Stick has punch for Wilson

Published 9:00 pm Monday, August 13, 2001

Dan Wilson has hit .315 in his past 51 games – a refreshing turnaround for the M’s catcher

By Kirby Arnold

Herald Writer

SEATTLE — The reclamation project known as Dan Wilson’s swing seems complete.

The man who formed a picture of misery with a bat in his hand last year is hitting the ball with authority again for the Seattle Mariners.

Wilson is batting .268 with seven home runs and 31 RBI.

They’re numbers that don’t stand out, unless you realize how much the Mariners’ catcher has worked on his hitting and how far he has come.

It’s almost impossible to get Wilson to talk about his personal successes, but he admits this is becoming his most satisfying season.

"I think it is, but just from the fact that the team’s doing so well," he said. "It’s nice to be part of a winning team and part of a good pitching staff. That’s what’s important to me. For that, it’s satisfying."

Wilson also is reluctant to pronounce himself back to form at the plate.

"Baseball’s such a funny game that way," he said. "It’s streaky. You can go through some low times and you can go through some high times. I think the key is just being mentally on the same keel each time, during the highs and lows."

This isn’t just a 10-game hot spell Wilson is on, however. He has hit .315 in his last 51 games, including a .500 average (8-for-16) on the recent six-game homestand.

"He’s got his average up in that .260 to .270 range, he’s driven in a few runs for us, and he always does a nice job behind the plate," Piniella said. "He worked hard at it. He had to. Last year was really a sub-par year for him offensively."

A year ago, Wilson was little more than a ball-and-chain to the Mariners’ offense.

At the 118-game mark, he was hitting just .239 with three homers and 19 RBI, and his final .235 average with five homers and 27 RBI was his worst offensive season since1994, his first in Seattle.

"He’s being aggressive now," Mariners hitting coach Gerald Perry said. "That’s the biggest thing. He’s been able to repeat his swing, swing after swing. He is swinging the bat good and he’s been executing real well. I feel real good when he’s up there."

Wilson worked in the offseason with former Mariners hitting coach Lee Elia, who helped him break some bad habits and get him back to his old form. Perry continues the tutelage.

"Lee put him on a routine, and he follows it up with Gerald every day," Piniella said.

Not that anyone could really notice when the season started. Wilson batted just .213 in April.

Any other player might need a psychiatrist as well as a couple of hitting coaches. Not Wilson.

Teammates and coaches say he might be the most mentally strong player on the Mariners.

"He pretty much took a whipping the last couple of years," Perry said. "You have to be strong to bounce back and do what he’s able to do right now."

Mariners relief pitcher Jeff Nelson marveled at Wilson’s ability to remain one of the game’s best defensive catchers even during his offensive struggles.

"On the field you have to be a leader at that position," Nelson said. "You’re facing every play. You’re the one who sees what goes on all the time. Mentally and physically you have to be tough. You have to be aware of what’s going on at all times, and he’s one of the best at it.

"A lot of catchers take their at-bats with them behind the plate. He never does that. He always separates the two. Obviously, if you’re hitting better, you’re going to be better all around. He’s having a very good year offensively, and it not only helps the pitchers, it helps him as well."

Wilson says it’s easy to separate his batting from his defense, even when things are sour at the plate.

"Your first priority is defense, calling a game and blocking the ball. When I go on the field, I’m not thinking about my hitting. When I’m in the dugout, I’m thinking about offense."

"He always does a nice job behind the plate, but he’s throwing the ball as well now as I’ve ever seen," Piniella said. "I don’t want to jinx him, but he’s really throwing the ball well."

Wilson has thrown out 14 of 40 base stealers this season, including two of the three White Sox who tried to run on him in the recent three-game series at Safeco Field.

At bat, Wilson has been more like himself and less like the guy who was guessing — and guessing wrong much of the time — last year. It’s been that way since mid-June, which would qualify as more than a short hot spell.

Wilson humbly accepts his success.

"I’m just glad things are working out for the team," he said. "It’s a lot of fun because of the way the team is performing."