Bump Wills

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Bump Wills
Second Baseman
Born: July 27, 1952 (1952-07-27) (age 55)
Batted: Switch Threw: Right
MLB debut
April 7, 1977
for the Texas Rangers
Final game
October 3, 1982
for the Chicago Cubs
Career statistics
AVG     .266
Hits     807
SBS     196
Teams
Career highlights and awards
  • 52 stolen bases in 1978

Elliot Taylor "Bump" Wills (born July 27, 1952 in Washington, DC) is a former second baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the Texas Rangers (1977-81) and Chicago Cubs (1982). He is the son of Maury Wills, the former Major League shortstop who later managed the Seattle Mariners.

His career batting average was .266.

Wills and teammate Toby Harrah hit back-to-back inside-the-park home runs on August 27, 1977, the only time this feat has ever occurred in a Major League Baseball game. (Harrah's HR came on a drive to the right-center field gap; on the play, Yankee outfielders Lou Piniella and Mickey Rivers collided and knocked each other out. By the time another player was able to retrieve the ball, Harrah was being waved home.)[1] Also in 1977, Wills controversially replaced Lenny Randle at second base, which led to Randle's punching Rangers manager Frank Lucchesi in the face.[2] His 52 stolen bases for the Texas Rangers in 1978 remains a Ranger record for thefts in a season. Wills retired at the end of the 1982 season and later played in Japan.

Contents

[edit] References

  1. ^ The Ballplayers - Bump Wills | BaseballLibrary.com
  2. ^ The Official Site of The Texas Rangers: News: Swapping stories: The '77 Randle trade

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

[edit] Spokane

Bump Wills now lives in Spokane, Washington and coaches the Central Valley Bears. He regularly manages clinics for younger players in the area as well.

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