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 eleven tells us about sidearm reliever Javier Lopez as we hit the one-third mark of our project.
Javier Lopez was born on July 11, 1977, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He graduated from Robinson Secondary School in Fairfax, Virginia, before continuing his education at the University of Virginia. Lopez was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 1998 just under the age of twenty-one. He appeared in a handful of games with the Class A South Bend Silver Hawks in South Bend, Indiana of the Midwest League. He stayed with the Silver Hawks for the 1999 season, and over those two years, he posted a crooked 6.17 earned run average, along with 101 strikeouts over 143 innings, mostly as a starting pitcher. Lopez moved up to the Class A Advanced California League in the 2000 season, where he played for the High Desert Mavericks of Adelanto, California. The Diamondbacks changed Class A Advanced affiliations in 2001, meaning that Lopez transferred over to the Lancaster JetHawks of Lancaster, California in the same league. Throughout his time in Class A Advanced, he produced a 4.83 earned run average and 116 strikeouts over 160 and 1/3 innings pitched, mostly as a starter, but with some time converted into a relief pitcher. For the last part of 2001 and all of 2002, Lopez pitched with the El Paso Diablos of the Texas League at the Class AA level. Here, his statistics read a 4.90 earned run average, sixty-eight strikeouts, and eighty-six and one-third innings pitched. While not all that stellar, it was enough for the Boston Red Sox to draft him from the Diamondbacks in the Rule 5 Draft on December 16, 2002. The Red Sox then flipped him for a player to be named later (minor-leaguer Ryan Cameron) to the Colorado Rockies. The Rockies gave Lopez a major league job in 2003, and he pitched the whole year with the big league squad. His numbers read out as a 3.70 earned run average, forty strikeouts, and fifty-eight and one-third innings pitched out of the bullpen. His first major league win came on April 10th, and his first save was on August 12th. He began the 2004 season with the Rockies as well, but struggled, and was sent to Class AAA Colorado Springs to figure out his issues with the Sky Sox in the Pacific Coast League. In mid-August, he rejoined the team, and closed out the season with a 7.52 earned run average, twenty strikeouts, and forty and two-thirds innings pitched. He pitched himself to a 4.00 earned run average in Colorado Springs. The 2005 season brought a bit of change to Lopez's life, as he was placed on waivers by the Rockies early in the year, and claimed on April 14th by his original organization, the Arizona Diamondbacks. He stayed with them until mid-season, before being sent down to play in the Pacific Coast League with the Tuscon Sidewinders of Tuscon, Arizona. In Tucson, he pitched to a 2.22 earned run average, sixteen strikeouts, and twenty-four and one-third innings pitched, while his major league numbers read out as 11.02 earned run average, twelve strikeouts, and sixteen and one-third innings. The Diamondbacks decided to give up on the reclamation project, and granted him free agency after the 2005 season, allowing him to sign on January 9, 2006 with the Chicago White Sox. He never appeared with the White Sox at the big league level, only working in their organization at Class AAA Charlotte, North Carolina, with the Knights. Here, he saw a huge improvement in his statistics, as he put up a 0.55 earned run average and twenty-six strikeouts over thirty-three innings pitched. These were numbers for trading, and on June 15th, the White Sox did just that. Lopez was sent to the Boston Red Sox for David Riske. His initial time in Boston was strong, but as his effectiveness slipped, the Red Sox sent him to play for the Pawtucket Red Sox of the International League. His numbers here were a 4.86 earned run average with twelve strikeouts in sixteen and two-thirds innings. He earned a late call up to Boston, and ended the year with a line of 2.70 for an earned run average, over sixteen and two-thirds innings, while striking out eleven. Lopez was the victim of roster management in 2007, as he shuttled back and forth between Boston and Pawtucket throughout the year. His Class AAA numbers were almost the same in workload and efficiency, while he also managed his baserunners better by shaving almost a full run from his earned run average. His expanded role at the big league level saw a little regression, as he posted a 3.10 earned run average with twenty-six strikeouts and forty and two-thirds innings pitched during the regular season. He was assigned to the postseason roster that year as well, and appeared in five games for the Red Sox en route to their 2007 World Series Championship. He was not all that effective in his time, but was not used in high-leverage situations. Lopez avoided the minor leagues in 2008, pitching the whole year with Boston, and at a strong level too, with a 2.43 earned run average, thirty-eight strikeouts, and fifty-nine and one-third innings pitched. He made three postseason appearances during the short-lived Red Sox title defense, and showed growth in improving his playoff numbers. However, all three of those appearances came in losses, and the Red Sox were eventually eliminated in the American League Championship Series. Lopez could not repeat his success in 2009, and was designated for assignment by Boston on May 10th. He spent the rest of the year in Pawtucket, where he worked to a 3.18 earned run average with twenty-three strikeouts over thirty-nine and two-thirds innings. On December 18th, he signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates for the 2010 season, and he posted a 2.79 earned run average with twenty-two strikeouts over thirty-eight and two-thirds innings before being traded on July 31, 2010 to the San Francisco Giants. He cut his earned run average in half over the last two months of the season, and was selected for the postseason roster. He appeared in nine playoff games, mostly in high-leverage and late inning situations, putting up a 1.59 earned run average over five and two-thirds innings, striking out six. He picked up six holds and a win in that time, and earned his second World Series title as the Giants worked past the Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, and Texas Rangers. Lopez found himself again working a mostly set-up role for the 2011 season with San Francisco, and during the full season, he achieved a 2.72 earned run average with forty strikeouts over fifty-three innings. This solidified Lopez as a premier lefty specialist, further accentuated by his sidearm delivery in pitching style. For 2012, Lopez again pitched out of the Giants bullpen, and was a part of the three-man closer committee after Brian Wilson's season ending injury. No matter the role, Lopez again pitched well, throwing a 2.50 earned run average with twenty-eight strikeouts over thirty-six innings, guiding the Giants to another postseason. He made the playoff roster again and was used in five games (none of which in the World Series), only allowing two walks over three innings of work, while striking out four. Lopez earned his third World Series Championship as the Giants swept the Detroit Tigers aside, and looks to continue to be a vital part of the Giants bullpen for years to come.
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