pit ...
, and
relief pitcher
In baseball and softball, a relief pitcher or reliever is a pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed because of fatigue (medical), fatigue, ineffectiveness, injury, or ejection (sports), ejection, or for other strategic ...
at
Loyola Marymount University
Loyola Marymount University (LMU) is a private Jesuit and Marymount research university in Los Angeles, California. It is located on the west side of the city near Playa Vista. LMU is the parent school to Loyola Law School, which is located ...
during the 2001 season.
Wilson was drafted by the Rangers in the fifth round (141st overall) of the
2001 MLB draft
The 2001 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft, was held on June 5 and 6.
First round selections
Supplemental First Round Selections
Compensation Picks
Background
On June 1, 2001, Rolando Viera, a Cuban ba ...
.
Professional career
Texas Rangers
After starting the 2001 season in
Pulaski of the
Appalachian League
The Appalachian League is a collegiate summer baseball league that operates in the Appalachian regions of Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina. Designed for rising freshmen and sophomores using wood bats, its season runs from ...
he was promoted to
Class A with the
Savannah Sand Gnats
The Savannah Sand Gnats were a minor league baseball team based in Savannah, Georgia. They were a member of the A-level South Atlantic League. The Sand Gnats were an affiliate of the New York Mets in their final nine seasons. The team relocated ...
. He moved through High-A
Charlotte
Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont (United States), Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Meckl ...
(
Florida State League
The Florida State League (FSL) is a Minor League Baseball league based in the state of Florida. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A following ...
) and into
Double-A Tulsa
Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the U.S. state, state of Oklahoma and List of United States cities by population, 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. ...
(
Texas League
The Texas League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated in the South Central United States since 1902. It is classified as a Double-A league. Despite the league's name, only its five South Division teams are actually based in the ...
) by late 2002.
For 2003, Wilson returned to Double-A with
Frisco RoughRiders
The Frisco RoughRiders (often shortened to 'Riders) are a Minor League Baseball team of the Texas League and the Double-A (baseball), Double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers (baseball), Texas Rangers. They are located in Frisco, Texas, and are nam ...
of the
Texas League
The Texas League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated in the South Central United States since 1902. It is classified as a Double-A league. Despite the league's name, only its five South Division teams are actually based in the ...
, earning Pitcher of the Week honors in May. His up and down season was cut short due to injury which resulted in season-ending
Tommy John surgery
Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, colloquially known as Tommy John surgery (TJS), is a surgical graft procedure where the ulnar collateral ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with either a tendon from elsewhere in the patient's bo ...
on August 12.
After missing all of 2004 due to the elbow injury, Wilson was able to return to Double-A in 2005 before being called up to the majors later that season. He posted a 1–7 record and 6.94
ERA
An era is a span of time defined for the purposes of chronology or historiography, as in the regnal eras in the history of a given monarchy, a calendar era used for a given calendar, or the geological eras defined for the history of Earth.
Comp ...
in 24 games during his rookie campaign with the Rangers. Later in the season, Texas placed him in the
bullpen
In baseball, the bullpen (or simply the pen) is the area where relief pitchers warm up before entering a game. A team's roster of relief pitchers is also metonymically referred to as "the bullpen". These pitchers usually wait in the bullpen if t ...
full-time where he went 1–2 with a 2.73 ERA in 18 relief appearances.
He started the 2006 season on the 15-day
disabled list
In Major League Baseball (MLB), the injured list (IL) is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players. Before the 2019 season, it was known as the disabled list (DL).
General guidelines
...
with a strained hamstring before returning to the team going 1–2 with a 5.16 ERA with the Rangers before getting optioned to
Triple-A on June 1. While in the minors, he went 1–0 with a 2.45 ERA with two
saves, and in 11 innings, he
struck out
In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It usually means that the batter is out. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters, and is denot ...
17 and
walked five in nine appearances. After being recalled July 18, Wilson ended the season strong, posting second half numbers of a 3.29 ERA in innings and 27 appearances and ending the season as the team's top left-handed setup man, posting a 2–4 record and 4.06 ERA overall for Texas. He proved especially tough against lefties, with an ERA of 1.77 with 19
strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It usually means that the batter is out. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters, and is deno ...
s in innings.
![CJ Wilson - blue glove](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c9/CJ_Wilson_-_blue_glove.jpg)
Following the trade of
Éric Gagné
Éric Serge Gagné (; born January 7, 1976) is a Canadian former professional baseball pitcher who played 10 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), most notably for the Los Angeles Dodgers. After signing with the Dodgers as a free agent in 1995 ...
, Wilson was used to close out games for the Rangers in 2007 converting his first 11 consecutive chances. Overall, he finished with career bests in: ERA (3.03), appearances (66), innings (68.1), strikeouts (63), WHIP (1.21), holds (15), and opposing batting average (.208).
He was named the Rangers closer for the 2008 season. He had a 6.06 ERA and converted 24 of 28 save opportunities.
In 2009, Wilson returned to role of set-up man as
Frank Francisco
Franklin Thomas Francisco (born September 11, 1979) is a Dominican former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Mets and Chicago White Sox.
Baseball career
Fr ...
was named the closer. He set new career bests in: wins (5), innings (73.2), appearances (74), ERA (2.81), strikeouts (84), K/BB ratio (2.61), holds (19), home runs allowed (3) as well as recording 14 saves throughout the year and set a team record for the lowest home ERA for a single season (0.67).
In 2010, Wilson returned to his past role as a starting pitcher with Texas. Wilson had expressed an interest in returning to the rotation as early as 2006 and was told to report to spring training in condition to start. Early conjecture amongst sports writers and fans covering the Rangers spring training debated if Wilson would actually be able to earn a spot in the rotation. After making several impressive spring starts pitching coach
Mike Maddux
Michael Ausley Maddux (born August 27, 1961) is an American professional baseball coach and former pitcher. He is the pitching coach for the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played in MLB for nine teams, over 15 seasons, and co ...
was asked if Wilson was making the rotation a tough call to which Maddux said, "He's making it a great call." Wilson was named the third starting pitcher in the rotation behind
Scott Feldman
Scott Wynne Feldman (born February 7, 1983) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, Chicago Cubs, Baltimore Orioles, Houston Astros, Toronto Blue Jays, and Cincinnati ...
and
Rich Harden
James Richard Harden (born November 30, 1981) is a Canadian former professional baseball pitcher. He pitched for the Oakland Athletics, Chicago Cubs, and Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball.
Early years
Harden attended Claremont Secondary S ...
.
At the end of April, Wilson was leading the Rangers rotation with an ERA of 1.76 after 4 starts, fourth best in the AL. On May 7 against the
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team was founded as an expans ...
, Wilson threw a complete game winning 4–1. It was Wilson's second credited complete game of the year and career, the previous being a rain-shortened six-inning loss to the Yankees. Wilson set 2 club records after his May 13 start against the A's with the most consecutive innings without a home run and most consecutive
quality start
In baseball, a quality start is a statistic for a starting pitcher defined as a game in which the pitcher completes at least six innings and permits no more than three earned runs. The quality start has effectively replaced the 'complete game' a ...
s to start a season. Wilson gave up his first home run on May 19 against the Angels'
Torii Hunter
Torii Kedar Hunter (; born July 18, 1975) is an American former professional baseball center fielder and right fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, and Detroit Tigers from 1997 ...
after innings dating back from 2009. Wilson's consecutive quality starts also ended in the same game.
Wilson led the team in wins and ERA while throwing more than 200 innings. He was named the second starter behind
Cliff Lee
Clifton Phifer Lee (born August 30, 1978) is an American former professional baseball starting pitcher who played for 13 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Between 2002 and 2014 he played for four teams, most notably the Philadelphia Philli ...
for the playoffs.
![CJ Wilson](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1e/CJ_Wilson.jpg)
In Wilson's first playoff game, he pitched 6.1 innings allowing no runs on two hits, seven strikeouts, and two walks in a 6–0 win in Game 2 against the Tampa Rays in the
American League Divisional playoff series. He threw 104 pitches supported by an
Ian Kinsler
Ian Michael Kinsler ( he, איאן קינסלר; born June 22, 1982) is an American-Israeli former professional baseball second baseman, World Series champion, World Baseball Classic champion, Olympian, and advisor in the San Diego Padres fron ...
home run and RBI single and a
Michael Young 3-run home run in the fifth.
Wilson started the
ALCS
The American League Championship Series (ALCS) is a best-of-seven playoff and one of two League Championship Series comprising the penultimate round of Major League Baseball's (MLB) postseason. It is contested by the two winners of the American ...
for the Rangers and pitched seven innings allowing three runs and six hits.
Wilson is just the sixth player in major league baseball history to go eight straight postseason starts without recording a victory.
Wilson was a 2011 American League All Star.
After the Rangers clinched the AL West on September 23, manager
Ron Washington
Ronald Louis Washington (born April 29, 1952) is an American former professional baseball shortstop. He played Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Minnesota Twins, Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians, and Houston Astros.
W ...
announced Wilson would be the team's ALDS game one starting pitcher.
In 2011, Wilson was 16–7 with a 2.94 ERA (seventh in the AL).
He led the league in games started (34), and was fourth in wins, fifth in win–loss percentage (.696), and sixth in strikeouts (206; sixth-most in Rangers history).
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
On December 8, 2011 Wilson agreed to a five-year, $77.5 million deal with the
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team ha ...
. This deal came only hours after
Albert Pujols
José Alberto Pujols Alcántara () (); born January 16, 1980) is a Dominican-American former professional baseball first baseman, designated hitter and third baseman who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Nicknamed "The Machine", ...
signed a record breaking ten-year, $250 million deal with Anaheim. The contract became official on December 10.
On May 22, 2012, Wilson and
Ernesto Frieri
Ernesto Frieri Gutiérrez ree-eh'-ree(born July 19, 1985) is a Colombian former professional baseball relief pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Pittsburgh Pirates, Tam ...
pitched a combined one-hit shutout against the
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The te ...
in Oakland, a place Wilson said that he strongly disliked pitching while with the
Texas Rangers. Wilson struck out seven and allowed two walks while giving up a single. He was selected to the All-Star Game in 2012 after going 9–5 with a 2.43 ERA for the Angels. He finished the season with a 13–10 record in 34 starts. He followed the 2012 season with another successful season, winning a career high 17 games while lowering his ERA from the prior season to 3.39.
Despite the team making the playoffs in 2014, Wilson did not have a good season, finishing with an ERA of 4.51 and leading the majors in walks with 85. Due to his high pitch counts, Wilson averaged less than 6 innings per start. Wilson's season was cut short in 2015, starting only 21 games before going out with an elbow injury in early August. He opted for elbow surgery.
He started the 2016 season on the disabled list recovering from elbow and shoulder surgery. On July 5, it was announced that Wilson would undergo season-ending shoulder surgery, ending his career.
Pitching technique
Wilson's pitching repertoire included a
four-seam fastball
A four-seam fastball, also called a rising fastball, a four-seamer, or a cross-seam fastball, is a pitch in baseball. It is a member of the fastball family of pitches and is usually the hardest (i.e., fastest) ball thrown by a pitcher. It is ca ...
(90–93 mph), a
two-seam fastball
A two-seam fastball is a pitch in baseball and softball. It is a variant of the straight fastball. The pitch has the speed of a fastball and can also include late-breaking action caused by varying the pressure of the index and middle fingers on t ...
(90–93), a
cutter (88–91),
slider
Slider or Sliders may refer to:
Arts
* K.K. Slider, a fictional character within the ''Animal Crossing'' franchise
* '' The Slider'', a 1972 album by T. Rex
* ''Sliders'' (TV series), an American science fiction and fantasy television series
* ...
(83–85),
curveball
In baseball and softball, the curveball is a type of pitch thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball, causing it to dive as it approaches the plate. Varieties of curveball include the 12–6 curve ...
(77–80), and
changeup
A changeup is a type of pitch in baseball and fastpitch softball.
The changeup is a staple off-speed pitch often used in a pitcher's arsenal, usually thrown to look like a fastball but arriving much more slowly to the plate. Its reduced speed ...
(84–87), thrown from a 3/4 arm angle. He hardly ever threw his changeup against left-handed hitters, while his slider was much more commonly used against lefties.
Wilson said he attempted to keep his opponents'
batting average on balls in play
In baseball statistics, batting average on balls in play (abbreviated BABIP) is a measurement of how often batted balls result in hits, excluding home runs. It can be expressed as, "when you hit the ball and it’s not a home run, what’s your b ...
down by "using
ypitch mix a certain way" and by taking into account his defense's alignment when he pitches.
Personal life and beliefs
Wilson is a devoted
Taoist
Taoism (, ) or Daoism () refers to either a school of philosophical thought (道家; ''daojia'') or to a religion (道教; ''daojiao''), both of which share ideas and concepts of Chinese origin and emphasize living in harmony with the ''Tao'' ...
(
converted from Christianity) and adheres to a
Straight Edge
Straight edge (sometimes abbreviated sXe or signified by XXX or X) is a subculture of hardcore punk whose adherents refrain from using alcohol, tobacco, and other recreational drugs, in reaction to the excesses of punk subculture. For some, thi ...
way of life (abstaining from alcohol, illegal drugs, tobacco, and promiscuous sex in order to maintain health). As a sign of his choice of being Straight Edge, Wilson has the words "Straight Edge" tattooed along the length of his torso, Japanese characters on his shoulder that read "Poison Free" and "XXX" stitched on his blue glove as a straight edge symbol. The blue glove is itself unusual among baseball players (who generally wear a traditional brown-colored glove). Wilson wore the blue glove when the Rangers wore their blue uniforms (or their road grey uniforms); he also had a similarly decorated red glove when pitching in games where the Rangers wore red uniforms. Wilson used a black glove, a brown glove, and at least one other red glove while playing for the Angels, all of which bore the same embroidery. During his time on the Angels, he also used a bright-blue glove with red lacing that was embroidered with "X C.J. X", where the use of the letter X surrounding his name similarly represents his straight edge lifestyle.
Wilson is highly interested in conservative politics, which he said is in stark contrast to other Major League baseball players. His characterizations of typical ballplayers in this same interview and some of his posts on the blog lonestarball.com generated minor controversy within the Rangers' clubhouse.
Wilson races racecars in his free time, and has mentioned he aims to be a professional racer after his baseball career; he also is highly interested in cars, having a collection of Porsches as well as a custom painted McLaren P1. Wilson won the E1 class in the 2010 25 Hours of Thunderhill. He races a
Mazda MX-5
The Mazda MX-5 is a lightweight two-passenger roadster sports car manufactured and marketed by Mazda with a front mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout. The convertible is marketed as the or in Japan, and as the Mazda Miata () in the United Sta ...
in club races and owns a race team that competes in the professional
Global MX-5 Cup
The Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BF Goodrich is a single-make motor racing championship sanctioned by the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) in the United States. Mazda MX-5 Cup is the professional Spec Miata series of Mazda Mo ...
series.
CJ Wilson owns CJ Wilson Mazda, which operates dealerships in
Countryside, Illinois
Countryside is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 6,420.
History
The land where Countryside sits was originally inhabited by the Potawatomi Indians and later by early American pioneers in the ...
,
Orland Park, Illinois
Orland Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States, with a small portion in Will County. The village is a suburb of Chicago. Per the 2020 census, Orland Park had a population of 58,703.
Located 25 miles (40 km) southwest of Chicago ...
,
Lake Villa, Illinois
Lake Villa is a village in Lake County, Illinois United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 8,741. Lake Villa lies within Lake Villa Township and about 50 miles north of Chicago and is part of the United States Census Bureau's Chicag ...
and
Ventura, California
Ventura, officially named San Buenaventura (Spanish for "Saint Bonaventure"), is a city on the Southern Coast of California and the county seat of Ventura County. The population was 110,763 at the 2020 census. Ventura is a popular tourist des ...
. He also is the General Manager of
Porsche
Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, usually shortened to Porsche (; see #Pronunciation, below), is a German automobile manufacturer specializing in high-performance sports cars, SUVs and sedans, headquartered in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany ...
Fresno and raced in the 2018
Pikes Peak International Hill Climb
The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (PPIHC), also known as The Race to the Clouds, is an annual automobile hillclimb to the summit of Pikes Peak in Colorado, USA. The track measures and has over 156 turns, climbing from the sta ...
.
Wilson married Brazilian model
Lisalla Montenegro on December 15, 2013, in
Laguna Beach, California
Laguna Beach (; ''Laguna'', Spanish language, Spanish for "Lagoon") is a seaside resort city located in southern Orange County, California, in the United States. It is known for its mild year-round climate, scenic coves, environmental preservat ...
. They have two daughters.
Wilson is the co-host of 'The Throttle Dogs' podcast.
Wilson is an investor in the
cryptocurrency
A cryptocurrency, crypto-currency, or crypto is a digital currency designed to work as a medium of exchange through a computer network that is not reliant on any central authority, such as a government or bank, to uphold or maintain it. It i ...
Bitcoin
Bitcoin ( abbreviation: BTC; sign: ₿) is a decentralized digital currency that can be transferred on the peer-to-peer bitcoin network. Bitcoin transactions are verified by network nodes through cryptography and recorded in a public distr ...
. He has appeared on multiple podcasts with prominent Bitcoin podcasters including Peter McCormack’s 'What Bitcoin Did' and Jimmy song’s 'Bitcoin Fixes This'.
References
External links
*
C. J. Wilson's MySpace
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, C. J.
1980 births
Living people
Major League Baseball pitchers
Baseball players from California
Loyola Marymount Lions baseball players
Texas Rangers players
Los Angeles Angels players
Pulaski Rangers players
Savannah Sand Gnats players
Charlotte Rangers players
Tulsa Drillers players
Frisco RoughRiders players
Bakersfield Blaze players
Oklahoma RedHawks players
American Taoists
American bloggers
Sportspeople from Newport Beach, California
American League All-Stars
American former Christians
Arkansas Travelers players
Santa Ana Dons baseball players
Sports car racing team owners