Brian Giles facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Brian Giles |
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Giles with the San Diego Padres in 2008
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| Outfielder | |||
| Born: January 20, 1971 El Cajon, California, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| September 16, 1995, for the Cleveland Indians | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| June 18, 2009, for the San Diego Padres | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .291 | ||
| Home runs | 287 | ||
| Runs batted in | 1,078 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Brian Stephen Giles, born on January 20, 1971, is a former American baseball player. He was an outfielder in Major League Baseball. He played for three teams: the Cleveland Indians, Pittsburgh Pirates, and San Diego Padres. Brian was a left-handed hitter and was chosen for the All-Star team twice. During his career, he hit 287 home runs and had 1,078 runs batted in (RBI).
His younger brother, Marcus Giles, also played in Major League Baseball. Marcus was an infielder and played mostly for the Atlanta Braves. Brian and Marcus even played on the same team, the 2007 San Diego Padres, for a short time.
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Brian Giles' Baseball Career
Starting with the Cleveland Indians
Brian Giles was born in El Cajon, California. He went to Granite Hills High School. The Cleveland Indians picked him in the 17th round of the 1989 Major League Baseball draft. By 1994, Brian was playing in Triple-A, which is a high level of minor league baseball. He had a great batting average of .313 for the Charlotte Knights. He was even named an All-Star in the International League.
In 1995, Brian continued to play well in Triple-A for the Buffalo Bisons. He made his first appearance in Major League Baseball on September 16, 1995. He played nine games with the Indians that year. In 1996, Brian played 51 games for the Indians and hit .355. He became a regular player for the Indians in 1997, playing 130 games.
Becoming a Star with the Pittsburgh Pirates
On November 18, 1998, Brian Giles was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was traded for a pitcher named Ricardo Rincón.
In 1999, Brian became a very strong hitter for the Pirates. He hit many home runs and also had a good batting average. For four years in a row, he hit at least 35 home runs. During this time, his batting average was always high. He was named the Pittsburgh Pirates Player of the Year every one of those years.
In 2000, Brian led the Pirates in many important stats. He had the most doubles, triples, home runs, RBIs, and walks. He was close to breaking a team record for RBIs. He was the first Pirate player to hit over .300 with 30+ home runs and 100+ RBIs in two years in a row. Brian was chosen for the All-Star team for the first time in his career.
In 2001, Brian played in more games and had more hits than ever before. He was among the top players in the National League for runs, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage. He led the Pirates in batting average, home runs, and walks. On August 9, he hit his 100th home run as a Pirate. He was selected to play in the All-Star Game for the second year in a row.
In 2002, Brian had a career-high 135 walks. This was the second-highest in the National League. His on-base percentage was also very high, tying for the second-best in all of Major League Baseball. He was also among the league leaders in home runs and extra-base hits.
Playing for His Hometown San Diego Padres
On August 26, 2003, Brian was traded to the San Diego Padres. This was special because the Padres were his hometown team. He was traded for Jason Bay, Óliver Pérez, and a minor league player.
Brian continued to be a patient and reliable hitter for the Padres. In 2005, he led all of Major League Baseball with 119 walks. From 2004 to 2006, Brian played in over 150 games each season. In 2007, his brother Marcus Giles joined the Padres. Brian played with an injured knee that year.
In 2008, Brian decided to stay with the Padres even though he could have been traded to the Boston Red Sox. He wanted to stay close to his family. In 2009, Brian had an arthritic right knee and missed the rest of the season.
Retirement from Baseball
On February 7, 2010, Brian Giles signed a contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was invited to their spring training. However, after playing in only two games, he announced his retirement on March 11, 2010.
More About Brian Giles
- List of Major League Baseball career home run leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career doubles leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career bases on balls leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career runs scored leaders
