Brian Stephen Giles (pronounced JYLES) (born January 20, 1971, in
El CajonEl Cajon is a city in San Diego County, California, United States. The population was 94,869 at the 2000 census. El Cajón is Spanish for "The Drawer", relating to it being surrounded by mountains in a nestled valley...
,
CaliforniaCalifornia is the most populous state in the United States, and the third largest by area. California is the second most populous sub-national entity in the Americas, behind only São Paulo, Brazil...
) is an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Major League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of play in North American professional baseball. Specifically, Major League Baseball refers to the organization that operates the National League and the American League, by means of a joint organizational structure that has developed gradually between...
right fielderA right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
who currently plays for the
San Diego PadresThe San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times.The Padres are one of four teams...
. His younger brother,
Marcus GilesMarcus William Giles is a Major League Baseball player. He is a second baseman and bats right-handed. His older brother, Brian Giles, is an outfielder with the San Diego Padres.-Career:...
, was an
infielderBaseball teams take turns, one "out" in the field and one "in" at bat. The nine fielding positions are commonly grouped as three outfielders, four infielders, and "the battery"...
in the
Philadelphia PhilliesThe Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and are the defending World Series champions. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern...
organization.
The
left-handedLeft-handedness is the preference for the left hand over the right for everyday activities such as writing. Most left-handed people exhibit some degree of ambidexterity...
Giles is a two-time
All-StarAll-star is a term with meanings in both the worlds of sports and entertainment.-Entertainment:In the chris sense , it is used to describe the cast of a movie in which most of the speaking parts, even relatively minor ones, are played by motion picture stars who are generally associated with...
and has a career line of .294/.404/.511 with 287
home runIn baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle all the bases, ending at home plate and scoring runs for himself and each runner who was already on base, with no errors by the defensive team on the play...
s, 401
doublesIn baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
, 1,055
RBIsRuns batted in or RBI is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play...
, and 1,157 walks in 1,786 games.
Giles attended Granite Hills High School.
Brian Stephen Giles (pronounced JYLES) (born January 20, 1971, in
El CajonEl Cajon is a city in San Diego County, California, United States. The population was 94,869 at the 2000 census. El Cajón is Spanish for "The Drawer", relating to it being surrounded by mountains in a nestled valley...
,
CaliforniaCalifornia is the most populous state in the United States, and the third largest by area. California is the second most populous sub-national entity in the Americas, behind only São Paulo, Brazil...
) is an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Major League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of play in North American professional baseball. Specifically, Major League Baseball refers to the organization that operates the National League and the American League, by means of a joint organizational structure that has developed gradually between...
right fielderA right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
who currently plays for the
San Diego PadresThe San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times.The Padres are one of four teams...
. His younger brother,
Marcus GilesMarcus William Giles is a Major League Baseball player. He is a second baseman and bats right-handed. His older brother, Brian Giles, is an outfielder with the San Diego Padres.-Career:...
, was an
infielderBaseball teams take turns, one "out" in the field and one "in" at bat. The nine fielding positions are commonly grouped as three outfielders, four infielders, and "the battery"...
in the
Philadelphia PhilliesThe Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and are the defending World Series champions. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern...
organization.
The
left-handedLeft-handedness is the preference for the left hand over the right for everyday activities such as writing. Most left-handed people exhibit some degree of ambidexterity...
Giles is a two-time
All-StarAll-star is a term with meanings in both the worlds of sports and entertainment.-Entertainment:In the chris sense , it is used to describe the cast of a movie in which most of the speaking parts, even relatively minor ones, are played by motion picture stars who are generally associated with...
and has a career line of .294/.404/.511 with 287
home runIn baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle all the bases, ending at home plate and scoring runs for himself and each runner who was already on base, with no errors by the defensive team on the play...
s, 401
doublesIn baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
, 1,055
RBIsRuns batted in or RBI is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play...
, and 1,157 walks in 1,786 games.
Cleveland Indians
Giles attended Granite Hills High School. He was drafted by the
Cleveland IndiansThe Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field . The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
in the 17th round of the
1989 Major League Baseball Draft-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1989 Major League Baseball draft.-Supplemental First Round Selections:-External links:*-References:...
. By , Giles had worked his way up to Triple-A, where he
battedBatting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball measuring the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters, respectively. The two statistics are related, in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages....
.313 for
CharlotteThe Charlotte Knights are a minor league baseball team representing Charlotte, North Carolina. The team, which plays in the International League, is the Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox of the American League. The Knights currently play in Knights Stadium, located in Fort Mill, South...
making the
International LeagueThe International League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball...
All-Star team. In , Giles was again in Triple-A, where he batted .310 for
BuffaloThe Buffalo Bisons are a minor league baseball team based in Buffalo, New York which plays in the International League . They are the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets...
and made his major league debut as a September callup on September 16. He was also an
American AssociationThe American Association was a minor league baseball league at the Triple-A level of baseball in the United States from to and to . Together with the International League, it contested the Junior World Series which determined the championship team in minor league baseball, at least for the...
All-Star. Giles hit .355 in 51 games for the Indians in and hit .314 in 83 games with Buffalo, again making the American Association All-Star team. In , Giles established himself as a major league regular, playing 130 games for the Indians and 112 games in .
Pittsburgh Pirates
On November 18, 1998, he was traded to the
Pittsburgh PiratesThe Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions, in addition to the distinction of playing in the first modern World Series. The Pirates are also often...
for
pitcherIn baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter who attempts to either make contact with it or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the pitcher is...
Ricardo RincónRicardo Rincón Espinoza is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher.Rincón is a left-handed specialist who has spent nearly his entire career as a middle reliever and setup pitcher. In his 10-year career, Rincón has never started a game and has only accumulated 21 saves...
.
In with the Pirates, Giles emerged as a power-hitting outfielder who also hit for average and showed plate discipline. He began a streak of four straight 30-homer seasons, during which he batted no lower than .298 and was named Pittsburgh Pirates Player of the Year each year.
Giles led club in doubles, triples, home runs, RBIs and walks. His 123 RBI were eight shy of
Paul Waner'sPaul Glee Waner was a German-American player in professional baseball who, along with his brother Lloyd, starred in the Pittsburgh Pirates' outfield in the 1920s and 1930s. Born in Harrah, Oklahoma and nicknamed "Big Poison," he led the National League in batting on three occasions and accumulated...
club record of 131 set in . Became the first Bucco ever to hit at least .300 with 30 plus home runs and 100 plus RBIs in back-to-back seasons, he became the third player in club history with 100 runs, 100 RBIs and 100 walks in same season,
Barry BondsBarry Lamar Bonds is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. He is the son of former major league All-Star Bobby Bonds. He debuted in the Major Leagues with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1986 and joined the San Francisco Giants in 1993, where he stayed through 2007.Bonds has led a controversial...
in 1992 and
Ralph KinerRalph McPherran Kiner is an American former Major League Baseball player and current announcer. Though injuries forced his retirement after ten seasons, Kiner's tremendous slugging outpaced nearly all of his National League contemporaries between the years 1946 and 1954...
from 1948-51. His 114 walks were the most by a Pirate since 1992, Bonds with 127. Giles' 74 home runs in two seasons with club represent the most in back-to-back seasons since
Willie StargellWilver Dornell "Willie" Stargell , nicknamed "Pops" in the later years of his career, was a professional baseball player who played his entire Major League career with the Pittsburgh Pirates as an outfielder and first baseman.Over his 21-year career with the Pirates, he batted .282, with 2,232...
hit 77 in 1972-73. He was named National League Player-of-the-Week after hitting .400 with two doubles, three home runs and 12 RBI between May 2 to the 7 and shared Player-of-the-Week honors with
Colorado'sThe Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993, the Rockies play in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains, which pass through Colorado, just west of Denver...
Todd HeltonTodd "Lynn" Helton is the starting first baseman for the Colorado Rockies of Major League Baseball....
after hitting .523 with three doubles, one triple, three home runs, eight RBI and six runs scored between August 12 to the 20. Giles was named to All- Star team for first time in career. He finished 9th in voting among National League outfielders.
In Giles established career highs in games played, at bats, runs and hits. He tied career highs in doubles, triples and stolen bases. At the end of the season he ranked tenth among N.L. players in runs, on-base percentage, .404, and slugging percentage, .590. He led the Pirates in batting, home runs and walks. He tied
Dave Parker'sDavid Gene "The Cobra" Parker is an American former player in Major League Baseball. He was the 1978 National League MVP and a two-time batting champion.-Playing career:...
club record for most total bases, 340, by a left-handed hitter. Giles hit his 100th career home run as a member of the Pirates on August 9, he is one of just 17 players to homer 100 times as a Pirate. He was selected to play in the All- Star Game for the second consecutive year.
Giles ranked second in the league in walks behind
San Francisco'sThe San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California who currently play in the National League West Division. One of the oldest baseball teams, the Giants hold the honor of having won the most games of any team in the history of baseball...
Barry Bonds led with 198 in . He also established the club record for most base on balls in a season by a left-handed batter. His .450 on-base percentage tied him for the second-best mark in the majors , he also ranked second in the league in slugging percentage with .622, sixth in home runs, second with 80 extra-base hits ranked second behind San Francisco's
Jeff KentJeffrey Franklin Kent is a retired Major League Baseball second baseman. Kent won the National League Most Valuable Player award in with the San Francisco Giants, and is the all-time leader in home runs among second basemen...
, tied for second in the league with 13 outfield assists and also finished third in the N.L. with 24 intentional walks. He homered once every 13.1 at bats, the third-best ratio in the league behind Bonds' 8.8 and
Sammy Sosa'sSamuel Peralta Sosa is a retired Major League Baseball right fielder.Sosa's Major League career began when he broke in with the Texas Rangers in . After a stint with the Chicago White Sox, Sosa became a member of the Chicago Cubs in 1992 and subsequently became one of the league's best hitters...
11.3.
San Diego Padres
On August 23, , he was traded to his hometown San Diego Padres for
Jason BayJason Raymond Bay, is a Canadian Major League Baseball outfielder for the Boston Red Sox.In his young major league career, Bay has demonstrated well-above-average power to all fields...
,
Óliver PérezÓliver Pérez Martinez is a Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher for the New York Mets.-San Diego Padres:...
, and minor leaguer Corey Stewart.
From -, Giles played in over 150 games each season for the Padres, but in 2006, his batting average dropped to a career-low .263. On May 14, 2006, he drew 5 walks in a game, one shy of the record of 6. In , joined by his brother
MarcusMarcus William Giles is a Major League Baseball player. He is a second baseman and bats right-handed. His older brother, Brian Giles, is an outfielder with the San Diego Padres.-Career:...
, signed as a
free agentIn professional sports, a free agent is a player, whose contract with a team has expired, who's eligible to sign with another franchise. The term came into wide use in North America after sports leagues stopped using a "reserve clause" after much acrimonious collective bargaining, which provided a...
to be the starting
second basemanSecond base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
, Giles batted .271, but missed time with an injured knee.
In , Giles, in the third and final guaranteed year of his contract with the Padres, vetoed a potential trade to
BostonThe Boston Red Sox are a member of the Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Since , the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park. The "Red Sox" name originates from the iconic uniform feature....
, citing a desire to remain close to his family In 2008, 58% of his strikeouts were "looking," by far the highest percentage in the major leagues.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/MLB/2008-pitches-batting.shtml
In 2009, through July 1 Giles had the lowest batting average (.191), slugging percentage (.271), and OPS (.548) in the major leagues.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/stats/batting?sort=slugAvg&split=0&league=mlb&season=2009&seasonType=2&type=reg&ageMin=17&ageMax=51&minpa=0&hand=a&pos=all&startDate=null&endDate=null&qual=true&count=161
Personal
Giles is being sued by his former girlfriend for more than $10 million. She alleges Giles began abusing her in 2002, and battered her while she was pregnant with Giles’ child, and caused her to have a
miscarriageMiscarriage or spontaneous abortion is the spontaneous end of a pregnancy at a stage where the embryo or fetus is incapable of surviving, generally defined in humans at prior to 20 weeks of gestation...
. The lawsuit accuses him of hitting and slapping her in the face, shaking and kicking her, and battering her twice when she was pregnant.
Giles is a frequent guest on the show
Live At FiveLive at Five is a name used by several television stations in some countries to refer to their 5:00pm newscasts or talk shows.* The name was coined by WNBC-TV in New York City in 1980 for a lifestyle and celebrity news show...
, and is known by the nickname "Gilly".
See also
External links