Who is Jacob Wilson's father, Jack Wilson? Former All-Star's son selected by Oakland A's with sixth pick
Jack Wilson was a proud papa when his son, Jacob, was picked sixth overall in the MLB Draft. But just who is Jack Wilson?
Wilson had a long and productive MLB career with three different teams. Unlike his son Jacob, Jack had to wait a while to hear his name called during the draft.
The St. Louis Cardinals selected the elder Wilson in the ninth round of the 1998 MLB Draft, though he never played for the team.
.@Athletics #6 overall pick Jacob Wilson talks about sharing this moment with his family, including his dad, former All-Star Jack Wilson.
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As a minor leaguer, Wilson was traded by the Cardinals to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2000 for relief pitcher Jason Christiansen. It turned out to be a very good deal for the Pirates.
While Christiansen, who pitched for six seasons with Pittsburgh, he slogged through just two campaigns with St. Louis with an ERA over 5.00.
Wilson made his MLB debut with the Pirates in 2001, and played the next nine years with the team. With Pittsburgh, he hit .269 with 60 home runs and 389 RBIs while fortifying the shortstop position for the team for nearly a decade.
His best season was 2004, when he hit .308 with a National League-leading 12 triples and earned his lone All-Star appearance and Silver Slugger Award.
Jack Wilson a fan favorite with the Pirates
Wilson was a fan favorite in Pittsburgh until he was traded in a multi-player deal to the Seattle Mariners in 2009. He won a Fielding Bible Award for defensive excellence with the Mariners, but his hitting began to wane.
After hitting .243 in just 154 games over three seasons with the Mariners, Seattle traded him to the Atlanta Braves in 2011. He was released by the Braves a year later and retired on Sept. 25, 2012.