2002 Fleer Tradition, Wilson Betemit

#444 Wilson Betemit

Here is a card that I got signed a week and a half ago after the Royals final game of the season. In that game, Wilson made an error in the 12th inning that cost the Royals the game. Because of that, I was a little surprised when Wilson left the Royals parking lot and pulled over and signed autographs from his car for five minutes. Most of the Royals were wanting to hit the road after the game and only one other player signed from his car (coincidentally, it was the pitcher that took the loss that day, Dusty Hughes). So, in a way, Wilson tried to make up for his error by stopping to sign before he left Kansas City.

Wilson was a minor league free agent signing for the Royals last season and he started the year in Omaha. But, his bat earned him a promotion to the big leagues right before interleague play started. In one of his first starts as a Royal, he had a home run from both sides of the plate in a game at Yankee Stadium. He was mainly used as a DH and pinch hitter early on, but once Alberto Callaspo was traded to the Angles, Wilson became the everyday third baseman to finish up the season.

Wilson was a welcome addition to the Royals this year. While his glove was a little suspect, his bat helped out a lot. He finished the season hitting .297 with 13 home runs and 43 RBI in only 84 games. If he had been called up earlier and had hit like that, he would have easily led the Royals in home runs and possibly RBI.

I have no idea what the future holds for Wilson Betemit, but I am glad that he was a part of the Royals in 2010.

Wilson's signature is is completely unreadable, but he is consistent with it.