The switch-hitting Wilson was billed as a top prospect for Cleveland before his debut in 1997, but was stuck behind such players as Roberto Alomar and Omar Vizquel. He served as a reserve for three years before being shipped to the Pirates in July 2000 for Wil Cordero. Pittsburgh chose to use Pat Meares and Jack Wilson as their 2001 middle infield, and dealt Wilson to the Yankees in July. He finished the year backing up Alfonso Soriano, Derek Jeter, and Scott Brosius.
Wilson will always be remembered for Game Two of the 1998 AL Championship Series against the Yankees. In the 11th inning, Wilson stood on second base and Travis Fryman hit a dribbler up the first base line. Tino Martinez tossed it to a covering Chuck Knoblauch at first, but the throw hit Fryman in the back and was ruled safe. Knoblauch lost control of his emotions and engaged in a shouting match with the umpire, contending that Fryman had run inside the baseline. The ball remained in play while Knoblauch screamed, and Wilson scampered home with the game-winning run. (GL)
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FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY
»July 28, 2000:
The Indians keep trading, bringing back OF Wil Cordero from the Pirates for talented prospects IF Enrique Wilson and OF Alex Ramirez. The Tribe had declined to resign Cordero after last season and he upped with the Bucs for three years. Then they pick up slick-fielding 1B David Segui from the Rangers for OF Ricky Ledee.
»September 2, 2001: The Yankees defeat the Red Sox, 1–0, as P Mike Mussina comes within a strike of hurling a perfect game. Pinch-hitter Carl Everett's two–out, two–strike single in the 9th inning ruins Mussina's gem. It is the 3rd time in his career that the righty has taken a perfect game into the 8th inning. The Yankees score the only run of the contest in the top of the 9th on Enrique Wilson's double. Opposing hurler David Cone, who takes the loss, is the most recent pitcher to toss a perfecto. The Yankees sweep of the Red Sox was the first in baseball history by a team that did not score in the first seven inning of any of the games. In a move that enrages many players, Red Sox GM Dan Duquette abruptly relieves pitching coach John Cumberland of his duties just minutes after the game. A visibly angry Cumberland, who was promoted from bullpen coach to pitching coach last month when Joe Kerrigan became manager, said Duquette told him he was being reassigned to the team's training facility in Fort Myers, Fla. ''I'm not going,'' Cumberland said. ''That's official, that's for damn sure. That's OK. We've had a lot of good people leave this organization, and now it's going to be me because I'm not going to be reassigned.''
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