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 nineteen is about eccentric reliever Brian Wilson.
Brian Wilson was born on March 16, 1982, in Winchester, Massachusetts. He grew up in Londonderry, New Hampshire, and attended Londonderry High School there as well. During his teen years, Wilson matured quickly due to his father's five-year battle with cancer, which he, tragically, ultimately lost. This developed a rough edge for Wilson, and led him to challenge authority on occasion, but his fiery personality did not deter the Cleveland Indians from drafting him out of high school in the 2000 draft. Wilson, a thirtieth round selection, opted not to sign, and went to college at Louisiana State University. He was in his junior year of college, where he was excelling at baseball, when he suffered an elbow injury that required Tommy John ligament replacement surgery. Despite the extensive rehabilitation ahead, Wilson was a twenty-fourth round pick of the San Francisco Giants. He finally made a professional debut in 2004, pitching with the Hagerstown Suns of Hagerstown, Maryland, in the South Atlantic League at the Class A level. In twenty-three appearances (three starts; he opted to become a reliever after a lack of success starting) he pitched to a 5.34 earned run average with forty-one strikeouts in fifty-seven and one-third innings. He worked his way through the ranks in 2005, beginning with San Francisco's new Class A affiliate, the Augusta Greenjackets of Augusta, Georgia, in the South Atlanta League first, where he pitched in twenty-six games, over half of his total for the season. Notably, he worked in a closer role for part of the season, throwing thirteen saves while posting a 0.82 earned run average with thirty strikeouts in thirty-three innings. He stepped up to the Class AA Norwich Navigators of Norwich, Connecticut in the Eastern League next, where his numbers read 0.57 for earned run average, eight saves, twenty-two strikeouts, fifteen and two-thirds innings of work, all over fifteen games. He made a late season stint with the Class AAA Fresno Grizzlies of the Pacific Coast League, where he threw a 3.97 earned run average in eleven and one-third innings with thirteen strikeouts. Wilson bounced around a bit in 2006, starting with the Grizzlies but earning a major league call up, where he made his major league debut on April 23, 2006. While it wasn't known when he was pitching, he injured himself in the first of two innings he pitched, and he was placed on the disabled list after that. He made his rehabilitation appearance with the San Jose Giants of the Class A Advanced California League. Wilson appeared in five games before returning to Fresno, where he stayed for nearly a month before rejoining the major league Giants. Overall, the back-and-forth season saw Wilson pitch to a 2.89 earned run average in Fresno and a 5.40 in San Francisco. He totaled fifty-three strikeouts for the year as well as fifty-nine innings. Wilson was the designated closer for San Francisco in the 2007 spring training, but struggled in the role and was sent down to the Grizzlies for most of the year. Here, he had a line of a 2.10 earned run average, eleven saves, thirty-seven strikeouts, and thirty-four and one-third innings. He returned to the majors on August 11th, and closed out six games while posting a 2.28 earned run average with eighteen strikeouts in twenty-three and two-thirds innings. Wilson was named the full-time closer ahead of the 2008 season, and finally had his breakthrough season, earning an All-Star bid midway through the season. While his overall numbers of a 4.62 earned run average with sixty-seven strikeouts in sixty-two and one-third innings were unimpressive to many, his forty-one saves in forty-seven chances spoke well of progress. Wilson kept the closer role in 2009, and rewarded the team's faith in him with thirty-eight saves in forty-five chances, while holding a 2.74 earned run average, nearly two runs lower than the previous season. He also struck out eighty-three batters in seventy-two and one-third innings in one of his heaviest professional workloads. He also became a local star through his Life of Brian reality show. The media attention and strong pitching both continued in 2010, as he earned his second All-Star nomination en route to a dominant 1.81 earned run average, ninety-three strikeouts, and seventy-four and two-thirds innings. Additionally, Wilson led the National League in saves with forty-eight, and blew just three save chances all season. With stability in pitching across the board, the Giants made a postseason appearance, with Wilson making ten appearance against the Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, and Texas Rangers in the playoffs. His first playoff appearance could be attributed to butterflies (although with the cool and calm Wilson, this is not a solid assumption), as he blew a save by allowing an unearned run against the Braves in two innings of work. Over the next nine and two-thirds innings, Wilson was virtually unhittable, allowing nine baserunners while striking out sixteen batters, and throughout the time he posted a perfect 0.00 earned run average. Wilson capped the run off with a Game 5 strikeout in the World Series against the Rangers, allowing the Giants to claim a World Series title that Wilson had a very big role in making happen. His predominant jet-black beard gained a fair amount of TV time throughout the run, and the Fear the Beard campaign that Wilson and teammate Sergio Romo put together got widespread attention. The attention did not subside in 2011, and Wilson didn't either. He remained an elite closer, while pitching to a 3.11 earned run average with fifty-four strikeouts in fifty-five innings, while also turning thirty-six saves. He also pitched in his third All-Star Game, recording the save as the National League won, under the watchful eye of his manager Bruce Bochy. However, Wilson and the Giants appeared to have a bit of a championship hangover, and failed to make the playoffs. The 2012 season was sour for Wilson as well, as he pitched in only two games before suffering another arm injury requiring Tommy John surgery on April 12th. The surgery was on April 19th, and Wilson remained upbeat in the dugout, supporting his Giants teammates as he was left a spectator for their second World Series Championship in three years. While the list of players to be successful after two Tommy John surgeries is short, Wilson likely hopes he can return to an elite level and help San Francisco defend their title in 2013.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
No comments :
Post a Comment