I remember the 2001 season like it was yesterday -- obelisks, floating in zero gravity while listening to "The Blue Danube," and being completely jealous that the Padres had this guy:
| Year | Age | Lev | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | IBB | SO | HBP | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 22 | A-Rk | 2.73 | 102.1 | 89 | 41 | 31 | 6 | 18 | 0 | 100 | 6 | 1.6 | 8.8 | 5.56 |
| 1998 | 22 | Rk | 2.45 | 22.0 | 22 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 21 | 2 | 2.0 | 8.6 | 4.20 |
| 1998 | 22 | A | 2.80 | 80.1 | 67 | 34 | 25 | 5 | 13 | 0 | 79 | 4 | 1.5 | 8.9 | 6.08 |
| 1999 | 23 | A+ | 3.39 | 175.1 | 178 | 72 | 66 | 6 | 30 | 1 | 166 | 10 | 1.5 | 8.5 | 5.53 |
| 2000 | 24 | AA-AAA | 2.28 | 173.1 | 147 | 53 | 44 | 12 | 35 | 0 | 165 | 14 | 1.8 | 8.6 | 4.71 |
| 2000 | 24 | AA | 2.42 | 126.2 | 99 | 40 | 34 | 6 | 28 | 0 | 119 | 10 | 2.0 | 8.5 | 4.25 |
| 2000 | 24 | AAA | 1.93 | 46.2 | 48 | 13 | 10 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 46 | 4 | 1.4 | 8.9 | 6.57 |
| 2001 | 25 | AAA | 3.80 | 45.0 | 42 | 22 | 19 | 3 | 17 | 2 | 42 | 2 | 3.4 | 8.4 | 2.47 |
Brian Lawrence, control master. Oh, woe be to the Giants who would dare to stand in against this young, Madduxian prodigy. He was going to dominate the Giants for years. Then his arm blew up. Kerflooey. I figured he was selling encyclopedias door-to-door by now.
But, no! He was in the Marlins' system last year, and he didn't do that poorly at all:
Okay, he wasn't that great, but he is a) as likely to not mess the bed as Jeff Suppan, and b) willing to wait in a glass case in Fresno. And in case you didn't see it on TMZ or Drudge, the Giants signed Lawrence to a minor-league deal.
I'm in. This is my favorite acquisition of the offseason, just beating out Miguel Tejada and Absolutely Nothing Else. It's not like Lawrence is going to pitch for the Giants this year, but I'm pulling for him. The 23-year-old in me is just thrilled that the Giants finally got their hands on Brian Lawrence. Brian Freaking Lawrence! Eat it, San Diego!
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