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The big plays and leadership of catcher Bobby Wilson led Seminole to a state title.
By PETE YOUNG
© St. Petersburg Times, published June 5, 2001
They were living their worst nightmare. The mighty Seminole Warhawks, the unbeaten-on-the-field, top-ranked-in-the-nation Seminole Warhawks, were on the verge of defeat in a stinkin', lousy district semifinal.
It would be a colossal defeat and a very premature end to the season. Except it didn't happen -- because catcher Bobby Wilson wouldn't let it. Seminole led St. Petersburg 3-2 in the bottom of the seventh inning, but the Green Devils had the tying run at third and the winning run at second. With two outs, two strikes and tension strangling the field, Wilson signaled pitcher T.J. Large to throw a risky low breaking ball. Large delivered -- in the dirt.
It was strike three swinging, but the outcome -- and the dream season -- hinged on whether Wilson could block the ball and throw out the batter. No worries. As always, he smothered it and made the play. The Warhawks won their next six games, the 5A state title and the mythical national title.
"I was just doing my job. I wasn't really nervous," Wilson said. "I knew that wasn't our time to go."
Big plays in the clutch were Wilson's hallmark this season, along with his productivity and leadership. "A good word to describe Bobby is "backbone,"' Seminole coach Scott Miller said of Wilson, who batted .457 with 39 runs, 37 RBI, a .536 on-base percentage and a .723 slugging percentage. "He was our backbone. Bobby made it very easy for me. I just automatically wrote his name in the No. 4 slot in the order every game."
Wilson (6-foot-1, 210 pounds) had loads of big hits this season, including two grand slams in the region playoffs and two hits, two runs and two RBI in the state semifinal. However, as evidenced when he deftly blocked Large's sharp curve on one hop with the tying run at third against St. Petersburg, he might be even better defensively.
"Strike three, final out, ball in the dirt, runners at second and third? I've seen that pitch hundreds of times get past the catcher," Miller said.
"But not on Bobby. His defensive prowess is big-time."
Wilson, who has signed with Mississippi and St. Petersburg Junior College, should be selected today or Wednesday in the major league baseball draft. He is rated the No. 59 prospect in Florida and the No. 38 high school senior in the state by Baseball America, meaning he should be chosen in the middle rounds. He's unsure if he'll turn pro or go to college.
Like Seminole teammate Casey Kotchman, who spent summers in Idaho with his father Tom's minor league baseball team, Wilson owes some of the credit for his success to his father, Bob Sr. "He's the one who pretty much coached us through little league and threw me hours of (batting practice)," Wilson said. "Ever since I was in diapers he was throwing me B.P.
"He still throws me B.P. every day."
And, for good measure, he probably throws a few pitches in the dirt.
AGE: 18
FAVORITE TEAM: New York Mets
FAVORITE NON-BASEBALL TEAM: New York Giants
FAVORITE ATHLETE: Sammy Sosa
FAVORITE FOOD: pizza
FAVORITE TV SHOW: Baseball Tonight
FAVORITE MOVIE: The Natural
FAVORITE BOOK: The Science of Hitting by Ted Williams