Wilsons Have Followed Same Learning Curve

The Cardinals' Preston Wilson is the stepson of Mookie Wilson, whose famous ground ball helped the Mets win the World Series in 1986. (By Dilip Vishwanat -- Getty Images)

ST. LOUIS, Oct. 27 -- As a youngster, Preston Wilson was not very interested in baseball games. Of course, Wilson attended New York Mets games featuring his stepfather, Mookie Wilson, at Shea Stadium, but the precocious youngster often found himself distracted. Preston Wilson, then 12 years old and sitting behind home plate, did not see his father's famous ground ball between the legs of Boston's Bill Buckner in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series because he was wandering the stands and the fans in his section stood, impeding his view.

"He was so small at the time," Mookie Wilson said. "He didn't sit still in the ballpark for very long."

Preston Wilson had an affinity for other sports, and his stepfather never put a baseball or bat in his hand unless his stepson asked. Preston rarely asked. It was not until he was a freshman in high school that Preston asked his stepfather to help him play baseball. Mookie immediately sought out the one man who could teach Preston to play the game the right way, the man with a soft Southern drawl whose baseball knowledge seemed to exceed the size of South Carolina, the man who had taught Mookie how to play.

And because of David Horton, two generations of Wilsons went on to become World Series stars.

Since 1968, Horton, 69, has coached baseball at Bamberg-Ehrhardt High, a school of about 500 students in Bamberg, S.C., a town of approximately 4,000 residents, and in that time he has won 13 state titles.

Horton had mapped out such a life almost from the moment he graduated from Newberry College in South Carolina, where he had played on the baseball team but was not a star. A couple of Horton's uncles had played in the minor leagues for the Washington Senators, but neither made it to the majors. His future was in educating young men, and he knew it.

"He's coached just about every adult in town, it seems like," Bamberg Athletic Director Dan Reynolds said.

Horton's biggest break as a high school coach came when the Wilson family joined the community. Several of the older Wilson brothers played baseball, but it was not until Mookie Wilson joined the team that Horton enjoyed success. Bamberg-Ehrhardt's first title under Horton came during Mookie Wilson's senior year in 1974. Horton did not think much of Mookie the first time he saw him becau se he was slight in stature, but he did have good baseball tools. Mookie learned baseball fundamentals under Horton.

By 1986, Mookie had become a star with the Mets. Horton, watching Game 6 of the World Series that fall in South Carolina, saw Buckner's gaffe, which may have cost the Red Sox a world title. Horton had one thought: "Mookie would have beaten that ball out even if [Buckner] had fielded it cleanly. Without any doubt."

Preston Wilson came to the game later than Mookie, but it took Horton just two years to turn him into a star.

"He was raw when he got here," Horton said. "When he played you could tell he had talent but he had to go through a period of development."

Horton remembers that most scoffed when he put Preston into the lineup as a freshman. Horton promised the doubters that Preston would one day be a star. In his senior year, Wilson had 86 RBI and hit seven grand slams.