With the Giants, he won three World Series titles. Entering Thursday, Affeldt has a 43-46 career record with a 3.97 ERA. And they say pitcher wins don’t matter. I really, I’m a relation person. Without Affeldt’s utter dominance, the Giants may not win a single World Series, let alone three.
Advertisement
“We’re not putting on these rings without the guy”, Lopez said. The Phillies were actually the only real team to hit Affeldt effectively in the playoffs. And next thing he knew, he had a “patellar subluxation” in his left knee. He missed his three sons, who would call a few days and ask their dad to come home.
“It’s time for me to walk away …”
“I’m very excited for my next chapter in life”. He leaves a better, more tolerant man, too. Affeldt, though he has struggled this season as his age has begun to take its toll, has epitomized what it means to be a good Giant in his seven year tenure. He’s a victor, he’s a champion. “I know all too well”, he writes. The Sanchez pitch ignited tempers; Affeldt diffused the situation.
2009 would prove to be a career year for Affeldt. While baseball players don’t seem to be hurting for money – Affeldt has made over $40 million in his career, according to Spotrac – clean players should be rewarded for their play without the suspicion that they cheated to get there. Affeldt said he was done.
Bochy joked that Affeldt is “going to have to hire a full-time trainer” to stay healthy now that he won’t be pitching anymore.
The 36-year-old left-hander announced his retirement Thursday morning. When ya’ gotta go, ya’ gotta go, but when you can’t… you can’t. “We’re going to miss that”. I definitely didn’t think it was going to be this, and to be a part of those statistics and that run… “Those guys are hard to replace”.
His final season was very characteristic of his career as Affeldt suffered yet another fluke off-the-field injury.
“Once you leave the clubhouse, you’re out, and I get that”, Affeldt said. And I understand that. “I never thought that would be possible”. Leading the list: The amount of “incessant showboating” he sees in today’s game.
So first, let me be clear. “It might just be the new wave of baseball”.
For Affeldt, it was a moment of validation.
In addition to the Rockies and Giants, Affeldt also saw time with the Royals and Reds. My October stats, I know what they are.
Question: Have you ever personally known a Major League Baseball player? He says while the sports is considerably cleaner, steroid use will never go away completely. Not so much. Yet when you check the all-time postseason ERA rankings, quite inexplicably, there I am. Through the rest of that season, Affeldt would retire 15 of the 18 batters he faced, without surrendering a run. He came up with a perennial loser in Kansas City and finished up as a key part of a dynasty in San Francisco. This year, Affeldt was asked which teammate he wouldn’t want to share a room with on the road. Posey was silent for three minutes.
Affeldt has done just about everything you can do in this game. “‘You need to play it out, man.’ … If I don’t, I have nothing to be disappointed about, no regrets”.
Now, though, Affeldt feels ready.
Affeldt’s sons – 8-year-old Walker, 5-year-old Logan, and Kolt, 3 – are eager to have him home. Of course, kids can be fickle.
Read his entire post here. “Sorry Larry (Baer), I don’t know if you knew that”.
But now there is no more conflict.
His regular-season numbers won’t jump off of the page. A lefty specialist, he’ll retire with 22 consecutive scoreless postseason innings.
Advertisement
“And I have the ability now – and I hope I don’t have to talk about that a whole lot – but I do have the ability to say, yes, I was able to do it”.
