Mets
Statistics
Situational
Statistics
Mookie Wilson
vs. Other Teams
Ballpark
Statistics
Monthly
Statistics
Game Log
Cover
Gallery
Scrapbook
Articles
Memories of
Mookie Wilson

Mookie Wilson
Inducted into the New York Mets Hall of Fame, 1996
Ultimate Mets Database popularity ranking: 9 of 1218 players
Wilson
William Hayward Wilson
Born: February 9, 1956 at Bamberg, S.C.
Throws: Right Bats: Both
Height: 5.10 Weight: 170

Mookie Wilson has been the most popular Ultimate Mets Database daily lookup 89 times, most recently on February 9, 2024.

of
Non-playing roles with Mets
  • Coach 1997 - 2002
  • First Base Coach 2011

First Mets game: September 2, 1980
Last Mets game: July 31, 1989

Stepfather/uncle of Preston Wilson

Share your memories of Mookie Wilson

HERE IS WHAT OTHER METS FANS HAVE TO SAY:

Greg
Mookie Wilson was definitely one of my favorite Mets of all time, not to mention a player who carried himself in an exemplary fashion. He epitomized, in my opinion, what being a team player is all about. Even though his numbers wasn't overly impressive, he played with all his heart, all his soul, and all his strength, which is all you can ask for from anyone. I agree that the Mets did not treat him as well as they should have, especially that year when he was being platooned with Len Dykstra, in spite of the fact that he was batting well above .300 at the time. He definitely did not deserve to be playing only part of the time.

Mookie Wilson could also play the outfield well; I remember when he actually stole a home run on at least a couple of occasions by jumping above the centerfield wall to catch a ball. But most of all, he will be remembered as the all-time Mets leader in stolen bases (boy could he run!). It's so good to see Mookie serve as coach for the Mets; it brings back a lot of memories.

In short, Mookie was a good hitter, a great centerfielder, an outstanding base runner, and a wonderful person. He will always rank high on my list of ball players.

Ryan
Mookie was so loved in our household that my mother often joked that she was going to name my little sister after him. Still a class act, and great to have on the big league squad as a coach.

Chris Sullivan
April 24, 2001
I remember him scoring from second on ground outs a couple times in the mid-80s... once against the Pirates when Hernandez was batting and Jason Thompson was at first. My favorite Met of all time and I also hope that #1 can be retired someday.

tony walker
May 22, 2001
Mookie is the best player to ever put on a Mets uniform. Not one person has had such a positive effect on the team or the fans. Just him being on the field makes everyone happy. His hustle and his positive attitude on and off the field is the way we should all be.Mook is the perfect role model for kids. No matter how good or bad he was playing he was always smiling. Just having him coaching first is the main reason I go to shea. When I met him in 2000 I felt like I was 16 again watching my hero. I'll never forget it.

Joe Figliola
August 9, 2001
What pissed me off the most this year was when the Mets staged a Mookie Wilson Bobble Head Doll Day--and then they gave them to kids 12 and under!

What an insult! Most of these little punks weren't even born when Mookie drove that grounder through Buckner's bandy legs to spark the Mets to its second World's Championship. And most of those little s*** a**es were floating in sperm when I saw Mookie live for the first time on a cold September Saturday in 1980 (age 17), when his bunt single helped the Amazin's beat the Cubs.

If anyone deserved a Mookie Wilson bobble head doll, it is for adults who REMEMBER what this wonderful outfielder accomplished! And the same goes for Seaver (whose bobble head doll cost me $50) and, most likely, Keith Hernandez if they decide to stage one for him next year. MET BOBBLE HEAD DOLLS FOR EVERYONE!

Red Sox fan
September 6, 2001
The name Mookie Wilson has a slightly different connotation for me. But one cannot deny what a great player he was.

In the late 1980's the Mets had a logjam of two very good Center Fielders in Mookie Wilson and Lenny Dykstra. So what did they do? They traded both of them! What were the Mets thinking? Awful! And what did they get? Jim Musselman and Juan Samuel. Oooogah! No wonder Strawberry walked!

Mookie and Dykstra were great leadoff hiters. Too bad the Sox didn't trade for them...

Mr. Sparkle
September 28, 2001
Mookie will always be my all time favorite player. He was awesome. He was never an all star but he always gave 110%. He had the best hustle I've ever seen. I've seen him run from 1st to 3rd on a ground out by the batter more than once which to me is amazing. I've never seen any other layer do that. He does want to manage someday so I hope it's with the Mets. I'd hate to see him go somewhere else particularly to the other side of the city to manage.

Jeff M.
January 7, 2002
As classy as a baseball player can get. Always smiling and enjoying baseball for what it is. Mookie was and will always be the heart and soul of the New York Mets. 100 % hustle 100% of the time. Lets give Mookie his due and retire # 1 !

Larry Burns
May 30, 2002
The all-time greatest Met. Exciting, passionate, classy, and talented, he epitomized what athletics can be. Not a superstar in the classic sense, Mookie did everything with gusto and determination. He made a first to third dash one of the most exciting things to witness in baseball. Whenever he spoke he was grateful for all the blessings he had. It is great to see him in a Mets uniform as a coach. I can only hope that young Mets will attempt to mirror the Mookster's love of life and the game. You are the best Mookie!

Walter
October 17, 2002
I love Mookie. Hopefully the Mets will not sell out and hire Pinella or somebody from another team to manage but keep the heart and soul of the Mets on to manage. I was very young when he played for us but still remember his speed, hustle, and smile. It would be fitting to have him manage us and not someone from outside the organization with no history as a Met when we can hire THE Met instead. By the way, my dog is named Mookie in honor of him.

NL
October 20, 2002
You can tell from everything written what he's meant to Met fans. He is an absolute, all-time, glad-he's- ours Met.

Marcie Freeman
December 4, 2002
Mookie was the reason I became a baseball fan. Living in NY back in 1986 I couldn't help but get sucked into the excitement that season. His enthusiasm and class were always impressive and I cried buckets the day he was traded to Toronto. I no longer live in New York but I remain a Mets fan as well as fan of "the Mook". I lost my beloved 14-year old beagle in June. Her name was Mookie. I got a new beagle in August. His name is Wilson.

Jeff from SC
December 20, 2002
Mookie is the reason I am a die-hard Mets fan today. Growing up in South Carolina, we obviously had no professional teams of our own. But here was a guy from my home state and my home school (USC) who played his guts out every play of every game and seemed to enjoy every second of it. I couldn't help but love him, and by extension, the Mets!

Jason
February 3, 2003
Moooooooookkkkkkkkk!!!!!!! I will also have that sound running through my head when I visit Shea Stadium. He is my all-time favorite player. Like many other fans, I am a Mets fan because of the spirit, hustle, and excitement of Mookie Wilson. I even wear #1 in softball as a tribute to Mookie.

I hope that Mookie becomes Mets' manager and has his number retired before too long. With this demotion to the minors, I have decided not to buy tickets this season. I'm tired of seeing players like Mookie and Fonzie not getting their due. Perhaps the Mets demoted him so that it wouldn't appear that Bobby V was taking all the blame (although he should). I predict that Mook will be back in mid-season.

Dan Doherty
April 14, 2003
With all due respect to those evaluating Mookie's coaching skills:

Jay Payton, under Wilson's tutelage stole 4 bases in '02. After he was traded to Colorado, he stole 3. Sounds like what's consistent here is Payton's mediocrity.

As far as Roger Cedeno goes, he's stolen, over a four- year span, 66,25,55, and 25 bases. Who was coaching him in his best year? Mookie Wilson. Who was coaching him at his worst? Mookie Wilson. The problem seems, to me at least, to be with the inconsistency of the pupil rather than the ineptitude of the teacher.

Barbara
December 19, 2003
I have followed Mookie's career since he was in A ball in Wausau, Wisc. He was a classy man then as well as through his career. You could tell early on that he had a future with the Mets organization. Not only can he play ball, but I happen to know that he can sing really well too. I have known him personally and can state that he is truly a man of integrity on the field as well as off. We once stayed up all night singing Love Ballad by LTD as well as Float on by the Floaters. I have followed his career and have rejoiced with his accomplishments. Sending out a large cheer from an old friend from Wausau, Wisconsin. I've been following your career and am so happy for all that you have accomplished. It couldn't happen to a nicer guy! Float on with your bad self!!

Jon Rizzi
December 25, 2003
I adored Mookie. Though I never abandoned the Mets, I became a Blue Jays fan after the Mets made him "the player to be named later" in that Jeff Musselman deal. I even got a copy of "The Mookie Mash," a tune a Toronto radio station created when Mookie spurred them to the '89 division title. The guy just created magic every time he stepped to the plate, got on base or had a ball come in his general direction.

Looking back at Game 6 of that '86 Series, I admit I had a premonition that when Mookie came up to bat, he'd probably take a wild swing at strike three and send the Red Sox to that long-awaited Series win. Ha! Mook rose to the occasion, practically levitating over that wild pitch and then cueing that shot between Buckner's wickets.

Straw may have stirred more excitement, Keith may have sparkled with the glove and Gooden may have had the gas. But we've since discovered what reprobates that '86 lot were, and it only confirms what I thought then. Mookie and Carter were the soul of that team. I was there when Mookie got inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame, and as far as I'm concerned No. 1 should be retired. No one, not Lance Johnson or any other imposter, could wear that uniform with as much class or spirit.

Steven Gallanter
June 2, 2004
I first saw Mookie Wilson in 1980 in an exhibition game that was telecast over Channel 9. I was in a pizza place in Oneonta, NY where my brother was attending college. We had enjoyed a cost-effective night of partying, enjoying some boogie weed and several bottles of Andre champagne.

We had the munchies and got a pizza. There was a television on top of a stand-up cooler showing a "snowy",(this was pre-cable)image of the Mets. There was a ground ball to second and I was shocked to see the runner on second jet to third!

That was my first vision of Mookie Wilson!

One thing that struck my mind was that he threw his arms in back of himself as he bellyflopped into third giving him an impetus that a foot-first slide couldn't provide. His method reminded me of Manny Sanguillen.

I was managing Our House a bar in the Allston section of Boston when Mookie had his most famous moment.

Buckner was shocked that Mookie was running all out!

Mookie ALWAYS shocked people who take things for granted... this created opportunities no one else could have created!

I also recall that Jack Newfield of THE VILLAGE VOICE named him one of NYC's most valuable people.

Anthony
January 26, 2005
I was not much into baseball when Mookie Wilson was playing for the Mets. But I did meet him at spring training in 2004. My dad and I were waiting by the players' lot to get autographs when suddenly we get a tip that Wilson is walking in the fan parking lot. I spot him and immediately run over to him. Surprisingly there was nobody around him. I ask for his autograph and if I can take a picture with him. I was the only one there with the camera so he says "how ya gonna do dat?" You all must know that accent with which he talks. So, I put my arm around him and put the camera in front of our faces and snap. Got a good picture along with his autograph. Seems like a great guy. I wish he were still a coach on the team.

Jonathan Stern
March 8, 2005
I got autographs from Mookie and Bill Buckner (on a picture of their famous 1986 play) at a signing that took place the day after John "Awesome Name" Stearns was fired as a Mets coach. I told Mookie, a Mets coach at the time as well, my name was Jon Stern and that I "didn't have a great day yesterday either." Somewhat sarcastically, Mookie said under his breath "Oh, so you didn't have a good day, huh?" Neither he nor Buckner wanted to talk to me or anyone else on that big line (no, I will NEVER sell that autographed picture), but in truth, I felt like kind of a dufus for saying that. It was meant to be light-hearted, but I shouldn't have brought it up. That's one reason why I'm hesitant to approach celebs. I sometimes say dumb things (like I do on this website, as has been pointed out).

Mookie was - is - an Ultimate Met. Maybe THE Ultimet. A non-HOFer who made magic occur when it was all on the line. His at-bat may have been the greatest of all time, certainly the best ever that did not involve a hit. Maybe it's a shame that the at-bat overshadows everything else he did (we loved him before and he did great things afterwards, here and in Toronto). But that it does is no big deal to say the least. It doesn't seem like one to Mookie, at any rate. So even though I embarassed myself a little in front of him (like he remembers or cares), I was honored to be in his presence, and consider myself blessed to have seen him play at Shea.

Kingofqueens718
February 18, 2006
There was nothing more exciting than watching Mookie leg out doubles and triples...always losing his helmet!

My mother was no sports fan but I remember times when she was watching the tv over my shoulder shouting "Go head Mookie!! Go head Mookie!!" as he ran the bases.

One of my top 5 favorite Mets of all time and definitely deserves to have his number retired.

Bonbolito
May 24, 2006
The best centerfielder the Mets have ever had. I'll always remember how he could get into these long at bats where he'd just keep fouling off pitch after pitch. Once he had the pitcher read, Mookie was going to get a hit or get walked. He rarely lost in this situation.

Mike Pinto
July 12, 2006
My friend and fellow Met fan Malcolm and I were both working at AT&T while in college in Providence in the fall of 1988. Due to the nature of our jobs, we were able to gain access to phone records of all AT&T customers, one of which was the New York Mets.

So before Game 7 of the NLCS, which was being played in LA against the Dodgers, Malcolm and I started calling all the LA phone numbers which appeared on their most recent bill.

After speaking with Ralph Kiner at the hotel, we called another number which put us through to some Dodger Stadium internal line. I asked the woman to be connected to the Mets clubhouse. When she asked me who I was, I said "Jimbo Wilson" the brother of Mookie.

So the lady put me through and some guy answered in the clubhouse and I asked for Mookie. The guy shouted out "Mookie" and before I knew it the speedy center fielder was on the line. So I said, "Hey Mookie just a fan from RI calling to wish you luck tonight." He responded, "Hey, thanks a lot" and then before he hung up I heard him say to somebody, "Man they'll let anybody call in here."

GOMets2006
October 6, 2006
Mookie is the reason I stopped liking the Yankees in 1980 and started rooting for the Amazin's! I knew there was something special about the Mook and to this day believe there was no coincidence he was at bat when the Mets beat the Red Sox in Game 6 in '86 and the ball went between Buckner's legs. When he was traded to Toronto, I almost gave up on the Mets because It was like tearing the heart out of the team. I still think #1 should be retired by the Mets and Mookie should be honored by the team. Thanks for the memories, Mookie!

dre J
November 4, 2006
I'll always remember Mookie backing up the left or right fielder on a base hit in case the ball got by. BOY! Could Mookie run those triples. He could flat out FLY!. He would have been safe on the gounder to first, so we should not blame Buckner. He never complained although he had the right to do it. He was the ULTIMATE team player. Man could he run. He could run down a ball in the gap and make it look so easy. He could not throw worth a darn though. I do not know a true Met fan that does not appreciate Mr Wilson.

David Mo
February 11, 2007
There is often great truth in humor. It is fitting that when David Letterman did a late-1993 Top Ten List of "Mets Excuses" for their dismal season (e.g., "All those empty seats are distracting"), the Number One excuse was "No one named Mookie." With all due respect to that lovable guy with the huge, stitched head, Mookie Wilson is the true "Mr. Met."

Big Daddy
September 6, 2008
Mookster is one of my favorite Mets of all time. I tried tagging him with the nickname "Mookie Hustle" but it didn't catch on (neither did the Mookie Hustle dance I created). Nevertheless, he is the reason for the greatest moment in Mets history and he always had heart. RETIRE #1.

Larell
October 1, 2008
We got our dog around the same time Mookie was being amazin' in '86. Ultimately, since she was a girl, we named her something else but my mother always called the dog Mookie and the dog would respond! Now I have a daughter and my mom calls her Mookie and that isn't her name, but it's all because we adored Mookie! He was so entertaining to watch and we were always rooting for him.

Ringo Boisclair
December 19, 2008
The 1983 season was the tipping point and the July 31st doubleheader was the fulcrum... after that the Mets themselves fully realized how good they were. They had a winning record for the rest of the year and the rest of the decade.

The first game saw them down 4-0 before an out had been recorded. They battled back and won in 12.

The second game saw Jose DeLeon no-hitting them into the 9th. Hubie Brooks broke it up. It was scoreless into 12. Mookie then scored the winning run from second... On a groundout!

This was Ty Cobb stuff.

As a kid, I was used to the Mets being used to losing. I was watching both games that day and had never seen my guys play baseball like this before. I don't think I dared think of them as anything like a championship club at that point, but looking back... These were the seeds of 86 I was watching.

Mookie won another game by scoring from second on a grounder a few days later. All in all, Mookie's great contribution to the Mets was using his hustle to help instill a culture of winning.

Stat-oriented guys will look at the Mook and say he was a solid enough hitter had speed, but didn't walk enough for a lead off guy, had a weakish arm... Blah, Blah, Blah...

Mookie's best contributions were always outside the numbers. He made things happen. He was one of the first talented players of the 80s to arrive and he led by example; he set a standard the other new Mets had to match. The degree to which he contributed to the Mets becoming a winner can't be overestimated.

Theresa
February 11, 2009
Love, love LOVE Mookie. He put a smile on my face all through the eighties with the Mets. I used to eat in a diner in Brooklyn, and the Greek guys who worked there used to check the papers every morning, and watch the game every night to cheer on their MOOOOOOKIE!!! When the Mets weren't winning much, we loved him; he was our best player and always gave his all. When the Mets won in the mid-80s, it was like we all went for the ride with Mookie. Now, every time I see him in an old game, or at a Mets event, he puts that same smile on my face. GO MOOKIE!

Dennis
May 21, 2009
I have always, always wished Buckner had fielded that ground ball cleanly. No first baseman (with or without the pitcher covering first) could have beaten Mookie on that play.

Mookie would be more properly immortalized in Met history for what he did the best: run like a cheetah out of the box every at-bat, every game.

And Bill Buckner wouldn't have had such an unwarranted end to a solid career. Like I said - NO first baseman (playing "back of the bag" in that situation) could have gotten Mookie. That should have been an historic infield hit that turned into an historic error and hurt both players' legacies. In my opinion.

Prospectus
June 18, 2009
Mookie turned first once it got past Buckner and it was hardly a slow developing play. He totally made it. It would have been interesting how Harrelson would have coached Knight since he was also in a wind sprint.

John L.
January 17, 2010
Did not know it at the time, but Mookie's arrival in 1980 was the beginning of a new era in Mets history. How can Mookie not be one of the most popular Mets of all time? A fine player that never gave less than his all. He is also a true gentleman and a great role model for us all. My favorite memories of Mookie (less game 6), was watching him score twice on groundouts FROM SECOND BASE! If our current group of Mets put forth the effort that Mookie did, we'd probably have another pennant or two flying from Citi Field. And it should also be noted that Mookie's work ethic remained the same whether it was in the playoffs or when the Mets were in the cellar.

Dutch
July 1, 2010
Like most Mets fans who saw him play, Mookie was one of my all time favorites. Lee Mazzilli was Mets centerfielder before Mookie and Maz was marketed as the team star during the lean years. But when Mookie came up and showed how much ground he could cover in center, they had to find a new position for Lee. Mookie's daring base running brought excitement to Shea - I can still remember Bob Murphy when Mookie took the extra base (or two) - "ooh, Mookie really put the pedal to the metal."

Lori
November 27, 2011
Mookie did a baseball clinic that my son attended yesterday. I grew up liking Mookie, and my 12 year old had no idea who he was. I told him it would be like him meeting Jose Reyes in 30 years. Mookie is absolutely a wonderful person. He genuinely loves the game. He was in no rush, worked individually with each kid, told stories, signed autographs, and joked around for as long as everyone wanted. We both went away loving the guy.

VIBaseball
January 23, 2012
Sometime in the late '80s, I noticed in the paper that Mookie was doing a signing in a sporting-goods store in Greenwich Village. I didn't live far away, and I was in time, so I hustled over. I was surprised to see that the crowd was not all that big -- plus there was no fee for him to sign either! Anyway, I chatted with Mookie for a few minutes or so, considering there was no rush. He was as friendly and down to earth as you could want. It must have been '87 or '88, because I remember mentioning a three-run homer that he hit off Tim Burke in Montreal's Olympic Stadium to cap a seven-run, eighth-inning rally after the Mes had been trailing 6-1. The Mets wound up winning 10-8. I was at that amazing game (August 9, 1986), one of the kind that typified that season. I also asked Mookie who was the toughest reliever for him in the late innings. He answered, "Reardon."

scott r
August 29, 2013
What more can be said about Mookie? He had one of the most famous at bats in baseball history, was always smiling. The one Met no one can say anything bad about.

Anthony V
August 29, 2013
Best memory of Mookie for me is actually the two times (or maybe more) in 1984 that he scored from 2nd base on a routine infield ground ball. The first time I think was with Keith Hernandez batting and the opponent was the Pirates.

The second time was even more amazing because George Foster was batting, and he hit what appeared to be an inning-ending double play ball. The runner got forced at second, but Foster chugged hard and he BEAT OUT the throw to first. And all along Mookie was motoring home from 2b, and the distracted first baseman threw and couldn't get him out.

JR
January 1, 2016
I loved watching him play. My fondest memories of Mookie are from June of 1983. I was living in California and was able to see the Mets and Dodgers in a four game series. On Friday night he went above the wall to rob a home run and then he robbed another the exact same way on Sunday afternoon. I was lucky enough to see both and thought they were the greatest things I've ever seen!!








Meet the Mets
  • All-Time Roster
  • Mug Shots
  • Player Awards
  • Transactions
  • Managers and Coaches
  • Mets Staff
  • Birthplaces
  • Oldest Living Mets
  • Necrology
  • Games
  • Game Results
  • Walkoff Wins and Losses
  • Post-Season Games
  • No-Hitters and One-Hitters
  • All-Star Games
  • Opponents and Ballparks
  • Daily Standings
  • Yearly Finishes
  • Mayor's Trophy Games
  • Stats
  • Interactive Statistics
  • Team Leaders
  • Decade Leaders
  • Metscellaneous
  • Fan Memories
  • Mets Uniforms
  • Uniform Numbers
  • About Us
  • Contact us
  • FAQ



  • Copyright 1999-2024, The Ultimate Mets Database