Desi Bernard Wilson (born May 9, 1969) is an American 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 ...
player. He played part of one season 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), ...
for the
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yor ...
in 1996, primarily as a
first baseman
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 ...
. He also played one season in Japan with the
Hanshin Tigers
The Hanshin Tigers (Japanese: 阪神タイガース ''Hanshin Taigāsu'') are a Nippon Professional Baseball team playing in the Central League. The team is based in Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, and is owned by Hanshin Electric Railway ...
in 1998. He is currently the hitting coach of the
Iowa Cubs
The Iowa Cubs are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. They are located in Des Moines, Iowa, and are named for their Major League Baseball (MLB) affiliate. The ...
, an affiliate of the
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...
.
Amateur career
Desi Wilson played basketball and baseball for
Fairleigh Dickinson University
Fairleigh Dickinson University is a private university with its main campuses in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Founded in 1942, Fairleigh Dickinson University currently offers more than 100 degree programs to its students. In addition to its tw ...
.
Professional career
Wilson was originally drafted by the
Texas Rangers in the
1991 amateur draft.
[ In 1994, he was traded to the Giants, along with ]Rich Aurilia
Richard Santo Aurilia (; born September 2, 1971) is a former Major League Baseball shortstop who played for several teams between 1995 and 2009.
Amateur career
Aurilia was born in Brooklyn, New York. Before being drafted by Texas, Aurilia was a ...
, for pitcher John Burkett
John David Burkett (born November 28, 1964) is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher. He compiled 166 wins against 136 losses, 1,766 strikeouts, and a 4.31 earned run average. He pitched from 1987 to 2003, with the San Francisco Giant ...
.
Wilson played part of one season on the 1996 Giants, with a .271 batting average over 41 games. He also played in Japan for the Hanshin Tigers
The Hanshin Tigers (Japanese: 阪神タイガース ''Hanshin Taigāsu'') are a Nippon Professional Baseball team playing in the Central League. The team is based in Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, and is owned by Hanshin Electric Railway ...
in 1998.
Wilson played in the affiliated minor leagues until 2002, then went on to play in the independent leagues until 2007. Overall, he hit .312 in his minor league career. In 2005, while playing for the Surprise Fightin' Falcons
The Surprise Fightin' Falcons are an inactive professional baseball team based in Surprise, Arizona. They played in the Arizona Division of the independent Golden Baseball League, which is not affiliated with either Major League Baseball ''or'' ...
, Desi had a 30-game hitting streak
In baseball, a hitting streak is the number of consecutive official games in which a player appears and gets at least one base hit. According to the Official Baseball Rules, such a streak is not necessarily ended when a player has at least 1 plate ...
and batted .411, setting a Golden Baseball League
The Golden Baseball League was an independent baseball league based in San Ramon, California, with teams located in the western United States, western Canada and northwest Mexico.
The GBL was not affiliated with Major League Baseball or the orga ...
record.
Post-playing career
In 2007, Wilson began the season as the manager
Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business.
Management includes the activities o ...
of the Anderson Joes
The Anderson Joes were a minor league baseball club that existed in 2007. The team was based in Anderson, South Carolina and was named after outfielder Shoeless Joe Jackson, who grew up in the local area. The team played as a member of the indepe ...
of the independent South Coast League
The South Coast League of Professional Baseball (SCL), based in Conyers, Georgia, was a professional, independent baseball organization located in the Southeastern United States. It operated in cities not served by Major or Minor League Basebal ...
. Midway through the season, he left the position of manager and was activated as a player. He was then traded to the South Georgia Peanuts
The South Georgia Peanuts were a short-lived minor league baseball team, based in Albany, Georgia in 2007. The team's home games were held at Paul Eames Sports Complex.
History
The Peanuts played in the South Coast League and won the league tit ...
where he served as a player-coach for the remainder of the season and was part of the club's SCL championship. He joined the Cubs organization in 2009 as a hitting coach, joining Daytona in 2012. He was promoted to the hitting coach of the Tennessee Smokies in 2013.
Personal life
Wilson is the father of basketball player D.J. Carton. They have not communicated since Carton was age three or four.[
]
References
External links
, o
Retrosheet
o
Pura Pelota (Venezuelan Winter League)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Desi
1969 births
Living people
African-American baseball players
American expatriate baseball players in Japan
American men's basketball players
Anderson Joes players
Baseball players from New York (state)
Basketball players from New York (state)
Butte Copper Kings players
Charlotte Knights players
Charlotte Rangers players
Chico Outlaws players
Gulf Coast Rangers players
Fairleigh Dickinson Knights baseball players
Fairleigh Dickinson Knights men's basketball players
Hanshin Tigers players
Harrisburg Senators players
Major League Baseball first basemen
Minor league baseball coaches
Minor league baseball managers
Pastora de los Llanos players
Pastora de Occidente players
Phoenix Firebirds players
San Francisco Giants players
Shreveport Captains players
Sioux City Explorers players
Sioux Falls Canaries players
Somerset Patriots players
South Georgia Peanuts players
Sportspeople from Glen Cove, New York
Surprise Fightin' Falcons players
Tiburones de La Guaira players
American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela
Tucson Sidewinders players
Tulsa Drillers players
21st-century African-American people
20th-century African-American sportspeople
Glen Cove High School alumni