Brian Wilson (baseball)
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Brian Patrick Wilson (born March 16, 1982), nicknamed "The Beard" and "B-Weezy", is an American former
professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Mod ...
relief pitcher In baseball and softball, a relief pitcher or reliever is a pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed because of fatigue (medical), fatigue, ineffectiveness, injury, or ejection (sports), ejection, or for other strategic ...
. He played in
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
(MLB) for the
San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yor ...
and
Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...
. He stands tall and weighs . Wilson is known for his large black beard, which he began growing during the 2010 pennant race. Wilson's entrance at home games accompanied by the song "
Jump Around "Jump Around" is a song by American hip hop group House of Pain, produced by DJ Muggs of the hip hop group Cypress Hill, who has also covered the song. It became a hit in 1992, reaching number 3 in the United States. A 1993 re-release of the ...
" was popular with fans. Wilson also portrayed Peterson, a pitcher in the 2019 film '' Bottom of the 9th''. Wilson pitched collegiately at
Louisiana State University Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 nea ...
. His college career ended during his junior season, when he injured his elbow and underwent
Tommy John surgery Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, colloquially known as Tommy John surgery (TJS), is a surgical graft procedure where the ulnar collateral ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with either a tendon from elsewhere in the patient's bo ...
. The
San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yor ...
selected him in the 2003 draft. He reached the major leagues in 2006 and had become the Giants' regular closer by the end of 2007. In 2010, he led the Majors with 48 saves which tied the franchise single season record while posting a 1.81 ERA, and he saved clinching games at every level of the playoffs, including the
2010 World Series The 2010 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2010 season. The 106th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the American League (AL) champion Texas Rangers and the Nati ...
over the Texas Rangers. In the first week of the 2012 season, Wilson injured his elbow and subsequently underwent his second
Tommy John surgery Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, colloquially known as Tommy John surgery (TJS), is a surgical graft procedure where the ulnar collateral ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with either a tendon from elsewhere in the patient's bo ...
. He completed his recovery midway through the 2013 season and signed with the
Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...
, pitching effectively with them as a late-inning reliever through the playoffs. However, he was not able to continue his success in 2014, and the Dodgers released him after that season.


Early life

Wilson was born in
Winchester, Massachusetts Winchester is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, located 8.2 miles (13.2 km) north of downtown Boston as part of the Greater Boston metropolitan area. It is also one of the List of Massachusetts locations by per capita income, wealt ...
on March 16, 1982. While he was in second grade, he moved to
Londonderry, New Hampshire Londonderry is a town in western Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. It sits between Manchester and Derry, the largest and fourth-largest communities in the state. The population was 25,826 at the 2020 census. Londonderry is known f ...
. Today, he talks little of his childhood except to discuss his father, Mike Wilson, who was an
Air Force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an a ...
veteran and a demanding perfectionist. During fall, he would have Brian bag leaves and bury them in the woods; and in winter, he would have Brian spend seven hours shoveling snow on weekends. Brian said in a 2011 interview, "I think that's how you need to be raised. It's not your friend, it's your dad. And he's going to be strict. And one day you're going to understand why. And sometimes, it's a little too late. They might pass away, and you might not get that chance to say thanks or understand why you did those things. But when you become a man, you understand why." When Wilson was 12 years old, his father was diagnosed with cancer. His father fought the disease for five years before dying while Wilson was attending Londonderry High School; Wilson today says he had to become a man when his father was diagnosed. In a 2011 story, ''
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'' writer Elizabeth Merrill said about Wilson's high school years, "He was an honor roll student at Londonderry, but clashed with various authority figures who didn't appreciate his occasional lack of a filter." In the same story, a number of Londonderry faculty speculated that some teachers didn't understand Wilson's life situation at the time. Art Psaledas, an assistant principal at the school, added, "It happened at probably the worst time anybody could lose your dad. Watching his dad deteriorate over the years was probably the singular thing that formed his personality."


High school career

Bob Napolitano, Wilson's coach at Londonderry High School, noticed Wilson's ability to concentrate on baseball. Napolitano specifically remembered the first home game of Wilson's senior year, which happened shortly after his father's death. No fewer than 29 professional scouts, all with radar guns, showed up to see him pitch. According to Napolitano, Wilson was completely oblivious to their appearance; he ate and drank in the dugout, warmed up, and pitched a two-hitter while apparently not noticing that scouts were there. The
Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...
offered him a contract straight out of high school, but he did not sign, opting to attend college instead.


College career

After a coach saw Wilson pitch well at a tournament in California, he was offered a scholarship to
Louisiana State University Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 nea ...
(LSU), where he played for the
LSU Tigers baseball The LSU Tigers baseball team represents Louisiana State University in NCAA Division I college baseball. The team participates in the West Division of the Southeastern Conference. It ranks seventh overall with 18 College World Series appeara ...
team, eventually becoming their No. 2 starter. In his time at LSU, Wilson pitched in 51
games A game is a structured form of play, usually undertaken for entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator sports or games) or art (such ...
(22 starts) and accumulated 18 wins, 10 losses, and five saves. In 2002, he played
collegiate summer baseball Collegiate summer baseball leagues are amateur baseball leagues in the United States and Canada featuring players who have attended at least one year of college and have at least one year of athletic eligibility remaining. Generally, they operat ...
with the
Hyannis Mets The Hyannis Harbor Hawks, formerly the Hyannis Mets, are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Hyannis, Massachusetts. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and plays in the league's West Division. The Harbor Hawks play ...
of the
Cape Cod Baseball League The Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL or Cape League) is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league located on Cape Cod in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. One of the nation's premier collegiate summer leagues, the league boasts over one thousan ...
. He was in the middle of his third season on March 28, 2003, when he injured his elbow and underwent
Tommy John surgery Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, colloquially known as Tommy John surgery (TJS), is a surgical graft procedure where the ulnar collateral ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with either a tendon from elsewhere in the patient's bo ...
. He also played for the
Keene Swamp Bats The Keene Swamp Bats are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Keene, New Hampshire. The team, a member of the New England Collegiate Baseball League The New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) is a 13-team collegiate summer basebal ...
of the
New England Collegiate Baseball League The New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) is a 13-team collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league founded in 1993 and sanctioned by the NCAA and Major League Baseball. Each NECBL team plays an eight-week, 44-game schedule during June ...
, a summer league for collegiate prospects. Despite facing extensive rehabilitation, Wilson chose to enter the 2003 Major League Baseball draft.


Professional career


Minor leagues

Coming off his surgery, Wilson was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 24th round in 2003. He began his career with the
Hagerstown Suns The Hagerstown Suns were a Minor League Baseball team based in Hagerstown, Maryland. They were a member of the South Atlantic League and, from 2007 through 2020, were the Class A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. They played their home g ...
of the Class-A
South Atlantic League The South Atlantic League, often informally called the Sally League, is a Minor League Baseball league with teams predominantly in states along the Atlantic coast of the United States from New York to Georgia. A Class A league for most of its ...
in 2004. In 23 games, he had a 2–5 record, a 5.34
earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...
(ERA), 41
strikeout In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It usually means that the batter is out. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters, and is deno ...
s, and 22 walks in
innings pitched In baseball, innings pitched (IP) are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher is on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one innin ...
. He made three starts that year, the only time he ever started games professionally. The Giants switched single-A affiliates the next year and Wilson began pitching for the
Augusta GreenJackets The Augusta GreenJackets are a Minor League Baseball team of the Carolina League and the Single-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. They play their home games at SRP Park in North Augusta, South Carolina, which opened in April 2018. They previous ...
. In 26 games, he had a 5–1 record, a 0.82 ERA, 30 strikeouts, and seven walks in 33 innings pitched while notching 13 saves, good for second in the league behind Brett Campbell's 19. His performance with Augusta caused Mark Camps of the ''
San Francisco Chronicle The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and M. H. de Young, Michael H. de ...
'' to mention him in his "Minor Report" on May 15. He also pitched for the
Norwich Navigators Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the See of Norwich, with ...
of the double-A Eastern League (posting no record, eight saves, a 0.57 ERA, 22 strikeouts, five walks, and innings pitched in 15 games) and the
Fresno Grizzlies The Fresno Grizzlies are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. They are located in Fresno, California, and play their home games at Chukchansi Park, which was opened in 2002 in do ...
of the Triple-A
Pacific Coast League The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...
(posting a 1–1 record, no saves, a 3.97 ERA, 13 strikeouts, eight walks, and innings pitched in nine games).


San Francisco Giants


2006 season

Wilson began 2006 with the Grizzlies before getting called up to the majors on April 23 to replace Tyler Walker, who was designated for assignment after struggling to begin the season. He made his major league debut that day in relief, pitching two innings, surrendering two hits and no runs while striking out three. He later revealed that he hurt himself during his first inning but continued pitching through the second without informing anyone of his injury. Afterward he was placed on the
disabled list In Major League Baseball (MLB), the injured list (IL) is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players. Before the 2019 season, it was known as the disabled list (DL). General guidelines ...
for a month. On May 23, he returned from the DL. He was optioned to Fresno on June 7 when
Tim Worrell Timothy Howard Worrell (born July 5, 1967) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. A right-hander, he pitched all or parts of 14 seasons in Major League Baseball, primarily as a relief pitcher. During his major league career, Worrell ...
was activated from the DL; Giants' manager
Felipe Alou Felipe Rojas Alou (born May 12, 1935) is a former Major League Baseball outfielder, first baseman, and manager. He managed the Montreal Expos (1992–2001) and the San Francisco Giants (2003–2006). The first Dominican to play regularly in the ...
said Wilson was not getting enough playing time. Wilson would go on to have three more stints with the Giants in 2006. On July 2, he got his first career save, stranding three inherited runners in the eighth inning and throwing scoreless innings in a 6–2 victory over the
San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penna ...
. In 31 games, he had a 2–3 record, a 5.40 ERA, 23 strikeouts, and 21 walks in 30 innings pitched. In 24 games with Fresno, he had a 1–3 record, a 2.89 ERA, 30 strikeouts, and 14 walks in 28 innings pitched.


2007 season

Wilson competed for the closer role with
Armando Benítez Armando Benítez (born November 3, 1972) is a Dominican former major league relief pitcher. Benítez debuted with the Baltimore Orioles in 1994 and within a few years became their closer. He was a reliever for several other organizations after Ba ...
in
2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...
spring training. After he struggled and posted a 7.71 ERA, the Giants optioned him to the minors to start the season. After building a 1–2 record, 2.10 ERA, 37 strikeouts, 24 walks, 11 saves, and innings pitched in 31 games with Fresno, Wilson was called up on August 11 when
Jonathan Sánchez Jonathan Omar Sánchez (born November 19, 1982), nicknamed "The Kid" and "The Comeback Kid", is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball pitcher. He is one of only three Puerto Rican players to throw a no-hitter game in MLB, the others bein ...
was demoted. He was initially used as the
setup man In baseball, a setup man (or set-up man, also sometimes referred to as a setup pitcher or setup reliever) is a relief pitcher who regularly pitches before the closer. They commonly pitch the eighth inning, with the closer pitching the ninth. As ...
for closer
Brad Hennessey Brad Martin Hennessey (born February 7, 1980) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Francisco Giants. He stands tall and weighs . He played for the Giants from 2004–08 and ...
, but he took over as closer on September 11 when Hennessey lost the role due to ineffectiveness. He went on to pitch in 24 games, recording a 1–2 record, a 2.28 ERA, 18 strikeouts, six walks, innings pitched, and six saves.


2008 season

Wilson remained the Giants' closer in
2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
and kept the role all season. He recorded 24 consecutive saves from May 3 through August 17, the longest streak by a Giant since
Robb Nen Robb Allen Nen (born November 28, 1969) is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. He spent most of his career as a closer. He is the son of former major league first baseman Dick Nen. He currently works in the Giants' front ...
had 28 straight in 2000. Wilson was named to the All-Star Game after leading the NL in saves with 25 in the first half of the season. He gave up no hits and struck out one in innings in a 4–3 loss to the American League. He continued to lead the league in saves until
José Valverde José Rafael Valverde (born March 24, 1978) is a Dominican former professional baseball pitcher who played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Houston Astros, Detroit Tigers, and New York Mets. He is nicknamed ...
passed him at the end of August. Despite posting a 4.04 ERA through September 6, Wilson converted 37 of 40 save opportunities. In his final seven games of the year, however, he posted a 9.56 ERA while converting just four out of seven opportunities. In 63 games, he had a 3–2 record, a 4.62 ERA, 67 strikeouts, and 28 walks in innings pitched. He converted 41 saves in 47 attempts; his 41 saves were tied with
Brad Lidge Bradley Thomas Lidge (born December 23, 1976) nicknamed "Lights Out" is an American former professional baseball pitcher. Lidge played 11 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), from 2002–2012. He played for the Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phi ...
's total for second in the league behind Valverde's 44.


2009 season

On June 5, 2009, Wilson saved
Randy Johnson Randall David Johnson (born September 10, 1963), nicknamed "The Big Unit", is an American photographer and former professional baseball pitcher who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (1988–2009) for six teams, primarily the Seattle M ...
's 300th win. Johnson, searching for his 300th win, gave up one unearned run in six innings in Game 1 of a doubleheader against the
Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C.. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. From 2005 to 2007, the team played in RFK Stadiu ...
; the Giants had a 2–1 lead in the eighth inning. With runners on first and second for the Nationals and two outs, Wilson was called on to get the save. He walked
Ryan Zimmerman Ryan Wallace Zimmerman (born September 28, 1984) is an American former professional baseball first baseman and third baseman who played 16 seasons for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball (MLB). Zimmerman graduated from Kellam High ...
to load the bases and bring up Adam Dunn. He then loaded the count against Dunn before throwing a called strike three to end the inning. Wilson then pitched a scoreless ninth, preserving the victory for Johnson. On September 24, with two outs and two strikes in the ninth inning and the Giants leading the
Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...
by a 2–1 score, Wilson gave up a two-run home run to
Jeff Baker Jeffrey Glen Baker (born June 21, 1981) is a German-born American former professional baseball player. He bats and throws right-handed. He played in Major League Baseball for the Colorado Rockies, Chicago Cubs, Detroit Tigers, Atlanta Braves, ...
. The loss hurt the Giants' chances of reaching the playoffs. In 68 games, Wilson had a 5–6 record, a 2.74 ERA, 83 strikeouts, and 27 walks in innings pitched. He blew seven saves, but his 38 saves tied for third in the NL with
Ryan Franklin Ryan Ray Franklin (born March 5, 1973), is an American former professional baseball pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners, Philadelphia Phillies, Cincinnati Reds, and St. Louis Cardinals. Franklin currently w ...
's total behind
Heath Bell Heath Justin Bell (born September 29, 1977) is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher. As a closer with the San Diego Padres from 2009 to 2011, Bell was a three-time All-Star and twice won the Rolaids Relief Man Award. He was ...
's 42 and
Francisco Cordero Francisco Javier Cordero (born May 11, 1975) is a Dominican former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers, Texas Rangers, Milwaukee Brewers, Cincinnati Reds, Toronto Blue Jays, and Housto ...
's 39. He led the league in saves requiring four outs or more, with eight.


2010 season

In 2010 spring training, Wilson was asked whether or not he thought himself one of baseball's elite closers. In what would turn out to be a very prophetic quote, he replied: On March 25, Wilson agreed to a contract extension with the Giants. He struck out five batters in innings on May 9 while recording a save in a 6–5 victory over the
New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
. On May 15, against the
Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...
with the bases loaded, two outs, and the Giants leading 2–1 in the ninth inning, Wilson struck out
Kazuo Matsui is a Japanese retired professional baseball player who played as a shortstop and is the current manager of the Saitama Seibu Lions. He is a switch-hitter. Matsui signed with the New York Mets on December 17, 2003, becoming the first Japanese i ...
in a 15-pitch at bat to end the game. The next day, against Houston with runners on first and second, two outs, and the Giants leading 4–3 in the ninth, Wilson retired Matsui to end the game. On June 12, Wilson entered in the eighth inning with one out, the bases loaded, and the Giants leading the
Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The te ...
5–4. Wilson struck out Adam Rosales and retired
Rajai Davis Rajai Davis (; born October 19, 1980) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates, San Francisco Giants, Oakland Athletics, Toronto Blue Jays, Detroit Tigers, Clevel ...
to end the inning; he then pitched a scoreless ninth to earn the save. He recorded 22 saves in his first 24 chances and was named to the
All-Star Game An all-star game is an exhibition game that purports to showcase the best players (the "stars") of a sports league. The exhibition is between two teams organized solely for the event, usually representing the league's teams based on region or div ...
in which he threw a scoreless eighth inning in the contest, a 3–1 victory over the AL. On October 3 (the final day of the regular season), the Giants faced the Padres, whom they led by one game in the NL West. Wilson threw a scoreless inning to earn the save and clinch the division for the Giants. Wilson converted his 48th save that day, tying the Giants' single season save record of 48 held by
Rod Beck Rodney Roy Beck (August 3, 1968 – June 23, 2007), nicknamed "Shooter", was a relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the San Francisco Giants (–), Chicago Cubs (–), Boston Red Sox (1999–) and San Diego Padres (–). He batte ...
. He finished the season with a 3–3 record, a 1.81 ERA, 93 strikeouts, 26 walks, and inning pitched in 70 games. He converted 48 of 53 save opportunities and led the majors in saves as well as leading the major leagues in saves of four outs or more (10). He was named the This Year in Baseball Closer of the Year after the season. He finished 13th in NL Most Valuable Player (MVP) voting.


2010 postseason

Wilson made his playoff debut in Game 2 of the NL Division Series against the
Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. The Braves ...
; he blew a save, but that was partly because of an error by
Pablo Sandoval Pablo Emilio Sandoval Reyes (born August 11, 1986) is a Venezuelan-American professional baseball third baseman for the Olmecas de Tabasco of the Mexican League. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Francisco Giants, ...
. He earned saves in Games 3 and 4 as the Giants defeated the Braves in four games. In the NL Championship Series, the Giants faced the
Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...
. In Game 4, Wilson threw a scoreless inning and earned the win in the 6–5 victory. In Game 6, Wilson entered with one out in the eighth inning, runners on first and second, and the Giants leading 3–2. He got Carlos Ruiz to line into a double play. He then pitched the ninth inning, striking out
Ryan Howard Ryan James Howard (born November 19, 1979), nicknamed "the Big Piece", is an American former professional baseball first baseman. Howard spent his entire Major League Baseball (MLB) career playing for the Philadelphia Phillies, from to . He is ...
with two runners on base, clinching the series for the Giants. He joined
Dennis Eckersley Dennis Lee Eckersley (born October 3, 1954), nicknamed "Eck", is an American professional baseball pitcher and former color commentator. Between 1975 and 1998, he pitched in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox, ...
,
Mitch Williams Mitchell Steven Williams (born November 17, 1964), nicknamed "Wild Thing", is an American former relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for six teams from 1986 to 1997. He was also a studio analyst for the MLB Network from 2009 to ...
, and
John Wetteland John Karl Wetteland (born August 21, 1966) is an American former baseball pitcher who played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball (1989–2000). He pitched for four teams: the Los Angeles Dodgers, Montreal Expos, New York Yankees, and Texas Rang ...
as the only pitchers since 1969 to win or save four games in a postseason series. (In 2014
Greg Holland Gregory Scott Holland (born November 20, 1985) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City Royals, Colorado Rockies, St. Louis Cardinals, Washington N ...
of
Kansas City The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more ...
matched this feat.) The Giants faced the Texas Rangers in the
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...
. Wilson appeared in three games, allowing no runs. He recorded the save in the series-clinching Game 5 as the Giants won their first World Series since 1954.


2011 season

Wilson strained an oblique muscle in 2011 spring training and opened the season on the DL. He was activated from the DL on April 6. After posting a 3.75 ERA in his first two games, Wilson posted a 1.26 ERA in his next 35 outings. During a game against the
Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...
on July 1, Wilson blew a save for a second straight game and was taken out of the game by
Bruce Bochy Bruce Douglas Bochy (; born April 16, 1955), nicknamed "Boch" and "Headly", is an American professional baseball manager and former catcher who is the current manager of the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He managed the San Diego ...
. Upon entering the dugout, Wilson took out his frustrations by throwing a Gatorade cooler and smashing it with a bat. The Giants still won the game 4–3 as
Jeremy Affeldt Jeremy David Affeldt (; born June 6, 1979) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He threw and batted left-handed and played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City Royals, Colorado Rockies, Cincinnati Reds and San Franc ...
got the save. Wilson was elected to his third
All-Star Game An all-star game is an exhibition game that purports to showcase the best players (the "stars") of a sports league. The exhibition is between two teams organized solely for the event, usually representing the league's teams based on region or div ...
; he earned the save in a 5–1 victory over the AL. Wilson was placed on the DL on August 21 due to inflammation in his right elbow. At the time of his injury, he was third in the NL in saves, behind
Craig Kimbrel Craig Michael Kimbrel (born May 28, 1988) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the San Diego Padres, Boston Red Sox, Atlanta Braves, Chicag ...
and
John Axford John Berton Axford (born April 1, 1983), nicknamed "Ax Man", is a Canadian professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Milwaukee Brewers, St. Louis Cardinals, Cleveland Indians, Pitts ...
. On September 18, the Giants reactivated him from the DL. After two games back, Bochy decided to shut down Wilson for the final two games of the season. In 57 games, he had a 6–4 record, a 3.11 ERA, 54 strikeouts, and 31 walks in 55 innings pitched. He converted 36 of his 41 save opportunities, which tied
Juan Carlos Oviedo Juan Carlos Oviedo (born March 15, 1982Exact birth date is unclear due to name controversy. Some sources like MLB.com list March 15, 1982, while others list August 14, 1983.) is a Dominican former professional baseball pitcher. He bats and thr ...
for eighth in the NL.


2012 season

Wilson's 2012 season would be short-lived. With the Giants leading the
Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The team plays its home baseball games at Coors Fie ...
4–1 entering the bottom of the ninth inning on April 12, he made his second appearance of the season to get the save for the Giants. He walked in a run to make it 4–2, but retired
Marco Scutaro Marcos Scutaro, better known as Marco Scutaro, (; born October 30, 1975) is a Venezuelan former professional baseball infielder. He bats and throws right-handed. Scutaro made his major league debut with the New York Mets in 2002, and subsequentl ...
with the bases loaded to earn the save. He injured his elbow during the game and underwent
Tommy John surgery Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, colloquially known as Tommy John surgery (TJS), is a surgical graft procedure where the ulnar collateral ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with either a tendon from elsewhere in the patient's bo ...
for the second time in his career on April 19, causing him to miss the remainder of the season. During his injury shortened season, Wilson made only 2 appearances with an ERA of 9.00 and 1 save. The Giants went on to win their second World Series in three years. Wilson expressed confidence in an interview on April 15 that he would return to the Giants in 2013. However, because he was coming off an injury and would be owed at least $6.8 million for 2013, he was non-tendered after the season, which made him a
free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
for the first time in his career. As of the end of the 2012 season, he ranked third all-time in saves as a Giant with 171, behind only
Robb Nen Robb Allen Nen (born November 28, 1969) is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. He spent most of his career as a closer. He is the son of former major league first baseman Dick Nen. He currently works in the Giants' front ...
(206) and
Rod Beck Rodney Roy Beck (August 3, 1968 – June 23, 2007), nicknamed "Shooter", was a relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the San Francisco Giants (–), Chicago Cubs (–), Boston Red Sox (1999–) and San Diego Padres (–). He batte ...
(199).


2012–2013 free agency

Wilson chose not to sign with any team before the 2013 season because he wanted to be 100% recovered from surgery when he attempted his comeback. On July 25, he threw a bullpen session in front of various teams' scouts with the hope to sign with a contender.


Los Angeles Dodgers

On July 30, 2013, Wilson agreed to a contract with the
Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...
for the remainder of the 2013 season. After a few weeks at the Dodgers training facility in Arizona, he began a minor league rehab assignment. He joined the Dodgers active roster on August 19 and made his debut with the team on August 22 against the
Miami Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The club's home ballpark is LoanDepot Park. The franc ...
at
Marlins Park LoanDepot Park is a retractable roof stadium located in Miami, Florida. It is the home of Major League Baseball's Miami Marlins. It is located on on the site of the former Miami Orange Bowl in Little Havana about west of Downtown Miam ...
. He appeared in 18 games for the Dodgers with a 2-1 record and a 0.66 ERA. Regardless of signing for the team late in the season, Wilson made 3 relief appearances in the postseason without giving up an earned run until the Dodgers lost in the 2013 NLCS to the
St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...
. On December 5, 2013, Wilson agreed to a one-year, $10 million contract to return to the Dodgers. The deal also contained a player option for the 2015 season. His numbers were not as good in 2014, as he had a 4.66 ERA in 61 appearances. On October 8, 2014, he announced that he would be exercising his player option for 2015. However, the Dodgers designated him for assignment on December 16, 2014. He was released by the Dodgers on December 19 and became a free agent. Wilson did not play in the MLB in 2015 or 2016, but announced in early 2017 that he would be attempting a comeback as a
knuckleball A knuckleball or knuckler is a baseball pitch thrown to minimize the spin of the ball in flight, causing an erratic, unpredictable motion. The air flow over a seam of the ball causes the ball to change from laminar to turbulent flow. This chan ...
pitcher.


Scouting report

Wilson was a
power pitcher Power pitcher is a term in baseball for a pitcher who relies on pitch velocity at the expense of accuracy. Power pitchers usually record a high number of strikeouts, and statistics such as strikeouts per 9 innings pitched are common measures of ...
. He had a repertoire of four pitches. He threw a straight
four-seam fastball A four-seam fastball, also called a rising fastball, a four-seamer, or a cross-seam fastball, is a pitch in baseball. It is a member of the fastball family of pitches and is usually the hardest (i.e., fastest) ball thrown by a pitcher. It is ca ...
around 92-95 mph; this was one of his main pitches. He also had a
slider Slider or Sliders may refer to: Arts * K.K. Slider, a fictional character within the ''Animal Crossing'' franchise * '' The Slider'', a 1972 album by T. Rex * ''Sliders'' (TV series), an American science fiction and fantasy television series * ...
, a
cut fastball In baseball, a cut fastball or cutter is a type of fastball that breaks toward the pitcher's glove-hand side, as it reaches home plate. This pitch is somewhere between a slider and a four-seam fastball, as it is usually thrown faster than a slider ...
, and a
two-seam fastball A two-seam fastball is a pitch in baseball and softball. It is a variant of the straight fastball. The pitch has the speed of a fastball and can also include late-breaking action caused by varying the pressure of the index and middle fingers on t ...
. His slider traveled around 89 mph. His cut fastball allowed him to use fewer four-seam fastballs. In 2011, he started throwing the two-seam fastball as well. The two-seamer started away on a right-handed hitter (or in to a left-handed hitter) and had dramatic inward (or outward) movement over the plate. He also experimented with
curveball In baseball and softball, the curveball is a type of pitch thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball, causing it to dive as it approaches the plate. Varieties of curveball include the 12–6 curve ...
s,
screwball A screwball is a baseball and fastpitch softball pitch that is thrown so as to break in the opposite direction of a slider or curveball. Depending on the pitcher's arm angle, the ball may also have a sinking action. The pitch is sometimes known ...
s, and
knuckleball A knuckleball or knuckler is a baseball pitch thrown to minimize the spin of the ball in flight, causing an erratic, unpredictable motion. The air flow over a seam of the ball causes the ball to change from laminar to turbulent flow. This chan ...
s. Wilson has said that when pitching, players cannot be worried about the potential outcome.


Personality

Wilson is noted for his flamboyant personality. In the 2010 MLB All-Star Game, Wilson debuted a pair of bright orange
cleats Cleat may refer to: * Cleat (nautical), a fitting on ships, boats, and docks to which ropes are tied * Cleat, Orkney, a place in Scotland * Cleat (shoe), a type or part of a shoe * ''Cleats'' (comic strip), a comic strip by Bill Hinds * Grouser ...
and continued to wear them throughout the season. On July 27, Marlins' manager Edwin Rodríguez complained that the shoes were too bright. Wilson received a $1,000 fine from MLB the next day, and he responded by coloring half of the shoes black with a marker. He said afterwards, "The fact that he (Rodríguez) thinks these shoes throw 97–100 with cut might be a little far-fetched. I guess we should probably have these checked for performance-enhancing cleats." He also stated that he was punished "for having too much awesome on my feet."Baggarly, p. 117 In addition to his
mohawk hairstyle The mohawk (also referred to as a Mohican) is a hairstyle in which, in the most common variety, both sides of the head are shaven, leaving a strip of noticeably longer hair in the center. It is today worn as an emblem of non-conformity. The m ...
, Wilson has a large black beard, which he began growing and presumably dyeing during the Giants' playoff run in 2010. He never admitted to dyeing it, saying in 2010, "It's dark because we play a lot of day games. It's tanned. It's focused." He decided he would not shave until the Giants' season was over, and only if they failed to win the World Series. During the Giants' playoff run in 2010, Giants' fans began growing their own beards or wearing fake beards. Many fans chanted "Fear the Beard", and held up signs bearing the same motto. Teammate Sergio Romo also began growing a beard in 2010; he has had it intermittently ever since. Wilson has a number of tattoos. On his left shoulder, he has a dragon to honor his father, which represents the "protection from fear" that Wilson's dad gave him. Across his chest, he has the words "In nomine patris" ("In the name of the father"), and on his right wrist he has a Celtic cross with lettering that says "All Honor To Him" in Gaelic; both of these tattoos symbolize his Christian faith. Finally, he has Japanese
Kanji are the logographic Chinese characters taken from the Chinese family of scripts, Chinese script and used in the writing of Japanese language, Japanese. They were made a major part of the Japanese writing system during the time of Old Japanese ...
characters on his arm, which symbolize his faith; they say, "Father. Son. Eternal Strength." Wilson has enjoyed a great deal of media attention during his career. He once had a locally produced, self-filmed
reality show Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 19 ...
called ''Life of Brian''. He has often been on '' The Cheap Seats''. Following the World Series in 2010, a photo of Wilson celebrating with teammate
Buster Posey Gerald Dempsey "Buster" Posey III (born March 27, 1987) is an American former professional baseball catcher. Posey spent his entire twelve-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the San Francisco Giants, from 2009 until his retirement at ...
appeared on the cover of ''
Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twic ...
''. Wilson also appeared on ''
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jay Leno that first aired from May 25, 1992, to May 29, 2009. It resumed production on March 1, 2010 and ended on February 6, 2014. The fourth incarnation of the ...
'' and ''
Lopez Tonight ''Lopez Tonight'' is an American late-night television talk show that was hosted by the comedian George Lopez. The hour-long program premiered on November 9, 2009, on cable network TBS. Lopez was the first Mexican-American to host a late-nig ...
''. He has frequently starred in commercials. Wilson became a
Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
at the age of 23. He has adopted a gesture of crossing his arms, with his left hand in his glove and his right hand underneath pointing with the index finger while looking at the sky, which both honors
The Holy Trinity The Christian doctrine of the Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the central dogma concerning the nature of God in most Christian churches, which defines one God existing in three coequal, coeternal, consubstantial divine persons: God the F ...
as well as his late father who died of cancer when Wilson was 17. He performs it when he records a save or closes out a game. On May 30, 2011 (
Memorial Day Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) is a federal holiday in the United States for mourning the U.S. military personnel who have fought and died while serving in the United States armed forces. It is observed on the last Monda ...
), Wilson announced that in memory of his father, an Air Force veteran, he would endow two scholarships for LSU
Air Force ROTC The Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) is one of the three primary commissioning sources for officers in the United States Air Force and United States Space Force, the other two being the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) ...
cadets. The scholarship will be a need based scholarship available to any college junior or senior. Later that year, on July 7, Wilson gave away 1,000 baseball gloves to members of the Giants Community Fund's Junior Giants baseball program. Frequently, Wilson has made references to "The Machine", a character from the movie '' 8mm''. In an episode of ''The Cheap Seats'', he had someone dressed as "The Machine" walk past in the background in full
BDSM BDSM is a variety of often erotic practices or roleplaying involving bondage, discipline, dominance and submission, sadomasochism, and other related interpersonal dynamics. Given the wide range of practices, some of which may be engaged ...
leather fetish apparel, supposedly unknown to him (but almost certainly teammate
Pat Burrell Patrick Brian Burrell (born October 10, 1976), nicknamed "Pat the Bat", is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies, Tampa Bay Rays, and San Francisco Giants. Bur ...
). Another time, in an interview with Rome, Wilson appeared to receive a call from "The Machine" and pulled a leather mask (allegedly "The Machine's") out of his pocket to show to Rome.


See also

*
List of Major League Baseball annual saves leaders The following is a list of annual leaders in saves in Major League Baseball (MLB), with separate lists for the American League and the National League. The list includes several professional leagues and associations that were never part of MLB. ...
* List of San Francisco Giants team records


References


Further reading

*


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Brian 1982 births Living people People from Winchester, Massachusetts Sportspeople from Middlesex County, Massachusetts Sportspeople from Rockingham County, New Hampshire Major League Baseball pitchers National League All-Stars National League saves champions Baseball players from Massachusetts Baseball players from New Hampshire People from Londonderry, New Hampshire San Francisco Giants players Los Angeles Dodgers players LSU Tigers baseball players Hyannis Harbor Hawks players Hagerstown Suns players Mesa Solar Sox players Augusta GreenJackets players Norwich Navigators players Fresno Grizzlies players San Jose Giants players Rancho Cucamonga Quakes players Albuquerque Isotopes players