A native of Los Angeles, Watson was signed as an amateur free agent by the Houston Astros in 1965. Watson would make his big league debut with the Astros the following year at the age of 20. Originally a catcher, the Astros would move Watson to first base in 1970 when he began to play on a regular basis. Watson would be selected to the NL All-Star Team in 1973 and 1975. That year Watson earned the distinction of scoring the one millionth run in MLB history, an achievement which earned him $10,000, a platinum Seiko watch and a million Tootsie Rolls. It was later discovered that Watson did not, in fact, score the millionth run. No one knows who actually did, but Watson got to keep the money, the watch and gave away the Tootsie Rolls to the Boys & Girls Club.
Watson would enjoy his best seasons in 1976 and 1977 with 100 plus RBI seasons. During the '77 season, Watson hit for the cycle. That same year Watson along with Astros teammates Enos Cabell, Cesar Cedeno, J.R. Richard, Ken Forsch and manager Bill Virdon made a cameo in the film The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training part of which was filmed in the Astrodome. Watson uttered the memorable line, "Hey, let the kids play."
After nearly 15 seasons in the Astros organization, Watson would be traded to the Boston Red Sox during the middle of the 1979 season. Although Watson's tenure in Boston was short-lived he did make MLB history when he again hit for the cycle becoming the first player to do so in both leagues.
Prior to the 1980 season, Watson signed a free agent contract with the New York Yankees. That year he reached the post-season for the first time as the Yankees won the AL East title. However, they would be swept in the ALCS by the Kansas City Royals. In 1981, Watson played in his only World Series. Watson went 7 for 22 hitting .318 with 2 HR and 7 RBI. He might have been a possible World Series MVP, but the Yankees fell to the Los Angeles Dodgers in six games.
Early in the 1982 season, the Yankees traded Watson to the Atlanta Braves for minor leaguer and future Gilmore Girls actor Scott Patterson. Watson would be part of a Braves team that would win its first NL West title in 13 seasons though he did not appear in the post-season. He remained with the Braves through the 1984 season. In 19 MLB campaigns, Watson would collect 1826 hits for a lifetime batting average of .295 with 184 HR and 989 RBI.
In 1988, Watson would return to the World Series as the hitting coach of the AL champion Oakland A's. While Watson provided tutelage to the likes of Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco, the A's were upset by the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games.
Watson would survive a bout of prostate cancer in 1994. In 1995, Watson would reunite with the Astros when he was named the team's general manager. After two seasons, Watson would serve in the same capacity with the New York Yankees finally earning a World Series ring in 1996, the first African-American GM to earn this distinction. In 1998, Watson left the Yankees for MLB serving as its vice-president for discipline as well as vice-president for rules and on field operations. Watson served in these capacities until his retirement after the 2010 season.
Back in March, shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States, Watson made his final public appearance when the Houston Astros dedicated an education center and youth academy in his honor. R.I.P.
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