Inside the Park: Running the Base Path of Life

Willie Wilson played baseball with the mentality of a football player a grimace, on his face. He helped lead the Kansas City Royals to their first World Series in only his second full season in the Major Leagues. His 1983 cocaine charge could have sent him spiraling downward. Instead, he responded by helping the Royals to the World Series championship in 1985 by batting .367 and scoring two runs and three RBIs in the Royals win over the St. Louis Cardinals. On his way to winning the 1982 batting title, Wilson was the first switch hitter since Mickey Mantle to get 100 hits from both sides of the plate, and his 13 inside-the-park home runs are the most of any modern-day player in history. Drafted by the Royals in the 1974 amateur draft, he quickly made his way through KCs minor league system, making his first appearance with the major league team just two years later. But Wilsons story transcends baseball. With his inspirational tale, Wilson tells of how a shy young man can survive a post-career bankruptcy and turn his life around. He now leads the Willie Wilson Baseball Foundation, hoping to share his experiences with inner-city youth so they can avoid the same missteps he made along the way.