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 twenty-one talks about reliever Jeremy Affeldt.
Jeremy Affeldt was born on June 6, 1979, in Phoenix, Arizona. In his childhood, he moved to Colbert, Washington, where he attended Northwest Christian High School. He graduated in 1997, and was a third round draft pick of the Kansas City Royals in the same year. He was assigned to the Gulf Coast League to play with the Rookie-level Royals, working mostly as a starter. He had a modest 4.50 earned run average with thirty-six strikeouts in forty innings pitched. Affeldt spent most of the 1998 season in the Gulf Coast League as well, posting a 2.89 earned run average as well as sixty-seven strikeouts in fifteen innings. This prompted a promotion to the Class A Lansing Lugnuts of Lansing, Michigan in the Midwest League, which was disastrous for Affeldt. The Royals changed Class A affiliates in 1999, and Affeldt played with the Charleston AlleyCats of Charleston, West Virginia, in the South Atlantic League. His numbers were significantly better this time, and he posted a 3.83 earned run average with 111 strikeouts spanning 143 and 1/3 innings pitched. Affeldt was again promoted in 2000, pitching for the Wilmington Blue Rocks of Wilmington, Delaware in the Class A Advanced Carolina League. He pitched a 4.09 earned run average and ninety-strikeouts in 147 and 1/3 innings. Affeldt worked all of 2001 and three starts in the middle of 2002 with the Class AA Wichita Wranglers in Wichita, Kansas of the Texas League. His total numbers in Class AA baseball were twenty-eight starts over 151 and 1/3 innings, with a 3.81 earned run average and 131 strikeouts. His major league debut was on April 6, 2002, working out of the bullpen, which he did for most of his time with the big league Royals. He ended the year with a major league earned run average of 4.64, while striking out sixty-seven in seventy-seven and two-thirds innings. Affeldt made no minor league appearances in 2003, staying with Kansas City for the entire year. He made eighteen starts and eighteen relief appearances, pitching to a 3.93 earned run average with ninety-eight strikeouts in 126 innings. He also had his first major league hit on June 6th, and his time in the bullpen was intended to fix blister problems he had all season. The Royals stated that if the problems persisted, he would permanently work as a reliever. In 2004, he was originally the Royals number three starter, but his ineffectiveness coupled with a thinning of the bullpen pushed him back to a reliever role for the rest of the season, and he was named the closer on May 21st. He suffered a rib injury nearly a month later, having turned eight of ten save opportunities (he added five more after returning from the disabled list). He made his rehabilitation appearances with the Class AAA Omaha Royals of the Pacific Coast League, where he showed he was up to speed. His final numbers of the year were a 4.95 earned run average, forty-nine strikeouts, and seventy-six and one-third innings pitched. Affeldt was confirmed as the closer for 2005, but due to the Royals' lack of winning, he did not have a save chance until April 15th, which he did not convert because he injured a groin that caused him to sit out for about six weeks. He did not regain his closing job, and re-aggravated the groin injury on June 20th, causing another disabled list stint. He made his rehabilitation appearances again with Omaha, but struggled in the nine games he appeared. From July 7th on, he stayed with Kansas City, but his final numbers were not great. He ended the year with a 5.26 earned run average and thirty-nine strikeouts in forty-nine and two-thirds innings. The Royals returned Affeldt to the rotation in 2006, but he again struggled, and his last major league start came on May 27th. He worked out of the bullpen after that, posting a 5.91 earned run average and twenty-eight strikeouts in seventy innings before being traded on July 31, 2006 with Denny Bautista to the Colorado Rockies in exchange for Scott Dohmann and Ryan Shealy. In Colorado, he was even worse, pitching to a 6.91 earned run average and twenty strikeouts in twenty-seven and one-third innings of bullpen work. The Rockies used Affeldt in the bullpen for all of 2007, working primarily in a lefty-specialist role, where he posted a 3.51 earned run average, forty-six strikeouts, and fifty-nine innings, while earning a postseason roster spot. He appeared in just three games between the National League Division and Championship Series, with a decent amount of success, before trying to stop the bleeding against the Boston Red Sox in the World Series. While Affeldt was used in every game and did not give up a run in the World Series, the Red Sox were still able to prevent Affeldt and the Rockies from earning the championship, finishing them off in a four game sweep. Interestingly enough, Affeldt crossed paths with a future teammate during this World Series, as Javier Lopez was pitching with the winning Red Sox. Affeldt parted ways with the Rockies at the end of the season, signing a free agent deal with the Cincinnati Reds for the 2008 season. He had continued success in the bullpen for the Reds, pitching to a 3.33 earned run average with eighty strikeouts in seventy-eight and one-third innings. He did not resign with Cincinnati, opting instead to sign with the San Francisco Giants on November 17th. In 2009, Affeldt worked out of the bullpen in a set up role to closer Brian Wilson, and he had his best season to date. He had a 1.73 earned run average and fifty-five strikeouts in sixty-two and one-third innings pitched, and was named Set Up Man of the Year. Unfortunately for Affeldt, 2010 was not as good personally, and the low point came on July 24th as he went on the disabled list for the first time in five years. A month later, he returned to finish the season with a 4.14 earned run average and forty-four strikeouts in fifty innings, as well as a postseason roster spot. In the playoffs, Affeldt made five appearances spanning four innings. He had a 4.50 earned run average with four strikeouts, allowing a run to the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League Championship Series and another run to the Texas Rangers in the World Series. His iconic moment from the postseason was his appearance in the third inning, spelling an injured Jonathan Sanchez with two innings of perfect baseball to help the Giants clinch their World Series bid, which they eventually won over the Rangers, giving Affeldt his first championship. Affeldt remained an important member of the Giants bullpen in 2011, where he continued to work in a set-up role at times and he posted a 2.63 earned run average with fifty-four strikeouts in sixty-one and two-thirds innings pitched. However, 2011 had an abrupt end for Affeldt, as he made headlines for all the wrong reasons. He suffered a serious hand injury on September 8th, while infamously trying to separate frozen hamburger patties, and the injury required surgery to address nerve damage. Affeldt was back in tip-top shape for the Giants in 2012, again working in relief, and even garnering time in the post-Wilson closer committee. He ended the regular season with a 2.70 earned run average and fifty-seven strikeouts over sixty-three and one-third innings, easily earning his postseason roster spot. He maintained a strong role in ten postseason appearances, not allowing a single run of any kind in the playoffs, and only eight baserunners made it on Affeldt's watch. While not garnering big headlines in the playoffs, the most critical appearance came in Game 4 against the Detroit Tigers in the World Series, where Affeldt struck out Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera, nine-figure earner Prince Fielder, and postseason hero Delmon Young in the eighth inning. This allowed the Giants to keep the game tied, and eventually win it in the tenth inning to put Affeldt on the winning side of a World Series sweep, and he was given his second championship in three years.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
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