Willie Aikens
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{{for|the railroad entrepeneur|William Aiken}}
{{unreferenced|date=June 2008}}
{{Infobox MLB retired
|bgcolor1=#15317E
|bgcolor2=#15317E
|textcolor1=white
|textcolor2=white
|name=Willie Aikens
|position=[[First Baseman]] / [[Designated Hitter]]
|bats=Left
|throws=Right
|birthdate={{birth date and age|1954|10|14}}
|debutdate=[[May 17]]
|debutyear=[[1977]]
|debutteam=[[California Angels]]
|finaldate=[[April 27]]
|finalyear=[[1985]]
|finalteam=[[Toronto Blue Jays]]
|stat1label=[[Batting Average]]
|stat1value=.271
|stat2label=[[Home Runs]]
|stat2value=110
|stat3label=[[Runs Batted In|RBI]]
|stat3value=415
|teams=<nowiki></nowiki>
*[[California Angels]] ({{by|1977}}, {{by|1979}})
*[[Kansas City Royals]] ({{by|1980}}-{{by|1983}})
*[[Toronto Blue Jays]] ({{by|1984}}-{{by|1985}})
|highlights=<nowiki></nowiki>
*Led AL in intentional walks in 1981 with 12}}
'''Willie Mays Aikens''' (born [[October 14]], [[1954]] in [[Seneca, South Carolina]]) is a former [[first baseman]] in [[Major League Baseball]] who played for the [[Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim|California Angels]] ({{by|1977}}, {{by|1979}}), [[Kansas City Royals]] ({{by|1980}}-{{by|1983}}) and [[Toronto Blue Jays]] ({{by|1984}}-{{by|1985}}). He graduated from [[South Carolina State University]], and was selected by the Angels with the second pick of the {{by|1975}} January amateur draft. He also played with [[Mexican]] team "[[Yaquis de Obregón|Yaquis]]".
In {{by|1980}}, Aikens got the game-winning RBI in Game 3 of the [[1980 World Series]]. It was the Royals' first-ever win in a World Series game. Aikens hit .400 for the series. He is the only player in World Series history to hit two home runs in the same game twice during the same World Series. <ref>[http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9400E0DE1F39F930A25751C1A962958260 "BASEBALL; Aikens Gets 20-Year Term", ''The New York Times''] December 13, 1994.</ref>
Aikens' career rapidly declined after {{by|1983}}. Following the 1983 season, Aikens and teammates [[Willie Wilson (baseball player)|Willie Wilson]] and [[Jerry Martin]] and former teammate [[Vida Blue]] pleaded guilty to attempting to purchase [[cocaine]]. Aikens was suspended and the Royals traded him to Toronto for [[designated hitter]] [[Jorge Orta]]. Aikens played parts of two seasons for Toronto, mostly as a DH, before winding up his career in the Mexican League. In 1985, Aikens testified in the scandalous [[Pittsburgh drug trials]].
==Further legal trouble==
After his career, Aikens' [[Law of the United States|legal]] problems continued, culminating when Aikens was found [[guilt]]y of selling 63 [[gram]]s of [[crack cocaine]] to an [[undercover]] [[police officer]] and [[Sentence (law)|sentenced]] to 20 years and 8 months in prison. Aikens is sometimes cited as an example of the results of mandatory minimum sentencing in [[drug-related crime]]s.
The [[Kansas City, Missouri]] Police Department received complaints that Willie Mays Aikens was selling [[narcotic]]s at his home. Consequently, in December of 1993, the police put Aikens' [[condominium]] under [[surveillance]]. The police observed numerous individuals entering Aikens' home and then exiting after a brief stay. On [[December 8]], 1993, a police officer named Ginger Locke saw Aikens standing in the [[Garage (house)|garage]] of his condominium. She approached him and asked for directions. After Aikens gave Locke directions, he told her that he was listed in the phone book and asked her to call him sometime.
In December and January of 1993, Locke called Aikens numerous times in order to establish a [[rapport]] with him. On January 18, 1994, Locke called Aikens and told him that she had loaned her [[Automobile|car]] to a friend, and that the friend had been caught with some "stuff," referring to crack cocaine, in the car. Locke's story initiated a discussion about narcotics. Eventually, Aikens indicated that he could get Locke "all" of the "stuff" that she wanted.
Later that day, Locke drove to Aikens' home and asked him if she could buy an "eight ball," i.e. an eighth of an ounce of cocaine. Aikens asked Locke if she wanted her cocaine "hard," i.e. in crack form, or "soft," i.e. in powder form. She replied that she wanted it "hard." Aikens pointed to some crack cocaine sitting on an [[Ottoman (furniture)|ottoman]] in his den and indicated that he did not have a full "eight ball" of crack on hand. He told Locke that he would have to make some more. Using equipment which he kept in his [[Study (room)|den]], Aikens quickly proceeded to make crack by mixing powder cocaine with [[Sodium bicarbonate|baking soda]] in a glass [[beaker]], pouring [[water]] on it, heating it with a hand-held [[torch]], baking it in a [[microwave]], and then rinsing it with cold water. Aikens weighed some of the crack that he had made, along with some of the crack which he already possessed, on a dial-a-gram [[Weighing scale|scale]]. He sold this crack to Locke for [[US Dollar|$]] 200.
On January 24, 1994, Locke visited Aikens' home to buy more cocaine. Aikens called a [[supplier]] and arranged to get some "stuff." Aikens then had Locke drive him to his supplier's Kansas City home, where he used Locke's money to purchase powder cocaine. On the way back to Aikens' home, Aikens had Locke stop at stores where he could buy beakers and baking powder. When Aikens and Locke returned to Aikens' home, Aikens converted the powder cocaine into crack, and he sold the crack to Locke.
On January 28 and February 23 of 1994, Locke returned to Aikens' home and arranged to buy more crack. On each occasion, Aikens called a supplier and had Locke accompany him while he obtained powder cocaine. On each occasion, Aikens converted the powder into crack upon returning to his home and sold the crack cocaine to Locke.
On March 25, 1994, a [[grand jury]] [[Indictment|indicted]] Aikens on four charges of crack cocaine distribution in violation of 21 [[United States Code|U.S.C]]. United States v. Aikens, 64 F.3d 372, 373-374 ([[United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit|8th Cir.]] 1995)
Aikens served his prison sentence in a United States Penitentiary located in [[Jesup, Georgia]]. He was scheduled to be released in 2012.
Aikens was released from prison on [[June 4]], [[2008]] because of recent changes in the federal drug laws.
==Personal life==
Aikens' daughter was elected queen of Mazatlan carnival in 2007.
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
{{Baseballstats | br=a/aikenwi01 | fangraphs=1000090 | cube=A/Willie-Aikens}}
*Fish, Mike. [http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2003/writers/mike_fish/12/19/aikens/index.html "From big time to big house", ''SI.com''] December 13, 1994.
*Obley, P. [http://www.thestate.com/sports/story/410474.html "From the archives: A royal downfall", ''TheState.com''] October 10, 2004.
*Obley, P. [http://www.thestate.com/sports/story/410236.html "Release a possibility for Aikens", ''TheState.com''] May 20, 2008.
*[http://bop.gov/iloc2/InmateFinderServlet?Transaction=NameSearch&needingMoreList=false&LastName=aikens&Middle=&FirstName=willie&Race=B&Sex=M&Age=&x=19&y=24 Prison ID information for Willie Mays Aikens]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aikens, Willie}}
[[Category:1954 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Major league players from South Carolina]]
[[Category:Major league first basemen]]
[[Category:California Angels players]]
[[Category:Kansas City Royals players]]
[[Category:Toronto Blue Jays players]]
[[Category:African American baseball players]]
[[Category:African American sportspeople]]
[[Category:Baseball players suspended for drug offenses]]