Bobby Wilson was traded to the Rangers by the Tigers in March. And in almost 550 Major-League at-bats over eight seasons, he’d never hit a Grand Slam.
So, of course, the journeyman catcher hit one against – sure enough – Detroit on Mothers’ Day. In a game in which the Rangers were feeble and trailed 2-0 into the 8th, his unlikely blast started a 7-run inning and led to an 8-3 win that capped a surprising sweep.
The Rangers hadn’t hit a Grand Slam since August 2014, and hadn’t swept the Tigers since 2004.
Traded to Detroit during Spring Training, Wilson played five games for the Tigers before becoming expendable when James McCan got healthy. Dealt back to Texas for minor-league pitcher Chad Bell last week, Wilson had two hits on Friday and three more Sunday.
Said a giddy Wilson after Sunday’s game, “It's been a lot of travel, but it was very satisfying to come back here and play well, and for this team as well. I was really excited. That's my first big league grand slam, and to do it in that kind of situation – you know, the team that just traded you away a few days ago – like I said, it felt really, really good.”
What seemed like merely bit transactions to churn the bottom of the Rangers’ roster by Jon Daniels has already paid dividends. Including four big ones on Sunday.
A native Texan who was born in Duncanville and graduated from UT-Arlington, Richie Whitt has been a mainstay in the Metroplex media since 1986. He’s held prominent roles on all media platforms including newspaper (Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Dallas Observer), radio (105.3 The Fan) and TV (co-host on TXA 21 and numerous guest appearances, including NBC 5). He lives in McKinney with his wife, Sybil, and two very spoiled dogs.
