Brad Wilkerson, the last Expo [Archive]

Augustin_"Gus"

04-05-2005, 08:41 AM

As previously mentionned, a thread devoted to Brad Wilkerson, wich can be considered as being "the last Expo" (last POY, last homerun that lead to the last win, last player to wear the uniform).

I guess he's now also the first National. He got the first hit of the new team yesterday, a leadoff single.

Augustin_"Gus"

04-07-2005, 10:44 AM

Great night for number 6 (technically, he's number 7 now, but to me, 6 it is and will remain) last night. Hit for the cycle for the second time in his career. 4 for 4 with two rbi's. I don't know what's the career mark for cycles, but at 27, he could get a few more before he calls it a career.

In a loosely related story, after watching a couple of highlites and seeing Vlad everywhere hitting extra base hits, I tought he would be hitting ,700 or something. Turns out, he's 3-10, but the 3 hits are of the extra-base variety (2 doubles and a homer).

Ontarioguy

04-07-2005, 04:09 PM

In their first win, they have a player hit for the cycle. My favourite player, no less.

Talk about kicking an Expos fan while he's down... :(

Augustin_"Gus"

04-08-2005, 10:27 AM

I hadn't even noticed they had won the game. I tought they had their first win last night.

I myself am surprised at how detached I am from all this. I'm sure many of us Expos fans on BBF are just feeling like crap right now (wich would explain the little number of posts the last few days) but, the Expos are gone, and that sucks, but I feel ok about it. In that regard, the fact that Washington as added a lot of new players (Castilla, Guillen...) that never played for the Expos really helps. It's not the Expos anymore. It's a new team with a lot of former Expos.

The career mark for cycles is 3 by the way.

Augustin_"Gus"

04-23-2005, 12:00 PM

After 17 games:

GP: 17 AB:69 R:8 H:22 2B:6 3B:2 HR:1 RBI:6 TB:35 BB:6 SO:21 SB:1 CS:1 OBP:.373 SLG:.507 AVG:.319

21 So in 69 AB; the old demons are still lingering.

And in the same order:

Vladimir Guerrero: 17 69 12 23 3 1 5 13 43 3 8 2 0 .370 .623 .333

Augustin_"Gus"

04-26-2005, 03:20 PM

Don't know if you saw that the other day, Wilkie got a relay right on the elbow while sliding hard into second trying to break up a double play, with his team up 10-4 late in the game. He was alright and actually is hitting pretty well since that game. You got to love a guy that really brings it like that. Of course, it's great until the day where he get's seriously hurt late in a game that's already over.

Ontarioguy

04-26-2005, 06:33 PM

Augustin_"Gus"

04-27-2005, 02:34 PM

They're reaction is understandable, and I'm a little bit surprised I havent reacted like that myself. But I'm not going anywhere. I'm developping a fondness for the St-Louis Cardinals, and I come here pretty much everyday (Expos board first, then St-L, then CE etc.) And I hope I'll still be talking about the Expos long after anyone has stopped listening.

As long as you and I can keep the Expos board ahead of the St-Louis Browns' in term of number of threads, I'm happy. :D

XPOFAN

05-01-2005, 08:20 PM

It's tough not having him and the rest of the team around...

AG, looks like you and I are the only Expos fans left contributing to BF. Mikey_S has completely disappeared, Monarchs is barley showing up and I haven't heared from XPOFAN in a long time. Sad...

Hey guys. Still around. I read pretty regularly, but I don't post much. It sucks not having a team. Take care and I'll try and post a little more often.

Augustin_"Gus"

05-14-2005, 06:47 PM

Here are Wilkie's numbers after 34 games:

G: 34 AB: 139 R: 18 H: 41 2B: 13 3B: 2 HR: 3 RBI: 17 TB: 67 BB: 15
SO: 41 SB: 3 CS: 2 OBP .367 SLG .482 AVG .295

Average is way up compared to last year's. Seem's like someone wont be hitting 30 HR's this time around tough.

Augustin_"Gus"

05-19-2005, 11:05 AM

Got to see a good portion of the Nationals game last night. Wilkie manufactured the only run of the game. 0-0 bottom of the ninth, Brad is leading off. Chris Capuano of the Brewers was pitching a superb game so far, he threw an off-speed pitch, about shoulders high, little bit off the inside part of the plate. Brad twisted his shoulders, streched the right elbow and got intentionally hit by the pitch. Shouldnt have been an HBP, but they don't apply (SP?) that rule in MLB nowadays (I think they should, but they don't) better make good use of it. So he took first, Carroll bunted him over to second, and he scored on a 2 out single. They won 1-0.

Watching that, I was reminded of why I liked Brad so much. Both talented and gritty. I mean, the guy as some pop, he dosen't need to get hit to reach bases. But he's a smart player and he dosen't mind winning ugly, as long as it gets the job done.

Knick9

05-29-2005, 03:07 PM

More history made by Wilkerson. He had 3 doubles in the Nats' 3-2 win against the Cards. That ties the record for both Montreal and Washington history for a single player to record 3 doubles in a single game. Note that I'm highlighting the word "Montreal." (*sigh*, this wasn't for Montreal :ughh )

Anybody know who did it for the Expos?

Augustin_"Gus"

05-30-2005, 09:27 AM

Prior to the 2004 season, 29 different players had hit three doubles in a game with the Expos, and I don't believe anyone did it in the last year of the team. I don't have the complete list, but guys like Vlad and Vidro did it recently.

Too bad Wilkie couldn't become the 30th.

Augustin_"Gus"

06-04-2005, 03:54 PM

Did I forget to mention that Brad turned 28 on June 1st? I did, did I. Anyway, hope he's not mad at me. :dance

Augustin_"Gus"

07-30-2005, 02:36 PM

Saw the Angels-Blue Jays game the other day. LA had Vlad, Cabrera and Rivera hitting 4-5-6. For a while there I tought I was watching the Expos...

Brad made a great HR saving catch last week during the (must, resist, temptetion, to put smily face... oh what the heck) series against the Braves :) . As soon as I find a cure for my extreme laziness, I will put up some numbers regarding Expos players of the past.

Ontarioguy

08-01-2005, 01:16 PM

(must, resist, temptetion, to put smily face... oh what the heck) series against the Braves :)

I never thought I'd see the day when I'd find myself cheering for the Braves but it happened last week and I want to see them make it 14 straight division crowns.

I was listening to Elliott Price this morning on the Team 990 and he flat out said that he does not want to see the Nationals make the playoffs. His on air colleague Shawn Starr (who used to do the post game show) said that he wants to see the Nats make the playoffs to spite all of those Expos fans who stopped supporting the team.

Both Price and Starr seemed to be in agreement that the fans were partially to blame. There reasoning was basically, 'yeah, the Expos got jerked around by ownership, management, certai players and MLB, but in the final years it was a new regime that did their best to field a winner and the fans should have come back by then and turn the page. With the exception of the Phillies series, they didn't.'

Poor Elliott, that guy lived and died with that team...

Augustin_"Gus"

08-01-2005, 07:29 PM

That's a debate that I'm a little tired of. I have my hands full with trying to have people understand that those aquatic championships we just had were a waste of time and money, that there is absolutely no dough to be made with amateur sports (one visiting professional athlete filling up his Hummer probably brings more money in the local economy then the thousands of swimmers and water poloists left in two weeks). Before thinking about the 2016 olympics, mister mayor, how about making sure the Canadiens wont be playing in DC as well, ten years from now? That would be the first order of business if we didin't live in a post-modern world where everybody loves crappy sports like soccer and Water-polo for no particular reason, and where we can't understand that sports millionaires have more money to spend around then amateur athletes who work nights in a gas station and live with 8 others divers in a two bedroom appartement.

Damm those people make me :mad: Deep breath. It's gonna be fine.

Augustin_"Gus"

08-01-2005, 07:42 PM

And another thing. All the local media that covered the championships, wich seemed to be every local media personality LOVED the champioships and had nothing but good things to say about them. One particularily dumb reporter (let's not mention his name... it's Michel Blanchard from La Presse) said that the millions- close to 50 from what I know- invested by the governements to organize the championships, not only had they been well spent (wich is debatable) but no sum of money had ever been put to a better use, ever (wich is beyond ridiculous). Why couldn't those guys use just a tiny bit of that enthusiam for the Expos? 5% of that could have made a difference in the popular following of the team. But what can I say. I can't think of one person in the world that would rather watch baseball then women's water-polo. Gotta go with what the people want.

Those guys are killing me.

Ontarioguy

08-01-2005, 09:37 PM

It's sad too because alot of those media people hold alot of power in terms of swaying public opinion. A classic example of this the gang from the late night sports talk TV show 110%. You have guys like Michel Bergeron and Jean Perron who can get a large group of Habs fans whipped up into a frenzy over something unbelievably stupid. It seems like alot of people don't bother questioning the articles and opinions put forward by some of these clowns.

And don't get me started on Jack Todd and Rejean Tremblay :evil

I don't follow the french side of the media like you do AG (BTW, you do a great job of it) but having lived in Montreal and being a fan of its sports teams I do get to see them spout off from time to time and I really wonder what goes on in those jerks heads. I feel that those lunatic renegades drag down the rest of their French colleagues who do a great job. I'm sure that because of their actions a large group of anglos view the entire frenct press as being idiots, which they aren't. There's some real good guys who do a great job. (Btw, most of my experience with the french side is through the Habs and not really through the Expos)

It's a shame too because the issues (such as politics) that Quebec society has to deal with get dragged into the sports world, which doesn't help anyone.

I just wish there were more guys Denis Casavain and Yvon Peddneault and less Rejean Tremblays and Jack Todd's in Montreal.

Augustin_"Gus"

08-02-2005, 02:44 PM

[QUOTE=

I just wish there were more guys Denis Casavain and Yvon Peddneault and less Rejean Tremblays and Jack Todd's in Montreal.[/QUOTE]

From your mouth to God's ears, my friend.

Augustin_"Gus"

04-16-2006, 04:54 AM

I didn't know anyone called him that besides me.

I didn't kept this thread as active as I tought I would. Feel free to update it, WR.

wilkerson_rulz-06

04-16-2006, 05:24 AM

I didn't know anyone called him that besides me.
I didn't kept this thread as active as I tought I would. Feel free to update it, WR.
I didn't even know it existed!

Brad Wilkerson
Current team: Texas Rangers
Current batting spot: 1st; 5th; 7th.
How acquired: Trade with Washington Nationals.
Nickname: The Last Expo
No 1 fan: Wilkerson_rulz

Here are some pics of Wilk I found.
http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/photo/2005/12/08/PH2005120801266.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y136/Rocket1124/Nationals/59177fa2.jpg
Still going strong, average speed.

http://newstimes.augusta.com/images/headlines/060505/20226_512.jpg
Wilk is the one on the right.
I don't know what's going on though. :crazy

http://lcn.canoe.com/archives/lcn/sports/nouvelles/media/2002/08/20020822-080439-g.jpg
Wilky and Vlady, memories.

http://amarillo.com/images/headlines/081803/expos2d.jpg
A great finish, from a great player

Augustin_"Gus"

04-16-2006, 05:36 AM

I've always been a fan of Wilkie myself.

Really enjoyed the way he played the game. The way he would sprint to first base after the catcher muffed balled four, just in case he could strech it to second, the way he played all over the outfield and at first... Great player, and a decent man from what we were told. Could have been a huge star in this city.

I attended his first MLB game. A 10-0 thumping to the Devil Rays if you can believe that. Didn't look very good at the plate, but still, I decided I would keep an eye on that young man from that point on.

And he's absolutely dynamite on my PS2. Two time NL MVP, surpassed Ichiro's hit record last year...

Ontarioguy

04-16-2006, 03:04 PM

Him and Schneider were my late favourites.

I got to see both of them come up through Ottawa. I'm also pretty sure I saw him in Cape Cod in an exhibition game playing for team USA's Olympic team. I wish i had a program to confirm this.

I'll always remember him hitting that game winning HR agains the Mets in their second to last game ever. Expos were in the process of blowing the game too, I remember it really clearly.

Idiotic Bowden traded him, I get the feeling I'm going to be thanking bumbling Jim alot. Making life sans nos amours beaucoup plus facile.

wilkerson_rulz-06

09-10-2006, 11:26 AM

Brad Wilkerson was placed on the 15-day disabled list a few weeks ago and he was immediately transfered to the 60-day disabled list.

Wilkerson was hitting just .222 with 15 HR and 44 RBI this season and failed to reach 100 games played for the first time in 4 seasons.

Wilkerson had a 12-game hit streak snapped in late May and then struggled mightily before deciding to FINALLY undergo arthroscopic shoulder surgery which has bothered him for the last 3 seasons and that forced him to change his approach and swing towards the ball which obviously hurt his offensive numbers badly.

According to Dr. Lewis Yocum who performed the surgery, Wilkerson had "wear and tear" dangerously near his rotator cuff and if that was damaged you could see a Tommy John Surgery or a lost 2007 season and 2008 occur. :eek:

He is expected to be ready for ST in 2007.

Augustin_"Gus"

09-11-2006, 08:47 AM

I can't recall a player who's not a pitcher undergoing Tommy John surgery. It's either uncommon, or I've not been paying attention. Then again, he pitched in college didn't he?

Either way, it's really unfortunate for Brad. Altough he's still young, not everybody rebound from that kind of injury and that kind of surgery, if it comes to that.

cubaxpos

09-11-2006, 10:30 AM

I believe Luis Gonzalez underwent Tommy John surgery, or he was going to, a couple of years ago.

Augustin_"Gus"

05-01-2008, 02:10 AM

Boy, have things been going poorly for Brad since he left Montréal...

Veterans Wilkerson, Norton cut by Mariners
AP
SEATTLE

Right-fielder Brad Wilkerson and pinch-hitter Greg Norton were cut Wednesday by the Seattle Mariners.

They promoted catching prospect Jeff Clement and power-hitting outfielder Wladimir Balentien from triple-A Tacoma to replace them.

Wilkerson signed a US$4-million, one-year contract before spring training. He was batting .232 with five RBIs in 19 games.

The team has 10 days to trade Wilkerson and Norton, release them or assign them to outright to the minor leagues.

Imgran

05-02-2008, 09:07 AM

Actually I think the last expo is probably going to be Maicer Izturis.

Steve Jeltz

05-13-2008, 05:24 PM

Wilkerson has signed with Toronto. Thus far he is 1 for 9 as a Jay and hitting only .209 for the year with 5 RBI. What's happened to him?

Augustin_"Gus"

05-14-2008, 03:58 AM

Wilkerson has signed with Toronto. Thus far he is 1 for 9 as a Jay and hitting only .209 for the year with 5 RBI. What's happened to him?

The curse of leaving Montréal. It has stung badly the likes of him, Tony Batista, Tony Armas, Jose Vidro, Terrmel Sledge, to mention just a few.

Does anybody know Wilkie is what number on the list of players who've played for both Canadian clubs?

Chicoutimi CP

05-16-2008, 09:30 PM

Does anybody know Wilkie is what number on the list of players who've played for both Canadian clubs?

According to that list (which unfortunately is alphabetical and not chronological), it seems he would be the 50th.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/friv/multifranchise.cgi?level=team&t1=MON-WSN&t2=TOR-TOR&t3=&t4=&submit=Find+Players