View source for Dan Wilson (catcher)

{{short description|American baseball player (born 1969)}}
{{other people||Daniel Wilson (disambiguation){{!}}Daniel Wilson}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=Dan Wilson
|team=Seattle Mariners
|image=1988 P&L - Daniel Wilson (cropped).jpg
|width=200
|number=6
|caption=Wilson with the [[Cotuit Kettleers]] in 1988
|position=[[Catcher]]/[[Manager (baseball)|Manager]]
|bats=Right
|throws=Right
|birth_date={{birth date and age|1969|3|25}}
|birth_place=[[Barrington, Illinois]], U.S.
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate=September 7
|debutyear=1992
|debutteam=Cincinnati Reds
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=September 30
|finalyear=2005
|finalteam=Seattle Mariners
|statleague = MLB
|stat1label=[[Batting average (baseball)|Batting average]]
|stat1value=.262
|stat2label=[[Home run]]s
|stat2value=88
|stat3label=[[Run batted in|Runs batted in]]
|stat3value=519
| stat4label = Managerial record
| stat4value = 49–34
| stat5label = Winning %
| stat5value = {{Winning percentage|49|34}}
|teams=
'''As player'''
* [[Cincinnati Reds]] ({{mlby|1992}}–{{mlby|1993}})
* [[Seattle Mariners]] ({{mlby|1994}}–{{mlby|2005}})
'''As manager'''
* [[Seattle Mariners]] ({{mlby|2024}}–present)
|highlights=
* [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]] ([[1996 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1996]])
* [[Seattle Mariners Hall of Fame]]
|medaltemplates=
{{MedalSport | Men's [[baseball]]}}
{{MedalCountry | {{bb|USA}}}}
{{MedalCompetition | [[18U Baseball World Cup|World Junior Baseball Championship]]}}
{{MedalSilver | 1987 Windsor | [[United States national under-18 baseball team|Team]]}}
}}
'''Daniel Allen Wilson''' (born March 25, 1969) is an American former professional [[baseball]] player<ref name="Dan Wilson at Baseball Reference">{{cite web |title=Dan Wilson |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/wilsoda01.shtml |access-date=24 November 2011 |website=[[Baseball Reference]]}}</ref> and current manager of the [[Seattle Mariners]] of [[Major League Baseball]] (MLB). He played in MLB as a [[catcher]] from {{By|1992}} through {{By|2005}}, most notably as a member of the Mariners where he played 12 of his 14 seasons.<ref name="Dan Wilson at Baseball Reference"/> Wilson began his career with the [[Cincinnati Reds]] before being traded to the Mariners, where he was regarded as one of the game's best defensive catchers. At the time of his retirement in 2005, Wilson held the [[American League]] record for career [[fielding percentage]] by a catcher.<ref name="Longtime Mariners catcher Dan Wilson to retire">{{cite web |date=September 12, 2005 |title=Longtime Mariners catcher Dan Wilson to retire |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/story?id=2159900 |access-date=October 10, 2009 |work=[[ESPN.com]] |agency=Associated Press}}</ref><ref name="Dan Wilson at the Seattle Mariners Hall of Fame">{{cite web |title=Dan Wilson at the Seattle Mariners Hall of Fame |url=https://www.mlb.com/mariners/fans/hall-of-fame/members/wilson |access-date=24 December 2020 |work=MLB.com}}</ref> In 2012, Wilson was inducted into the [[Seattle Mariners Hall of Fame]] alongside his [[Battery (baseball)|battery]]-mate, Randy Johnson.<ref name="Dan Wilson at the Seattle Mariners Hall of Fame"/> Wilson was promoted from special assignment coordinator to manager of the Mariners after the team fired [[Scott Servais]] on August 22, 2024.<ref name="t680" />

==Baseball career==

===Amateur===
Wilson excelled as a baseball player from a very early age. From Barrington, Illinois, he led his hometown team to a third-place finish in the [[1981 Little League World Series]]. At [[Barrington High School (Lake County, Illinois)|Barrington High School]], he starred as a pitcher and catcher, and was selected out of high school in the 26th round of the [[1987 Major League Baseball draft|1987 MLB draft]] by the [[1987 New York Mets season|New York Mets]].<ref>{{cite web |title=1987 Major League Baseball Draft |url=https://www.thebaseballcube.com/content/draft_round/1987~26~June-Reg/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101022213637/http://www.thebaseballcube.com/draft/1987/June-Reg/26.shtml |archive-date=22 October 2010 |access-date=2025-02-11 |website=The Baseball Cube}}</ref> Wilson did not sign, electing to play [[college baseball]] at the [[University of Minnesota]]. In 1988, he played [[collegiate summer baseball]] with the [[Cotuit Kettleers]] of the [[Cape Cod Baseball League]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Major League Baseball Players From the Cape Cod League |url=http://capecodbaseball.org.ismmedia.com/ISM3/std-content/repos/Top/2012website/archives/Current%20Year/All_Time_MLB_CCBL_Alumni.pdf |access-date=January 9, 2020 |website=Cape Cod Baseball League}}</ref>

===Minor leagues (1990–1993)===
He re-entered the draft in [[1990 Major League Baseball Draft|1990]]; he was selected in the first round, seventh overall, by the [[Cincinnati Reds]].<ref>{{cite web |title=1990 Major League Baseball Draft |url=https://www.thebaseballcube.com/content/draft_round/1990~1~June-Reg/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100828233333/http://www.thebaseballcube.com/draft/1990/June-Reg/1.shtml |archive-date=28 August 2010 |access-date=2025-02-11 |website=The Baseball Cube}}</ref> He signed in time to play 32 games with the [[Charleston Wheelers]] of the [[South Atlantic League]].<ref name="Dan Wilson minor league statistics at Baseball Reference">{{cite web |title=Dan Wilson minor league statistics |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=wilson001dan |access-date=24 November 2011 |website=[[Baseball Reference]]}}</ref> He returned to Charleston at the start of the 1991 season, [[batting average (baseball)|batting]] .315 in 52 games before earning a promotion to Class AA [[Chattanooga Lookouts|Chattanooga]].<ref name="Dan Wilson minor league statistics at Baseball Reference"/> He started the 1992 season with [[Nashville Sounds|Nashville]] in the [[Triple-A (baseball)|Triple-A]] [[American Association (1902–1997)|American Association]], and he batted .251 in 106 games there before earning a September callup to the major leagues at age 23.<ref name="Dan Wilson minor league statistics at Baseball Reference"/> He returned to the [[Minor League Baseball|minor leagues]] the following year, going to the [[Indianapolis Indians]] since the Reds had changed their AAA affiliation after the 1992 season, and he played 51 games for the Indians as well as 36 games in the majors for the Reds.<ref name="Dan Wilson at Baseball Reference"/>

===Seattle Mariners (1994–2005)===
After the [[1993 Cincinnati Reds season|1993]] season, the Reds traded Wilson to the Seattle Mariners for second baseman [[Bret Boone]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dan Wilson Trades and Transactions |url=https://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/trades.php?p=wilsoda01 |access-date=2025-02-11 |website=Baseball Almanac}}</ref> He made the Mariners' roster out of [[spring training]] in [[1994 Seattle Mariners season|1994]] and became an established major-league player, replacing [[Dave Valle]] as the M's catcher.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1994 Seattle Mariners Statistics |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/SEA/1994.shtml |access-date=2025-02-11 |website=[[Baseball Reference]] |language=en}}</ref> In his first full season in the majors, he struggled at the plate, batting .216, but he showed signs of his defensive ability with a .986 fielding percentage.<ref name="Dan Wilson at Baseball Reference"/> That turned out to be the lowest fielding percentage he would have in the years he spent as the Mariners' primary catcher.<ref name="Dan Wilson at Baseball Reference"/> The [[1995 Seattle Mariners season|1995]] season went better for him; he played 119 games, batting .278 and raising his fielding percentage to .995, as the Mariners won the [[American League West|American League Western Division]] [[Pennant (sports)|pennant]].<ref name="Dan Wilson at Baseball Reference"/><ref>{{Cite web |title=1995 American League Team Statistics |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL/1995.shtml |access-date=2025-02-11 |website=[[Baseball Reference]] |language=en}}</ref>

In [[1996 Seattle Mariners season|1996]], Wilson set career highs with 146 [[games played]], 18 [[home run]]s, 83 [[runs batted in]], and a .774 [[On-base plus slugging|OPS]].<ref name="Dan Wilson at Baseball Reference"/> In addition, he made his only [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]] appearance.<ref name="Dan Wilson at Baseball Reference"/> Wilson hit three home runs in an April 11, 1996 game in Detroit.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Holtzman |first=Jerome |date=1996-04-25 |title=Mariners' Wilson Adds Offense To To His Defense |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1996/04/25/mariners-wilson-adds-offense-to-to-his-defense/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160616030738/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1996-04-25/sports/9604250007_1_defensive-catcher-mariners-pitcher-chris-bosio-weak-hitters |archive-date=2016-06-16 |access-date=2025-02-11 |work=Chicago Tribune}}</ref> The 1996 season was also his first working with starting pitcher [[Jamie Moyer]].

Wilson was the [[Battery (baseball)|battery-mate]] for Mariners pitcher [[Randy Johnson]] on June 24, [[1997 Seattle Mariners season|1997]], when Johnson struck out 19 batters in a game against the Oakland Athletics, just one [[strikeout]] less than the [[List of Major League Baseball single-game strikeout leaders|major league single-game strikeout record]] of 20 strikeouts in a 9 inning game.<ref>{{cite web |date=June 24, 1997 |title=June 24, 1997 Oakland Athletics at Seattle Mariners Play by Play and Box Score |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SEA/SEA199706240.shtml |access-date=December 9, 2012 |work=Baseball-Reference.com}}</ref> Approximately six weeks later on August 8, 1997, the battery-mates teamed up to strike out another 19 batters in a game against the Chicago White Sox.<ref>{{cite web |date=August 8, 1997 |title=August 8, 1997 Chicago White Sox at Seattle Mariners Play by Play and Box Score |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SEA/SEA199708080.shtml |access-date=December 9, 2012 |work=Baseball-Reference.com}}</ref>

On May 3, [[1998 Seattle Mariners season|1998]], Wilson hit an [[inside-the-park home run|inside-the-park]] [[Grand slam (baseball)|grand slam]], an unusual feat for any ballplayer, and especially for a catcher.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Encyclopedia of Baseball Catchers - Catchers who hit "In the Park Grand Slams" |url=https://members.tripod.com/bb_catchers/catchers/ipgs.htm |access-date=2025-02-11 |website=members.tripod.com}}</ref> Wilson remained a dependable battery mate for Mariners pitchers over the next several seasons. In the [[2000 Seattle Mariners season|2000]] season, Wilson's numbers declined to a .235 batting average and .990 fielding percentage;<ref name="Dan Wilson at Baseball Reference"/> he was also limited to 90 games because of injuries. However, in [[2001 Seattle Mariners season|2001]], he regained his form, playing 123 games (122 at catcher) and posting a .265 batting average and a .999 fielding percentage (one error in 744 total chances).<ref name="Dan Wilson at Baseball Reference"/> Although it was becoming late in his career, he posted a .295 batting average in 115 games for the Mariners in [[2002 Seattle Mariners season|2002]], and a .998 fielding percentage over 96 games in 2003.<ref name="Dan Wilson at Baseball Reference"/> In what ended up being his last full healthy season in the majors, he batted .251 with 33 RBI in 2004.<ref name="Dan Wilson at Baseball Reference"/>

Wilson lost his starting job at the beginning of the [[2005 Seattle Mariners season|2005]] season to [[Miguel Olivo]]. On May&nbsp;4, he suffered a torn [[anterior cruciate ligament|ACL]] in his right knee during a game against the [[2005 Los Angeles Angels season|Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim]]. Wilson had intended the 2005 season to be his last as a player, and he announced his retirement, effective at the end of the 2005 season, on September 12.<ref name="Longtime Mariners catcher Dan Wilson to retire"/> Although a torn ACL commonly keeps athletes sidelined for most of a season, Wilson spent most of the rest of the season rehabilitating his knee and was activated from the disabled list on Friday, September 30. He came back for one final inning on that night against the [[2005 Oakland Athletics season|Oakland Athletics]]; he had not recovered enough to swing a bat, but he was able to crouch and throw. The Mariners' starting pitcher in that game was Jamie Moyer, with whom Wilson had formed a battery for 190 previous starts dating back to 1996. Moyer pitched to five batters in the inning, which ended when [[Bobby Kielty]] flied out to [[Baseball field#outfield|center field]], and the Athletics scored no runs. Moyer went on to pitch seven more innings, and the Mariners defeated the Athletics, 4–1.<ref name="wgownr">{{cite news |last=Finnigan |first=Bob |date=October 1, 2005 |title=Wilson goes out a winner |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-spokesman-review-wilson-goes-out-a-w/165201024/ |access-date=2025-02-11 |work=Spokesman-Review |location=Spokane, Washington |page=C2 |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |agency=Seattle Times}}</ref><ref>{{Cite press release |title=Dan Wilson activated from 60-day DL |date=2005-09-30 |publisher=Seattle Mariners |url=http://seattle.mariners.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20050930&content_id=1230828&vkey=pr_sea&fext=.jsp&c_id=sea |via=MLB.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222205647/http://seattle.mariners.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20050930&content_id=1230828&vkey=pr_sea&fext=.jsp&c_id=sea |archive-date=2015-12-22}}</ref>

==Career statistics==
In a 14-year major league career, Wilson played in 1,299 [[Games played|games]], accumulating 1,097 [[Hit (baseball)|hits]] in 4,186 [[at bats]] for a .262 career batting average along with 88 [[home run]]s and 519 [[runs batted in]].<ref name="Dan Wilson at Baseball Reference"/> He ended his career with a .995 [[fielding percentage]]; the highest for a catcher in American League history, and the sixth highest in major league history.<ref name="Longtime Mariners catcher Dan Wilson to retire"/><ref>{{Cite web |title=Career Leaders & Records for Fielding % as C |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/fielding_perc_c_career.shtml |access-date=2025-02-11 |website=[[Baseball Reference]] |language=en}}</ref> Wilson led [[American League]] catchers twice in fielding percentage, twice in [[putout]]s, twice in baserunners [[caught stealing]] and twice in [[range factor]].<ref name="Dan Wilson at Baseball Reference"/>

Wilson set an American League record for catchers with 1,051 [[putout]]s in 1997, the fourth highest season total for a catcher in major league history.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Single-Season Leaders & Records for Putouts as C |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/PO_c_season.shtml |access-date=2025-02-11 |website=[[Baseball Reference]] |language=en}}</ref> His 1,128 [[total chances]] in 1997 were the sixth highest season total for a catcher in major league history.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Encyclopedia of Baseball Catchers - Season Fielding Leaders |url=https://members.tripod.com/bb_catchers/catchers/fieldsea.htm |access-date=2025-02-11 |website=members.tripod.com}}</ref> In 2001, Wilson committed only one [[Error (baseball)|error]] in 122 games, for a .9987 fielding percentage, the fourth highest season average in major league history.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Single-Season Leaders & Records for Fielding % as C |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/fielding_perc_c_season.shtml |access-date=2025-02-11 |website=[[Baseball Reference]] |language=en}}</ref> He played in more games as a catcher than any other player in Mariners history (1,281).<ref name="Dan Wilson at the Seattle Mariners Hall of Fame"/><ref>{{Cite web |title=Encyclopedia of Baseball Catchers - Miscellaneous Records - Most Games Played per Team |url=https://members.tripod.com/bb_catchers/catchers/mostgame.htm |access-date=2025-02-11 |website=members.tripod.com}}</ref>

==Post-playing career==
On January 17, 2012, Wilson was named to the Mariners Hall of Fame.<ref name="Dan Wilson at the Seattle Mariners Hall of Fame"/><ref>{{Cite web |last=Stone |first=Larry |date=2012-01-17 |title=Randy Johnson, Dan Wilson named to Mariners Hall of Fame |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/mariners/randy-johnson-dan-wilson-named-to-mariners-hall-of-fame/ |access-date=2025-02-11 |website=The Seattle Times |language=en-US}}</ref>

Since 2011, he has appeared as one of the color commentators for Seattle Mariners baseball games on Root Sports. Notably, along with Dave Sims, Wilson called the game on August 15, 2012 when [[Félix Hernández]] pitched the [[Félix Hernández's perfect game|first perfect game]] in Mariners' franchise history. He was also broadcasting on Root Sports on June 8, 2012 when six Mariners' pitchers combined for a no-hitter.

On November 3, 2013, the Mariners announced that Wilson would become the team's Minor League Catching Coordinator.<ref>{{cite web |date=3 December 2013 |title=Dan Wilson named Mariners Minor League catching coordinator |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/dan-wilson-named-mariners-minor-league-catching-coordinator/c-64365924 |access-date=2025-02-11 |work=MLB.com}}</ref>

On August 22, 2024, Wilson was hired by the Mariners to become their manager after [[Scott Servais]] was fired the same day.<ref name="t680">{{cite web |last=Kramer |first=Daniel |date=2024-08-23 |title=Mariners dismiss Servais as manager, name Dan Wilson as replacement |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/scott-servais-fired-as-mariners-manager |access-date=2025-01-24 |website=MLB.com}}</ref> On September 26, the Mariners were eliminated from the postseason.

==Managerial record==

{{updated|May 21, 2025}}

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;"
|-
! rowspan="2"|Team !! rowspan="2"|Year !! colspan="5"|Regular season !! colspan="4"|Postseason
|-
!Games!!Won!!Lost!!Win %!!Finish!! Won !! Lost !! Win % !! Result
|-
![[2024 Seattle Mariners season|SEA]]||[[2024 MLB season|2024]]
|| 34 || 21 || 13 || {{winpct|21|13}}|| 2nd in AL West|| – || – || – ||
|-
![[2025 Seattle Mariners season|SEA]]||[[2025 MLB season|2025]]
|| 47 || 27 || 20 || {{winpct|27|20}}|| || – || – || – ||
|-
!colspan="2"|Total || 81 || 48 || 33 || {{winpct|48|33}}|| || 0 || 0 ||{{winpct|0|0}}|| 
|}

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
{{Commons}}
{{Portal|Biography|Baseball}}
{{baseballstats |mlb= |espn=4927 |br=w/wilsoda01 |fangraphs=1102|brm=wilson008dan}}
* [http://www.seattlepi.com/thiel/240463_thiel13.html "Another M's icon hangs it up] - from the ''[[Seattle Post-Intelligencer]]''
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060506181544/http://www.breakawaymag.com/Sports/A000000019.cfm "Brothers in Arms"] - Interview along with Jamie Moyer for [[Focus on the Family]]'s ''Breakaway'' magazine
*[https://books.google.com/books?id=SCsDAAAAMBAJ&dq=dan+wilson+baseball+digest&pg=PA41 Dan Wilson Profile, Baseball Digest, August 1996]

{{1990 College Baseball All-Americans}}
{{1990 MLB Draft}}
{{Cincinnati Reds first-round draft picks}}
{{Seattle Mariners Hall of Fame}}
{{Seattle Mariners roster navbox}}
{{Seattle Mariners managers}}
{{MLB managers by team}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Dan}}
[[Category:Major League Baseball catchers]]
[[Category:Cincinnati Reds players]]
[[Category:Seattle Mariners players]]
[[Category:American League All-Stars]]
[[Category:Seattle Mariners announcers]]
[[Category:Charleston Wheelers players]]
[[Category:Chattanooga Lookouts players]]
[[Category:Nashville Sounds players]]
[[Category:Indianapolis Indians players]]
[[Category:Everett AquaSox players]]
[[Category:Tacoma Rainiers players]]
[[Category:San Antonio Missions players]]
[[Category:Minnesota Golden Gophers baseball players]]
[[Category:Cotuit Kettleers players]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Barrington, Illinois]]
[[Category:Baseball players from Cook County, Illinois]]
[[Category:1969 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:All-American college baseball players]]
[[Category:Seattle Mariners managers]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]