Vance Wilson #3

Full name is Vance Allen Wilson...he and his wife, Bridget, have a daughter, Peyton...Graduated from Red Mountain High in Mesa, Ariz. in 1992...Played two seasons at Mesa (Ariz.) Junior College in 1993 and 1994 where he was a Junior College All-American in 1994 after hitting .402.

2009

Signed with the Royals as a minor league free agent and spent the early part of the season rehabbing from Tommy John surgery...did appear in 59 games for NW Arkansas (AA) in his hometown of Springdale.

2008

Missed all of 2008 after undergoing right elbow reconstruction on 6-13-07.

2007

Missed the entire season, with the exception of a three-game injury rehab assignment with Triple A Toledo, after undergoing right elbow reconstruction on June 13, a procedure performed by Dr. David Altchek in New York...Landed on the disabled list on March 30 with a sore right elbow -- transferred to the 60-day disabled list on July 5...Assigned to Toledo for an injury rehab assignment on June 5 -- saw action in three games before being recalled from that injury rehab assignment on June 8.

2006

Completed his second season as the back-up catcher for the Tigers, batting .283 in 56 games...Established a career best with 10 sacrifice bunts -- tied for second in the American League...marks the most by any catcher with less than 200 plate appearances since 1974...Did not commit an error in his first 43 games behind the plate April 5-August 15...Collected a season-high three hits and three RBI on April 30 against Minnesota -- three RBI were his most since driving in three on May 13, 2004 at Arizona...Batted .324 (12x37) with three doubles, two home runs and five RBI in 13 games during June...Agreed to a two-year contract extension on August 17, keeping him in a Tigers uniform through 2008...Matched a career best with a five-game hitting streak September 6-21, batting .455 (5x11)...Hit .326 (14x43) against lefthanded pitchers...batted .266 (29x109) with righties on the mound...Batted .295 (26x88) in 30 games prior to the all-star break...hit .266 (17x64) in 26 games following the all-star break.

2005

Appeared in 61 games in his fourth full season at the major league level and first with the Tigers...Matched a career best with a five-game hitting streak June 30-July 8, batting .333 (5x15) during the streak -- also posted a five-game hitting streak September 15-27, batting .400 (6x15) during the streak...Ejected from the night game on July 4 at Cleveland by home plate umpire Chris Guccione for arguing a called third strike...Started eight of the Tigers nine games behind the plate August 8-17, batting .250 (7x28)...Hit .340 (18x53) with 12 runs scored, three doubles, two home runs and 11 RBI over a 19-game stretch August 11-September 27...Collected a season-high three hits, including a home run, August 14 at Kansas City -- also scored three runs in the game, establishing a career high...Finished the season with a 0x15 hitless streak September 28-October 2.

2004

Completed his third full season at the major league level with the New York Mets, batting .274 in 79 games...Belted his first career pinch-hit home run in the 10th inning at Philadelphia on June 1...Sidelined June 16-July 7 with a strained right hamstring...Saw action in one game with both Double A Binghamton and Triple A Norfolk as part of a rehab assignment July 5-6...Equaled a career best with four hits July 26 at Montreal...Batted .371 (13x35) in 16 games during July...Landed on the disabled list on September 14 with a left hand ligament injury...underwent season-ending surgery that day to repair a tendon in his left hand, a procedure performed by Dr. Melvin Rosenwasser at the Hospital for Joint Diseases and NYU Medical Center.

2003

Established career highs with 96 games played, 268 atbats, 28 runs scored, 65 hits, 100 total bases, eight home runs and 39 RBI for the Mets in 2003...Fourth among National League catchers by throwing out 32.6 percent of baserunners attempting to steal (15x46)...Batted .338 (26x77) over a 22-game stretch May 16- June 15, scoring 11 runs and collecting two doubles, three home runs and 14 RBI...Caught all 18 innings of a doubleheader June 5 versus Milwaukee, becoming the first Mets catcher to do so since Mike Piazza on August 20, 1998 vs. St. Louis...Collected a career-high five RBI June 12 at Texas...Established a career best with four hits at Florida on September 27.

2002

Made the Mets Opening Day roster for the first time in his career in 2002...Drilled his first major league home run April 13 vs. Montreal, a three-run shot off Javier Vazquez in the fifth inning.

2001

Started the year with Norfolk (AAA) of the International League...His contract was purchased by the Mets on June 30th...Collected his first major league hit, a double off the Cubs' Kevin Tapani, in his first major league start on July 4th...Was 2-3 in the contest...Recorded his first major league RBI on July 26th vs. Philadelphia...Appeared in 27 games as a catcher with the Mets (14 starts)...Made one error in 140 chances for a fielding percentage of .993...Threw out six of the 11 runners (55 percent) who tried to steal against him with the Mets.

2000

Had three separate tours of duty with the Mets...His contract was first purchased from Norfolk (AAA) of the International League on April 29th and was optioned back on May 1st...Was recalled again on June 2nd and sent back to Norfolk on June 3rd...Did not play in a game on either occasion...Recalled again on September 1st...Grounded out to third as a pinch-hitter in the ninth inning at Atlanta on September 19th in his first major league at-bat.

1999

Made his major league debut when he came in as a defensive replacement against the Cubs at Wrigley Field on April 24th.

1998

Was recalled by the Mets from Norfolk on July 31st, but did not see any action...Was optioned back to Norfolk on August 1st...Fractured his left ulna in a home plate collision on May 1st vs. Columbus...Placed on the 60-Day Disabled List on May 2nd...Activated from the Disabled List on July 3rd and assigned to Gulf Coast (R) for a rehabilitation assignment...Returned to Norfolk on July 24th (with a one-day stint with the Mets-July 31st) where he played until returning to New York on September 5th to have his left arm examined by the Mets medical staff...Had an open reduction-internal fixation with a bone graft on his left arm on September 15th...The procedure was performed by Dr. David Helfet at The Hospital for Special Surgery in New York.