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| San Diego native and ex Padre Brian Giles retires |
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| Voice of the Fan - Visitors Pass | |||
| Written by Mickey Koke | |||
| Friday, 12 March 2010 14:40 | |||
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Outfielder Brian Giles announced his retirement today, according to Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times. The Dodgers had signed Giles to a minor league deal in February. Soon after being signed to the minor league deal he told MLB.com's Ken Gurnick it wouldn't take long to decide whether his knee could hold up physically. Giles finishes with an outstanding .291/.400/.502 line with 287 home runs, 411 doubles, 1,078 RBIs, and 1,183 walks in 1,847 games. His 7,835 career plate appearances were with the Indians, Pirates, and Padres. Brian's career OBP currently ranks 59th all-time! Brian made two All-Star appearances and received MVP votes in five seasons. He had a very respectable, and to some degree, by MLB standards, an underrated career considering his achievements. Giles was involved in a "blockbuster" trade, that at the time, was criticized by the Pirates organization, because Jason Bay was not considered a top prospect. In August of '03, Giles joined the Padres for Jason Bay, Oliver Perez, and Cory Stewart. Brian Stephen Giles, Or maybe better known to his teammates as "gilly", was born on January 20, 1971, in El Cajon, California. During his very successful and some what under the radar career ( being that he never played for "big market" teams) He played for the Cleveland Indians, Pittsburgh Pirates and San Diego Padres. In 1997 Giles became a full-time major league regular, for Cleveland, playing in 130 games. Again with the Indians in 1998, he played in 112. Then in 98, he was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates for pitcher Ricardo Rincón. In 99 with the Pirates, Giles established himself as a power-hitting outfielder, who also hit for average and showed incredible plate discipline, heart and toughness, much like a linebacker would in the NFL. He began a streak of four straight 30-homer seasons, during which he batted no lower than .298 (All-Star status) and was named Pittsburgh Pirates Player of the Year each year, No shocker there. On August 26, 2003, he was traded to his hometown San Diego Padres, where from 2004-2006, Giles played in over 150 games each season, being one of the more productive hitters despite a drop in power ( much to do with Petco parks extreme pitching confines).Then in 2006, his batting average dropped to a career-low .263. On May 14, 2006, he drew 5 walks in a game, one shy of the record of 6. Throughout his entire career, Brian was regarded as having one of the best "eyes" in all of Baseball. In 2007, accompanied by his newly acquired brother Marcus, signed as a free agent to be the starting second baseman. Giles batted .271 that year but missed time with an injured knee. In 2008, Giles, in the third and final guaranteed year of his contract with the Padres, turned down a potential trade to Boston, where he could have a chance at seeing some post season playing time and perhaps the chance at a World Series ring, citing a desire to remain close to his hometown, family and friends. In 2009 Giles had the most disappointing year of his career on and off the field. Through July 1, Giles had the lowest batting average (.191), slugging percentage (.271), and OPS (.548) in the major leagues. However, soon after he went on the disabled list, with an arthritic right knee and missed the rest of the season. On February 7, 2010, Giles signed a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers and he received an invitation to spring training. However, shortly after the start of spring training it became apparent that his damaged knee would never permit him to be a productive outfielder again. Memorable Quotes: "He was loved in his locker room," San Diego closer Heath Bell said. "He was a pleasure to have. Always a fun guy, upbeat, even when he was hurt. If he's going to hang it up, I'm sad. He's such a great guy. If he thinks that's the best thing for him, I wish him well." Padres outfielder Scott Hairston called Giles "one of the best I played with." "He just grinded it out, each and every at-bat," Hairston added. "I never saw him beat himself up if he was in a rut. He kept the same composure. Personally, I took it as a privilege to play with a guy like that for a few years. He brought a lot of laughs to the clubhouse. He had a great career." "I really have no regrets. I played the game hard, respected the game.," Giles said. By Bob Nightengale, USA TODAY: PEORIA, Ariz. — San Diego Padres right fielder Brian Giles, in the shower after a morning workout, steps out and screams for his brother."Marcus, Marcus, hurry up and get in here," Brian Giles screams. "Chris is in here."Marcus Giles, seven years younger than Brian, yells, "Oh, boy," strips his clothes and is showering within seconds.Minutes later, Padres pitcher Chris Young is red-faced and out of the shower, still shaking his head."You get nervous when you see those guys come into the shower," says Young, a Princeton graduate. "Let's put it this way: You definitely don't close your eyes in there, even when you're shampooing."So just what happened in there to make Young flee as if one of the Giles boys pulled a fire alarm?"Ah, we just like to shave in there," Brian says, referring to their body hair, not their faces. "Chris, for some reason, thinks it's gross."The Giles boys can be, well, a little different. Ask him what their father does for a living, Brian deadpans: "He's a pimp." And their mother? "She's a stripper."They filmed a series of commercials Monday night that was supposed to last no more than 30 minutes. It took nearly two hours. It began with Marcus, a second baseman, saying it was cool having makeup applied to their faces. ("I haven't done this since I was 5," Marcus says, "back when I wanted to be a girl.") It ended with Brian dropping his pants and jumping on Marcus, with the two giggling uncontrollably until the cameras stopped.No wonder the Padres made sure pitcher Jake Peavy filmed his role for the commercial earlier. A year ago, when Brian Giles was in a commercial with Mike Piazza, the scene was never the same after Giles ran out of the bathroom naked and jumped in front of Piazza."I can't imagine what it's going to be like with two Gileses around this year," says Padres general manager Kevin Towers, who signed Marcus to a one-year, $3.25 million deal in the offseason after the second baseman was cut loose by the Braves following six seasons in Atlanta."I'd be in (former manager Bruce) Bochy's office having a serious meeting and Brian would come in there fully naked, showing his batting stance," the GM says. "He's normal except for the tanning booths, shaving his body and walking around with no clothes. One Giles is enough. I'm not sure if I can handle two of them."George Hamilton sans wrinkles"Go ahead, we can start the interview now," Marcus Giles says.No problem, except Giles is lying sideways on the couch, unable to move. He is wrapped in white adhesive tape, courtesy of pitcher David Wells' son, Lars."It's a little looser in here than Atlanta," says Marcus, knowing that kids aren't even permitted in the clubhouse, let alone music. No wonder Marcus feels as if he got transferred from a military boarding school to a college frat house. He spent a few hours shopping at Nordstrom this week and bought nothing more than T-shirts, hats and six pairs of flip-flops.He adds that it was a whole lot cheaper than Brian's tanning treatments. Brian is George Hamilton without the wrinkles, lying naked in the tanning bed whenever possible, and walking around nude to make sure the tan is noticed. "That's a sick boy, right there," Padres center fielder Mike Cameron says, shaking his head. "The stuff he does around here, you can't even get in your newspaper. And now there's two of them."Let's just say picture day has a different meaning in Padres camp."They're funny lookin' anyway," Padres starter Greg Maddux says, "so they're even funnier when they say something."The boys attribute most of their zany humor to their mom, Monica, a housewife, who sat in the news conference announcing Marcus' signing during the winter and said, "This is great; you guys get to shower again together."Their dad, Bill, a Coors Light supervisor, has his quirks too. The Giles boys remember the time when Brian was 15, Marcus was 7, and they found themselves in a karaoke contest at a Black Angus restaurant singing, We are Family. The following tidbit is from The San Diego Union-Tribune: "Hey Greg, I've got one for you," Brian Giles said to new Padres teammate Greg Maddux last month. "Why was the mathematics book depressed?" Giles said. After the 333-game winner pondered the question for a few seconds, Giles slowly delivered the punch line. "Because it had a lot of problems inside."Giles laughed as if he were the second coming of Robin Williams, slapped Maddux in the left arm and walked away. Maddux, appearing perplexed, resumed answering questions from a reporter. Giles returned a few second later, speaking slowly, like an athlete who took too many shots to the helmet. He stared into Maddux's bemused face. "Greg, here's another one. What kind of waves are the really small ones in the ocean?" Pause. "Micro waves."Giles giggled and walked back to his dressing stall. A trace of a grin appeared on Maddux's face. Then Maddux resumed the interview. Giles returned in about 30 seconds - naked - and said, "Greg, what kind of language does a porcupine use? "Spine language." Maddux belly-laughed. Giles roared and, now content, the right fielder made a triumphant return to his clubhouse stall. "I guess it's funnier when he tells the joke without wearing any clothes," Maddux said. Giles is a frequent guest on the show Live At Five, and is known by the nickname "Gilly". Giles was one heck of a player and an even better teammate. He will be missed from the showers to the naked, "infamous" clubhouse "greetings" to his radical tan that would make Randy Ram, in "the wrestler" played by Mickey Rourke jealous!
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