Kenny Giles Interview Excerpts

Kenny Giles, Image- Jay Floyd

Recently, I spoke with Phillies pitching prospect Kenny Giles for a segment on Phillies Nation TV. Some of what the 23-year-old right-hander chatted with me about didn't make the cut for the show, but I've transcribed that material below.

Through 18 combined games with Double-A Reading and Triple-A Lehigh Valley this season, Giles has posted a 2-0 record along with eight saves, a 1.29 ERA and a .155 batting average against. Additionally, the Phils' 7th round pick from 2011 has struck out 33 and walked 10 in 21 innings.

Read ahead for some exclusive quotes from Kenny.

-I asked Giles which individual stood out among Phillies teammates that he learned the most from during his time with the big club in spring training this year...

I can't just pick one guy. I mean, everybody on that team opened up my eyes and opened my mind to bigger and better things. Just things I never thought I would think about. I'd just say everybody on that team opened my eyes.

-Giles spoke about the progress of his consistency and how that is key for him...

I think my consistency is getting a lot better. My control is getting there. I mean, I wouldn't say I'm perfect. I'm never gonna be perfect, but I think over the years, I've gotten so much better with my consistency. I've been a lot better this year.

-On the subject of how missing a lengthy amount of time last season with oblique strains and how that helped him develop mental toughness...

It was a big thing mentally. I mean, everything I went through was really hard on me. I really wanted to get on the field. I'm one of those guys that even if something hurts a little bit, I'm gonna push right through it. But, in that case, I couldn't do it, 'cause it's one of those things where (the Phillies) wouldn't let me. And, so, they sat me down and were like, "Hey, you need to take a breather. Take some time off and focus on what you need to do first." And they broke me down and I started to see why they wanted me to do that. Right now, it's been great so far.

-I asked Giles if he has athletics in his family tree...

I've got some athletics. Nothing you would expect. My mother was a swimmer and my dad was a track star, wrestler and a football player in high school and he did track in college. So, I don't know where this arm strength came from, but I guess that's the perfect combination for it.

My brother (Joshua) played for the Texas Rangers' (organization) for five years, now currently playing indy ball right now and I have an older sister (Cassandra) that played played three years of (collegiate) softball as a pitcher as well.

-Giles also spoke of getting a kick out of hitting 100 MPH on ballpark radar guns and the buzz that comes from the crowd and the dugouts when he enters a game...

I enjoy it. That's who I am. I'm not gonna change that for the world. I'm the guy that can pump triple digits whenever I need to. It's always there and I'm going to unleash it once it a while. That's just who I am. That's just what I do.

It's like a sideshow for everybody. I like to enjoy and I like to entertain people. But, it's always fun. The more people (there are) wanting to see me, the more excited I'll get.

Stats to Ponder: Jimmy Rollins Edition

J-Roll has batted under .200 for a calendar month twice in his career. In April 2004, Rollins went 13-for-71, for a .183 average. The following month, Rollins went 30-for-107, which is a .280 average. And in August 2005, Rollins went 22-for-117, for a .188 average. The month that followed saw Rollins go 49-for-122 for a .402 average. Rollins is batting .171 so far in May 2009. Improvement is not far away for Jimmy. The Phillies are 10-2 in games this year which Rollins scores at least 1 run. The Phillies are 4-12 in games which Rollins does not score. Jimmy Rollins in 6 games against the Braves this year is batting .071 (2-for-28). In 2008 Rollins batted .284 against the Braves in 18 games. In 2007 Rollins batted .347 against the Braves in 18 games. In 2006 Rollins batted .367 against the Braves in 18 games. Jimmy Milestone Watch: 6 more RBI and Rollins will tie Scott Rolen for 25th all time in Phillies RBI leaders. 7 more triples and Rollins will tie Richie Ashburn for 4th all time i...

Crawford's Chronicles: JP Crawford talks Spring Training

JP Crawford, image- Jay Floyd Entering this year as the widely regarded top prospect in the Phillies organization, J.P. Crawford will be taking time each week to provide insight directly from inside spring training in Clearwater, FL, right here on PhilliesNation.com. Crawford, 20, was named the top positional prospect in two leagues (Class A South Atlantic League and Class A Advanced Florida State League) last year, when he combined, in 123 games, to post a .285 average, 11 homers, 48 RBI and 24 stolen bases. He also represented the Phils organization in the MLB All-Star Futures Game last season. As the 2015 campaign approaches, the six-foot-two 180-pound lefty batter is expected to reach the Double-A level and continue to prove why the Phillies selected him in the first round of the 2013 draft. In this initial installment of our weekly check-in with J.P., he shares thoughts on a variety of topics, including his exclusion from big league camp, which member of the big leagu...

Former Player Proposes Marriage on the Field in Lakewood

Three's a crowd, Buster...Image- Jay Floyd For one New Jersey couple a unique meeting at the ballpark led to a new meaning for the term baseball diamond. Brian Parker spotted the woman of his dreams from the bullpen bench at Lakewood, NJ's FirstEnergy Park on July 9th, 2010. The right-handed reliever for the Orioles affiliate Delmarva Shorebirds wasn't summoned to pitch that night, but it didn't stop him from getting up and going through his usual warm up and stretching routines to inch closer to a young blonde Brick Township native that he felt drawn toward. "I was acting like I was staying hot, but really I was just trying to talk to her," Parker, a 19th round draft choice by Baltimore in 2007, stated. "I ended up putting my (phone) number on a baseball and we decided to hang out and throughout that whole next year it was back and forth trips between the both of us." The lady that caught Parker's eye was Kristin VanDeventer, who was ...

PhoulBallz.com

Search This Blog