Jack Wilson is worth the price of admission

Besides the (post game) fireworks, there was one highlight to last night's Pirates-Giants game. The golden (hint hint) glove of Jack Wilson. In the game last night Jack made two sparkling plays, one that he made look so routine I think maybe only 1,000 of the 24,000 fans at the game last night truly appreciated it. In the 8th inning with runners on first and third in a one run game and only one out, Marquis Grissom hit a ground ball towards the hole in short. Wilson, playing in on the play, took two quick steps back and towards third, picked up the ball, and in the same motion while falling backwards flinged an underhand throw to catcher David Ross off his back foot. Amazingly, the ball didn't sail into the stands but rather hit Ross in the chest. Ross looked surprised to see the ball there, but not as surprised as Pedro Feliz who didn't even slide or evade Ross's tag. Somehow, instinctively Wilson knew that with the way the ball was hit and the runner on first moving his only play was to the plate, and somehow he got the ball there, making it all look so routine no one in the crowd batted an eye. The second play came in the ninth. Jason Ellison lead off the inning with a groundball deep in the hole. Jack flew to his right, scooped up the ball, and again off his back foot turned and fired a rocket throw to Daryle Ward that didn't even bounce. His momentum was carrying him so far in the other direction he landed on his back after firing off the midair throw. When Derek Jeter, a "gold glover", made a similar play earlier this week, commentators raved about what a great play it was by a great player and he was rewarded with the #4 play of the night on ESPN. When Jack Wilson did it he got a polite ovation from 24,000 Pirate fans, but none of us were blown away because it was the type of play that Jack Wilson makes routinely. Despite what anyone else tries to tell me, I've never seen a shortstop with such a nose for the ball and such a cannon for an arm. And as I've said before, I think that his glove coming back so strongly this week is a sign that he's feeling much better and his bat should be making a permanent return any day now. And with Renteria in the AL this year, if Jack Wilson doesn't win a Gold Glove, I think I'm going to feel personally insulted.