Few players were more strongly associated with the San Francisco Giants over the past several seasons than Brian Wilson.
The oddball closer was drafted by the organization in 2003 and was a member of the team’s bullpen from 2006-2012. He reached three All-Star Games and led the league in saves in 2010. He was on the mound and recorded the save when the Giants won the World Series that season. Along the way, Wilson grew a massive beard, dyed it black, and became known as one of the strongest personalities in baseball.
Wilson has been out after missing most of last season and all of this season recovering from Tommy John surgery. He has been working on his pitching recently and worked out for several teams last week. The Los Angeles Dodgers decided to sign him to a major-league deal for $1 million in base pay.
Though Wilson is going to the rival team, he still thanked Giants fans over Twitter for their support:
Thank you to the fans in San Francisco. It was an honor to pitch in front of you for all those years….
— Brian Wilson (@BrianWilson38) July 30, 2013
Even though I'll be wearing a different color your impact in my life will never be forgotten.
— Brian Wilson (@BrianWilson38) July 30, 2013
At the end of the day, we all know that money talks. The Dodgers probably made Wilson the strongest offer by giving him $1 million for a month and a half of work. He has been placed on the 15-day DL and will go out on rehab. He should be ready to contribute to the NL West-leading Dodgers around mid-August.
I don’t think Dodgers fans will have much trouble supporting the bearded one. He’s a classic “love him if he’s on my team, hate him if he’s on your team” type of player.
