San Francisco Giants pitcher Brian Wilson is known for how he closes out a baseball game (as well as his famous jet-black dyed beard). Most recently (and notably) his end-of-game heroics won him and his teammates a 2010 World Series Ring.
Wilson isn’t your run of the mill reliever. Born in Massachusetts, Wilson made his Major League Debut on April 23, 2006 and struggled before becoming the Giant’s go-to closer during the 2008 season. He has been an indestructible piece to their championship puzzle ever since, compiling a career two hundred and eighty-four strikeouts and one hundred and thirty-four saves (Baseball-Reference).
He is a two-time All-Star and at age twenty-nine is just hitting his prime and while his on-field action draws much attention, his off the field antics have been bringing him as much publicity as his hard-throwing arm.
In an interview on ESPN’s “Jim Rome is Burning” last year, Wilson claimed to be a “certified ninja,” something he said he learned in a dream.
On January 27, Wilson was featured on “Lopez Tonight,” a late night talk show hosted by the ever-hilarious George Lopez. Lopez was sure to be out-done by his baseball-star guest on this jaw-dropping, fall off your seat-laughing episode.
Wilson walked on stage wearing peach-colored pants, a black jacket, a white sailor hat, and had a smoking pipe perfectly placed to the side of his mouth. His famous black beard? That was dyed grey.Within the first few minutes of the interview, he removed his white sailor hat displaying a smaller black sailor hat with a silver anchor on the front. “That’s better,” he said.
Over the course of the interview, he discussed his love for Old Spice, Lobster, and the massages he received during his trip to Thailand during the off-season.
He reintroduced the world to “The Machine,” an action-figure which he has displayed in previous interviews.
“Explain to me what the machine is all about Brain,” Lopez said to Wilson.
“Well, he’s a figment of your imagination,” Wilson responded.
Using an array of similes, Wilson discussed the terms he uses to describe when he doesn’t get into a game in the ninth inning. He confirmed that he keeps all of the balls that he warms up with in these given situations which led to a furry of questions from Lopez.
The interview is certain to make any one nearly fall off their chair laughing. Be sure to check You Tube for a full viewing of George Lopez's interview of the Giant's Brain Wilson.
2011 Season
The 2011 Season is underway and it wasn’t a glamorous start for Brian Wilson. At the end of the Spring Training Season, Wilson strained his left oblique muscle and was placed on the 15-day disabled list. However, he has since returned to the team and earned four saves in six games. His E.R.A stands at 9.64 (5 ER in 4.2 IP) but that number is likely to improve as the season progresses.
*Statistics as of Sunday, April 17, 2011 at 10:00pm EST.
I am not a big baseball person, but Brian seems to have some real personality and skill. We may not have baseball in common, but we are both certified ninjas...hilarious :)
ReplyDeleteI bet no one was expecting him to walk out dressed like a captain! What a funny interview - definitely not what I would expect from a baseball player :)
ReplyDeleteI am not a huge baseball fan, but i really enjoyed this post. I think it is great that you showed us Brian's personality, and even though i can't relate to the baseball aspect, i definitely found humor in this post.
ReplyDeleteGreat blog on Brian Wilson. Informative, fun and inspiring to see more baseball games. Can't wait til the season gets underway again.
ReplyDeleteI like that you included a lot about Brian Wilson's personality for readers who might not be interested in all of his baseball statistics. He sounds like quite the character! I'll have to check out that Lopez Tonight interview on YouTube. Let's hope that Wilson can come back strong this season and improve that 9.64 E.R.A!
ReplyDeleteAs a diehard Giants fan, I really enjoyed reading your post about Brian Wilson. It was a great combination of personal and professional information about the pitcher.
ReplyDeleteGood story on Wilson. Will your blog focus on the Giants, MLB or all sports? Just curious as to the direction of you blog as to who it will cater to. Being a Padre fan, I am perfectly ok with that 9.64 ERA!!
ReplyDeleteNice post. I really felt I could picture what Wilson looked like and what kind of person his is through your writing, which is saying a lot since I have very minimal interest in sports, haha.
ReplyDeleteI love that you gave us some background information about the guy instead of just listing his stats. I do not have the memory for any sports related information, but maybe if I read your blog and could put a person to the team and the numbers I could finally contribute to sports conversation.
ReplyDeleteDespite my lack of interest in baseball, I love this post. Brian is such a character and you do a great job of capturing his personality. My baseball-buff boyfriend is impressed that I know about him now. Thanks to you!
ReplyDeleteThanks for some introduction information for those of us who wasn't 100% sure who Brian Wilson was. The interview sounds hilarious. My Dad is a huge baseball fan and I'm sure he'll know exactly who Wilson is and love to watch the interview. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great blog. It made me laugh thinking about how Brian Wilson seems to like doing the unexpected. I only wish I could have seen some of this stuff. But you did a great job of telling a funny story. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI'm not a huge baseball fan, but you made this guy sound so intriguing and hilarious! I'm going to have to check out that You Tube video. (I was hoping you would include the link, but I'll find it) :) I really enjoyed your blog and I look forward to future ones. :)
ReplyDeleteWilson rules. The Beard won the Giants the Series, hands down. I will be coming back to your blog because I'm a baseball fiend and because your writing style is great for the topics you write about.
ReplyDeleteNothing says spring like the start of baseball season! My husband had a scholarship to play baseball at ASU, so we are a huge baseball family. I think this will be a great resource for those who follow the teams, players and the sport in general. The way you described Brian Wilson captured his personality perfectly. I'll be interested in seeing more posts - good luck with your blog!
ReplyDeleteGreat post! Personally, the black beard kind of creeps me out, and I'm a major Phillies phan so I'm still a little sore at the Giants for winning the National League, but I definitely can appreciate Wilson's great pitching skills. And his humor.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad you wrote about The Beard! I am a huge Giants fan, and although my favorite would have to be Lincecum, I am of course a fan of Brian Wilson as well, for his eccentric personality. Have you seen the Giants commercial campaign, 'Together, We're Giant'? If not, the commercials are on YouTube and are seriously hilarious.
ReplyDeleteLOVED this post, but maybe because I'm a San Francisco native and a huge Giants fan. I was lucky enough to attend the Series last year and it was absolutely amazing. Wilson is definitely a character and all his on-screen antics makes him so much more unique and exciting. Have you seen his new pitch? He's going to be a force to be reckoned with (not that he isn't already)!
ReplyDeleteI really liked your post! Very interesting stuff. As a baseball fan, you have to love Brian Wilson. He is just something else, a current MLB version of Kenny Powers. Wilson is quickly becoming one of the most popular players in the league.
ReplyDeleteI've always liked the tone of the writing in your blog posts. Whether someone follows baseball or not, this is an entertaining post to read!
ReplyDeleteHey! Great Job, Love baseball, I will be following your blog. Curious to know what you think about the MLB take over of the dodgers? and what that means for the dodgers.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comments! My blog is not going to be focused solely on the Giants, but rather baseball itself (more off-the-field topics, rather than simply results and statistics).
ReplyDeleteEastvalleyconservative: It's wild to think that Major League Baseball took over the day to day operations of the Dodgers but Bud Selig said he thought it was necessary so I think it will be a positive. I feel like too many personal issues between the owners were getting caught up in the business aspect of the team...