A Moment of Respect for Brian Giles

by Jesse on Mar 11, 2010 2:25 PM EST in News

Two seasons ago, at age-37, Giles hit .306/.398/.456 for the Padres. It was like a brief renaissance before, as can be expected, he flamed out last year. In fact, since 2006 Giles just hadn't been the same player he was in his prime.

Giles' prime is exactly what I wanted to bring up. It seems like a lifetime go, but for five seasons (1999 - 2003) he was one of THE best hitters in all of baseball. He was so good that, should Joe Mauer hit like Giles from ages 28 - 32, we should all be perfectly happy.

How good was he? How does .307/.426/.588 sound? From '99 through '03 Giles averaged 149 games a year, 34 home runs and 36 doubles, and in total walked nearly 200 more times than he struck out. The man was a beast, and while he was lauded for it and recognized at the time, it's worth pointing out how outstanding of a player he was. Because time has a way of making us forget.

Giles finishes his career with a .292/.400/.502 triple slash, with 287 home runs, 411 doubles, 1897 hits and 1183 walks. No, he won't make the Hall of Fame, but he deserves congratulations on a very, very good career.

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Got a bit of a late start too...

He spent 3.5 years in AAA because the Indians were too loaded (Belle/Lofton/Ramirez) to find room for him. A very underrated player.

by DavidRF on Mar 11, 2010 3:46 PM EST reply actions

Rest in peace.

by benhertz on Mar 11, 2010 8:17 PM EST reply actions

For God's Sake

The Man Retired, He’s Not Dead

"God tells me he can get me out of this mess, but he's pretty sure you're fucked."-Braveheart

by Camraman926 on Mar 11, 2010 8:58 PM EST up reply actions

After

After his prime, he lost his power, but he was an OBP beast all the way through the end.

"You can't sit on a lead and run a few plays into the line and just kill the clock. You've got to throw the ball over the damn plate and give the other man his chance. That's why baseball is the greatest game of them all."
~ Earl Weaver
"In God we trust. All others must provide evidence."
~ Billy Beane

by AdamOnFirst on Mar 12, 2010 1:07 AM EST reply actions