Brian Giles gave it a go, but his balky right knee was finally too much to overcome. As a result, Giles has ended his comeback try and will instead retire.
It's not like this is huge Dodger news, since he was only on the team for a cup of tea. But it is worth noting because he was one of the more underrated players in recent history.
With Pittsburgh from 1999-2002, he hit 35+ homers each year and made the All-Star team twice. He then had a few more solid season in San Diego before hitting the DL on June 23 of last year and never coming back.
The chances of making the Dodgers were pretty slim anyway, and the signing of Garret Anderson only made it worse. I definitely give him a lot of props for even trying, though. No shame in that.
Showing posts with label Giles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Giles. Show all posts
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Monday, February 8, 2010
The newest minor league signing: Brian Giles
Add Brian Giles to the list of minor league deals dished out by Ned Colletti this offseason. Giles will compete for a role of backup outfielder and left-handed pinch-hitter.
For those of you who have forgotten, Giles was an All-Star back in 2000 and 2001 with the Pirates. It wasn't just a token gesture either, he was legitimately good. From 1999-2003, he averaged 37 homers and 109 RBIs. So yes, he was good.
Then he went to San Diego, and his production went way down. He was still good in 2004 with 24 homers and 94 RBIs, but that was his last big year. He then dipped down to 12-15 homers between 2005-2008. Granted, it's harder to hit it out of Petco Park, but still.
I guess you could say age caught up to him, causing his numbers to drop. Or possibly it was something else? I'm just saying...
Anyway, an arthritic right knee shut him down in mid-June of last season for good, so his numbers were a measly .191 with 2 homers and 19 RBIs.
It's not out of the question to think he can hit well again, because he was at .306 with a .398 OBP in 2008. A healthy Giles can absolutely be a key pinch-hitter this season.
Who knows if he'll ever get the chance, though. According to ESPN's Buster Olney, should Giles fail to make the big club out of Spring Training, he can be granted his release.
For those of you who have forgotten, Giles was an All-Star back in 2000 and 2001 with the Pirates. It wasn't just a token gesture either, he was legitimately good. From 1999-2003, he averaged 37 homers and 109 RBIs. So yes, he was good.
Then he went to San Diego, and his production went way down. He was still good in 2004 with 24 homers and 94 RBIs, but that was his last big year. He then dipped down to 12-15 homers between 2005-2008. Granted, it's harder to hit it out of Petco Park, but still.
I guess you could say age caught up to him, causing his numbers to drop. Or possibly it was something else? I'm just saying...
Anyway, an arthritic right knee shut him down in mid-June of last season for good, so his numbers were a measly .191 with 2 homers and 19 RBIs.
It's not out of the question to think he can hit well again, because he was at .306 with a .398 OBP in 2008. A healthy Giles can absolutely be a key pinch-hitter this season.
Who knows if he'll ever get the chance, though. According to ESPN's Buster Olney, should Giles fail to make the big club out of Spring Training, he can be granted his release.
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