The last Expo retires... Brad Wilkerson

[Culdejat]

Montreal fans are really sad...

http://www.projo.com/redsox/content/sp_bb_wilkerson_web_20_04-20-09_8KE3COL_v2.2fc8a84.html

Brad was our favorite player. We followed him after 2004 and met him lots of times. He was, with Brian Schneider and Jamey Carroll, on of the few who didnt't forget the Montreal fans...

Take care Wilky 

[daveb32]

Hate to see Wilk go.

Though he's not the last Expo fortunately, Nick Johnson is the last Expo on the current roster.

[tomterp]

I have to suspect that Wilkie was juicing.  His performance decline was swift and coincided with drug testing.  In the end, his performance in DC was a disappointment, though he had some nice games for sure - including the cycle one.

[Nat of the Living Dead]

I liked Wilkie. He wasn't a world beater or complete superstar, but he was something DC needed at a time DC needed a Face. He served his role to the best of his abilities (though it might have been a bit unfair to him), was good to the fans and the town, and he gave us some moments early on.

Good luck to him.

[Nat of the Living Dead]

I have to suspect that Wilkie was juicing.  His performance decline was swift and coincided with drug testing. 

If you have evidence that Wilkerson was juicing, cough it up.  Otherwise, stifle.

[Culdejat]

Hate to see Wilk go.

Though he's not the last Expo fortunately, Nick Johnson is the last Expo on the current roster.

He's the last one WHO PLAYED with an Expo uniform in Japan - in November 2004

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/events/japan_series/y2004/index.jsp?content=stats

[wpa2629]

Wilkie also hit the first ever Nats Grand Slam ... enjoyed him when he was here -- best of luck to him!

[Culdejat]

If you have evidence that Wilkerson was juicing, cough it up.  Otherwise, stifle.

Altough Brad has my deepest respects, his neck and arm muscles dramaticaly inflated between 2003 and 2006. Juice or extreme training ? I have no idea. But after gaining some muscles he began to injure himself on a regular basis.

He will remain our favorite. We have a "mini-museum" of his in my basement ;-)


Brad's evolution...
Before


http://washington.nationals.mlb.com/mlb/photo/photogallery/expos_35/34.jpg

After


http://www.bestsportsphotos.com/images/baseball/wilkerson-brad-wsn-1.jpg


http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3096/2675284667_38100bc88e.jpg?v=0

[tomterp]

If you have evidence that Wilkerson was juicing, cough it up.  Otherwise, stifle.

Haha, good one!

I have no proof, not even any real evidence.  If you google "Wilkerson steroids" you'll find a number of discussions and speculation, including reference to a Boswell article that maybe refers to Wilkerson as having been traded away by the Nats due to his expected decline (roids related), but no real evidence.  So the suspicion is out there, and it's not just me.

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

One still sees a few Montreal hats and jerseys at Nats games...perhaps proportionally more this year than ever before, considering the dive in attendance.  Regarding Wilkie and juicing, he did follow a Brady Anderson trajectory of rapid bulking and sudden decline...but that's circumstantial evidence at best.  Well, whatever, I liked him as an Expo and as a Nat.   

Montreal fans are really sad...

http://www.projo.com/redsox/content/sp_bb_wilkerson_web_20_04-20-09_8KE3COL_v2.2fc8a84.html

Brad was our favorite player. We followed him after 2004 and met him lots of times. He was, with Brian Schneider and Jamey Carroll, on of the few who didnt't forget the Montreal fans...

Take care Wilky 

[Nat of the Living Dead]

One still sees a few Montreal hats and jerseys at Nats games...perhaps proportionally more this year than ever before, considering the dive in attendance.  Regarding Wilkie and juicing, he did follow a Brady Anderson trajectory of rapid bulking and sudden decline...but that's circumstantial evidence at best.  Well, whatever, I liked him as an Expo and as a Nat.  

Hell yeah.

[sportsfan882]

I never liked that bum. pure garbage. he was definitely a juicer too.

[Culdejat]

A bum ?

Sorry man you have the wrong guy...

Picture from 09-29-2004, after the last game at the Big O. I was there.

You can recognize Claude Raymond, Jim Patterson, Luis ayala, Joey Eischen, And Wilky in tears...

[KnorrForYourMoney]

I never liked that bum. pure garbage. he was definitely a juicer too.

Agreed.  Poor plate discipline, and nothing in the tank when he came to D.C.

[PANatsFan]

Agreed.  Poor plate discipline, and nothing in the tank when he came to D.C.

Career OBP of .350, included some terrible years. He used to see a bazillion pitches per AB, which made him a good leadoff guy. Great defenseman. Then something happened...

I'm just glad none of the guys in the photo are currently on the Nats.

[CALSGR8]

I liked Wilkerson.  Didn't he hit for the cycle his second game with us? 

One time some promotion outside RFK was giving away T-shirts.  I got one that says "Got Wilk?  Love it!

Best of luck to you Brad!

"Got Wilk?" 

No, not any more.   

[Culdejat]

Career OBP of .350, included some terrible years. He used to see a bazillion pitches per AB, which made him a good leadoff guy. Great defenseman. Then something happened...

I'm just glad none of the guys in the photo are currently on the Nats.

Oh well with a record of 1-10 may be you'd like Patterson and Ayala in the line-up...even Eischen was better than Rivera...

[tomterp]

Oh well with a record of 1-10 may be you'd like Patterson and Ayala in the line-up...even Eischen was better than Rivera...

I don't think Eischen was any better, but he was a WHOLE lot more entertaining. 

[Culdejat]

Yep....especially AFTER he put some Vaseline in his glove