How They Got Here: The San Francisco Giants is a
one-by-one look at how each member of the 2012 World Series Champion San
Francisco Giants found their way to the squad. We'll look at all of the
players on the roster, as well as notable players who did not make the
postseason roster for whatever reason and the coaching staff and general
manager. Part two tells us Shane Loux's journey to the World Series title.
Shane Loux was born on August 31, 1979 in Rapid City, South Dakota. He graduated from Highland High School in Gilbert, Arizona. He was drafted in 1997 by the Detroit Tigers at the age of 17, and reported to the Gulf Coast League Tigers of Lakeland, Florida to play rookie ball. He then spent all of the 1998 season and part of the 1999 campaign with the West Michigan Whitecaps of Grand Rapids, Michigan in the Midwest League. Midseason, he transferred to the Lakeland Tigers, in the Class A Advanced Florida State League. He continued with Lakeland into the 2000 season before stepping up to the Jacksonville Suns of the Southern League at the Class AA level. Throughout his time at the lower levels of the Tigers' minor league system, Loux proved to be a decidedly average pitcher, and certainly wasn't living up the second round expectations he was carrying. His time in Jacksonville was short and mildly successful, as his 3.82 earned runs average at this level, along with 130 strikeouts in 157 and 2/3 innings pitched, earned him a step up to Class AAA baseball. He pitched from 2001 to 2004 at the Tigers' AAA affiliate, the Toledo Mud Hens of the International League. He also appeared in 2002 for three games and in 2003 for eleven games with the major league Tigers squad, but his time here was not impressive, with an earned run average of 7.71 for those fourteen appearances. Loux was granted free agency at the end of the 2004 season. He struggled to work his way back, and the Kansas City Royals signed him to their AAA affiliate, the Omaha Royals of the Pacific Coast League, in 2005. He was granted free agency by the Royals in 2006, and signed on with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in 2007, where he played with the Salt Lake Bees of the Pacific Coast League in part of the 2008 season. He was called up to the majors by the Angels in 2008, where he appeared in seven games with the Angels and was granted reasonable success. His time with the Angels in 2009 did not go as well, and he was split between pitching in the rotation and the bullpen. Loux also suffered an injury in 2009, which caused him to split time with the Bees and the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes in the Class A Advanced California League. His major league statistics with the Angels showed improvement from his days with the Tigers, as he shaved about two runs off of his earned run average. It wasn't enough for the Angels, and at the end of the 2009 season, they again set him into free agency, but his layoff was much shorter, as the Houston Astros signed him to the Round Rock Express, also in the Pacific Coast League. Loux played with them through 2010, but was again sent to free agency, where the San Francisco Giants signed him into their organization. He played 2011 with the Fresno Grizzlies for his ninth full season in eleven years at the AAA level. Over this time, he was a slightly under-average pitcher, and including his time in 2012 with the Grizzlies, he turned in a 4.66 earned run average over 1106 and 2/3 innings with 584 strikeouts in AAA. In 2012, he had some time with Fresno, as well as an injury rehabilitation assignment with the Arizona League Giants. He also earned his way onto the Giants roster for parts of the year, where he shuttled back and forth between Fresno and San Francisco. Throughout his various stints, he worked from the bullpen, where he posted an earned run average just under 5.00. He ended the season on the major league roster, and stayed on the forty-man roster until the end of Melky Cabrera's drug suspension. At this time, he was sent back to Fresno, where he watched the team he contributed to marginally march their way to the World Series Championship. While he may not get a ring, he was a noticeable veteran presence for the Giants this year.
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