The San Francisco Giants might never enjoy a bigger draft haul than the 2008 class, which included Buster Posey and Brandon Crawford.
It’s easy to forget that Conor Gillaspie beat them all to the major leagues.
But Gillaspie also had the roughest transition. His signing bonus as a supplemental first-round pick included a cherry on top -- a verbal agreement for September call-up in ‘08 -- and the left-handed hitting third baseman acknowledges now that he wasn’t physically, mentally or socially ready to conduct himself around established major leaguers.
Now 28, and back with the Giants for the first time in three seasons, Gillaspie offered a candid assessment: He might have zoomed through the player development system, but his personal development was just as important.
“A lot of clubs that have their bad apples and their guys you can’t approach and you can’t talk to, and I was one of those guys at one point,” said Gillaspie, who returned to the Giants on a minor league contract and has a viable shot to make the club in a bench role. “I’m looking forward to turning that around and being a guy who’s here for everybody.”
Giants manager Bruce Bochy said he intends to give Gillaspie tons of playing time this spring. The club needs depth behind Matt Duffy _ something it didn’t have last season when the rookie started the final 118 games. (Amazingly, after beginning last season as a utility player, Duffy ended it with the longest consecutive games played streak among all active big
leaguers.)
Gillaspie will provide a veteran alternative; Ehire Adrianza and Kelby Tomlinson also will get time at third base. And Gillaspie’s simple, left-handed swing could fill a need off the bench. “I use the term, ‘in the mix,’ but with his experience and a left-handed bat, he gives us two things we need,” Bochy said. “He’ll get plenty of playing time. He’ll have a good opportunity to make this club.”
Gillaspie has an even more important goal in mind: to reflect his true self and be an approachable teammate, something he said he wasn’t equipped to do from the time the Giants drafted him out of Wichita State to the day they shipped him to the Chicago White Sox in the spring of 2013.
“Baseballwise, I had a lot of learning to do, too,” Gillaspie said. “But from a personality standpoint, a social standpoint, going somewhere else and giving myself a chance to work on talking to people, working on being a teammate and a guy people want to be around and call in the offseason, that’s what I wanted to take pride in when I left here.”
It wasn’t a well-guarded secret that some veterans didn’t approve of Gillaspie’s promotion in 2008, feeling he hadn’t earned his way. It didn’t help when the kid told reporters that he didn’t expect the big leagues to be such a difficult transition because he’d hit everywhere he had played. When one veteran saw those comments, he gave Gillaspie a very public dressing down on the team bus.
Gillaspie isn’t the only player who had maturity issues as a 21-year-old so early into his pro career, and he would have handled himself differently. But he doesn’t regret being called up when he was.
“The reality is I think it was good for me because I had the chance to learn quickly -- and I learned how far off I was on certain things,” said Gillaspie, whose personality then might best be described as introverted and perhaps a bit standoffish, but not impolite. “I was thrown into a room of older guys and had to learn my boundaries quick.”
Gillaspie didn’t reach the big leagues again until 2011 and played in just 29 games as a Giant but had his moments, including an inside-the-park home run. A brief six-game appearance in 2012 ensured he would receive a World Series ring.
The trade to the White Sox turned out to be a blessing, too, since he received the opportunity to be their everyday third baseman for two seasons. And it offered a fresh chance to make a first impression.
“(When) my first stint here was up, I made a decision right when I left this clubhouse that I was going to be different and I was going to be approachable and a guy who’s there for guys,” Gillaspie said. “I want players to want to talk to me. You want to build every relationship you can and you never know, that could help you down the road. Improving the image for myself was the No. 1 thing and probably the best thing, because I needed that.”
It helped that the White Sox had players such as Paul Konerko and current Giant Jake Peavy to provide an example and encouragement. Getting married and having a son -- Mason is 2 { -- will change a person, too.
Gillaspie isn’t coming off his best season. He hit .228 in 75 games split between the White Sox and Angels. He said he had interest from four or five teams and chose the Giants partially because he knew he’d get a fair shot to make the club _ and partially to show that people can change. The Giants would love for Gillaspie to have a successful second act, just as Ryan Vogelsong and Travis Ishikawa did. “I didn’t leave the best impact when I was here,” Gillaspie said. “I’m just happy they were respectful and kind enough to say, ‘You know what, this guy can possibly help us.’ Given my history and some of the rough times I had as a young player, just to be given the opportunity to come here really does mean a lot to me, and obviously weighed into the decision.
“I’ve got no problem with being a bench player. I’ve got no problem being at Triple A. I really don’t have a problem with anything anymore.”