San Francisco Giants OF Gregor Blanco came into the 2012 season probably wondering what AAA team could use him as an everyday player. The last thing he could have thought was he would be the Giants everyday LF throughout their run to the World Series Championship. While guys like Pablo Sandoval, Buster Posey and Marco Scutaro led the Giants to their victory, Blanco remained a constant as he manned LF. He did what could have been expected from him, just play good defense and get a hit or two.
Though Blanco did not stand out in the World Series, much attention should be brought to what happened to Blanco since he came up with the Atlanta Braves in 2008. He made his debut as a pinch runner in the opening game of the season that year, and remained a solid forth OF on that Braves team. He hit .251, 1, 38 with 13 SB in 144 games coming off the bench. He also had an impressive 74 walks, resulting in a .366 OBP, 115 points above his batting average. However, he could not make the team the following season, getting just 43 ABs and hitting .186. He started the 2010 season in AAA, as well, but hit .310 in 58 ABs before being traded to Kansas City in the trade that brought Rick Ankiel and Kyle Farnsworth to Atlanta. After a solid finish to the 2010 season, he once again failed to make the team out of spring training in 2011. A bad start led to him being traded to the Washington Nationals where he did not warrant a call up, even in September.
So, here comes 2012, and Blanco is on a minor league contract with the Giants, and he makes the team out of spring training for the first time in four years. The Giants were content with using him as a forth OF, but he did get a lot of playing time early filling in at all three OF positions. Then, of course, the Melky Cabrera thing happened, putting Blanco in a position to play every day. While options like Juan Pierre and Scott Hairston existed, the Giants decided to stick with Blanco instead of go outside the organization for a replacement for Cabrera. Blanco finished the season playing in 141 games, the most for him since 2008, and despite hitting .244, had a career high 5 HRs, 5 3Bs to go along with his 14 2Bs. The Giants kept him in the lineup because of his defense.
As the Giants made it into the postseason, he was 4-14 with a HR against Cincinnati in the NLDS. After hitting .182 in 22 ABs in the NLCS vs St Louis, he was 4-15 with a big 3B in the World Series against Detroit.
Though Blanco was a regular for a better part of the second half of the 2012 season, his story is similar to that of Cardinals OF Tito Landrum in 1985. Landrum was a useful 4th OF, but was thrust into a starting role after rookie LF Vince Coleman could not outrun the rolling tarp after stealing 110 bases during after the season. Coleman's injury led to Landrum playing every day in the playoffs, hitting .429 (6-14) with 4 RBI in the NLCS against the Dodgers and .360 (9-25) with a HR in the World Series against the Royals. Though Blanco's team won, Landrum already had a WS ring for his postseason run with the Baltimore Orioles in 1983.
So, here comes 2012, and Blanco is on a minor league contract with the Giants, and he makes the team out of spring training for the first time in four years. The Giants were content with using him as a forth OF, but he did get a lot of playing time early filling in at all three OF positions. Then, of course, the Melky Cabrera thing happened, putting Blanco in a position to play every day. While options like Juan Pierre and Scott Hairston existed, the Giants decided to stick with Blanco instead of go outside the organization for a replacement for Cabrera. Blanco finished the season playing in 141 games, the most for him since 2008, and despite hitting .244, had a career high 5 HRs, 5 3Bs to go along with his 14 2Bs. The Giants kept him in the lineup because of his defense.
As the Giants made it into the postseason, he was 4-14 with a HR against Cincinnati in the NLDS. After hitting .182 in 22 ABs in the NLCS vs St Louis, he was 4-15 with a big 3B in the World Series against Detroit.
Though Blanco was a regular for a better part of the second half of the 2012 season, his story is similar to that of Cardinals OF Tito Landrum in 1985. Landrum was a useful 4th OF, but was thrust into a starting role after rookie LF Vince Coleman could not outrun the rolling tarp after stealing 110 bases during after the season. Coleman's injury led to Landrum playing every day in the playoffs, hitting .429 (6-14) with 4 RBI in the NLCS against the Dodgers and .360 (9-25) with a HR in the World Series against the Royals. Though Blanco's team won, Landrum already had a WS ring for his postseason run with the Baltimore Orioles in 1983.
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