Wilken to be inducted into Professional Baseball Scouts Hall of Fame

Prior to a 7:05 p.m. match-up with the Jupiter Hammerheads, Wilken will be honored in a pregame ceremony at the scouts wall at the Gate 2 entrance to the stadium. This unique honor is given to those who exist at the very foundation of player development for the Major Leagues. Wilken will be commemorated with a bronze plaque, designed by the acclaimed US Bronze, and placed on display at Hammond Stadium at the CenturyLink Sports Complex.

"We are honored to induct Mr. Wilken into the Scouts Hall of Fame here at Hammond Stadium," said Miracle Chief Operating Officer Steve Gliner. "We take great pride in recognizing the scouts that lay the foundation for professional baseball and their dedication to the game."

In the last nine years, the Miracle have honored Terry Ryan (Minnesota Twins), Dave Yoakum (Chicago White Sox), Al Goldis (long time scout), John Barr (San Francisco Giants), Tom Kotchman (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim), Rudy Santin (San Francisco Giants), Jack Gillis (Colorado Rockies), Dan Jennings (Miami Marlins), Mike Russell (Detroit Tigers), Jorge Posada, Sr. (New York Yankees) and Luke Wrenn (Arizona Diamondbacks).

Wilken joined the Arizona Diamondbacks as a Special Assistant to the General Manager, Dave Stewart, in 2015 and began his career in 1979 with the Toronto Blue Jays. Wilken spent 24 years with the Blue Jays organization and served as an Area Scout, Minor League Coach and Manager, National Cross Checker, Scouting Director for both amateur and professional players and served as the Vice President of Baseball Operations in 2000.

While with the Blue Jays, Wilkin accomplishments included the signing and development of Major League players Casey Blake, Pat Borders, Chris Carpenter, Ryan Freel, Jay Gibbons, Shawn Green, Roy Halladay, Orlando Hudson, Reed Johnson, Steve Karsay, Jimmy Key, Dustin McGowan, Alex Rios, Mike Sharperson, Shannon Stewart, Vernon Wells, Craig Wilson and Michael Young.

As a National Cross Checker, the Blue Jays drafts were consistently rated in the top-5 throughout the 1990's and included eight Gold Glove recipients and two Cy Young Award winners. 2003 was Wilken's final season with Toronto and the Blue Jays were named MLB's Organization of the Year.

In July of 2003, Wilken joined the Tampa Bay Rays as a Special Assistant to the General Manager and Scouting Director through the 2005 season. In that short time span, the Rays and Wilken selected Reid Brignac, Wade Davis, Jeremy Hellickson, Jake McGee, Jeff Niemann and Andy Sonnastine. Wilken was named the East Coast Scout of the Year in 2005 on the first ballot, the youngest scout to receive the honor in the history of the award.

Wilken transitioned to the Chicago Cubs in the 2005 off-season and became the professional and amateur Scouting Director through 2012 before earning a promotion in 2013 to the Special Assistant to the General Manager. During those seasons, Wilkin helped the Cubs select and sign Albert Almora, Javier Baez, Darwin Barney, Kris Bryant, Andrew Cashner, Tyler Colvin, Josh Donaldson, Josh Harrison, D.J. Lemahieu, Jeff Samardzjia, Kyle Schwarber and Matt Szczur.

Tim and his wife, Sheri, currently reside in Dunedin, Fla. and have five children: Casey, Fergus, Jenae, Karis and Lauren. The Wilkins also have two grandchildren, Jaxon and Klaire.

"I am pleased to offer my congratulations to Tim Wilken on his induction into the Professional Baseball Scouts Hall of Fame," said Jim Lundeen, President of RJM Distributing. "Mr. Wilken has a tremendous resumé and has earned this recognition through his efforts and dedication to the game of baseball."

Fans can attend the induction ceremony at 6:15 p.m. and gates to Hammond Stadium open at 6 p.m. The first 500 fans through the gates will receive a special Miracle stein presented by Earth Alements Landscaping Supply and Cat Country 107.1 FM. For tickets and information, call (239) 768-4210.