Inside the Park: Running the Base Path of Life
Royals Hall of Famer Willie Wilson played an integral part in the only two World Series appearances the Royals made, batting .367 against the St. Louis Cardinals in the Royals only World Series title in 1985. A superb lead-off hitter, Wilson led the American League in stolen bases in his second full season in the Major Leagues in 1979, won the teams Player of the Year award in 1980 when he led the league in hits, runs, triples and, singles and won the Gold Glove for defensive excellence. In 1982, Wilson was the Major League batting champion, hitting .332, winning his first trip to the All Star game. A speedster on the base paths, Wilson led the league in triples five times and his 13 inside-the-park home runs are the most by any player in the modern-day era. He has 668 career stolen bases, the 10th most in Major League baseball history. He was voted into the Royals Hall of Fame in 2000. Willie lives in Kansas City where he is head of the Willie Wilson Baseball Foundation. His on and off the field experiences give him a unique opportunity to work with corporations for speaking engagements, team-building exercises and fund-raising events as well as offer baseball and life guidance for inner-city youth in clinics he conducts.   Kent Pulliam spent more than 30 years as a sports journalist for The Kansas City Star. He has won several writing awards from the Associated Press Sports Editors and the Missouri Press Association. He has written two other books: For Wildcats Fans Only and Rising to New Heights: Inside the Jayhawks Huddle. He lives in Kansas City, Missouri, with his wife Gina.