Mookie Wilson — the famed New York Mets outfielder who whacked the ground ball that slipped past Boston Red Sox first baseman Bill Buckner in Game Six of the 1986 World Series, which his team went on to win in seven games — says baseball has changed, mostly for the better.
"The culture of the game has really changed dramatically and … has really kind of opened the door for guys to be bulkier, to be stronger," Wilson told "The Steve Malzberg Show" on Newsmax TV.
"When I was coming through the game it was all about speed. [That] was a big part of the game. That's no longer the case now.''
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Wilson is author, with Erik Sherman, of
"Mookie: Life, Baseball and the '86 Mets," published by Berkley.
One thing Wilson is not a big fan of is the use of instant replay in place of an umpire's judgment.
"I’m not a big advocate … I'm one of the guys that's willing to live with the mistakes. You know the umpires make mistakes, they're going to make mistakes,'' he said.
"I don't think you need the instant replay to hold people accountable for their jobs. You look at the games and you say, 'Hey, you messed up here. If you don't do better the next time, we're going to have to replace you.'''
Wilson, who was inducted into the New York Mets' Hall of Fame in 1996, later became a minister and released a gospel album with his family.
"My father was a very devoted Christian and as much as playing ball was part of the family tradition, going to church was mandatory,'' he said.
"You went to church.... That's the one thing he instilled in us very early and … that kind of stuff just doesn't go away, it stays with you.''
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