Brian Wilson Loses His Mind; Confronts Baer About World Series Ring

An open letter to Brian Wilson from a Giants’ fan

Sep 24, 2013; San Francisco, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Brian Wilson (00) in the dugout after pitching an inning against the San Francisco Giants during the eighth inning at AT

Screw you, Brian Wilson. I’m over you. I’m over your beard. I’m over your crazy antics. I’m over how emotional you get. I’m over your 9th inning heart attacks. I’m also over  2010 and you ever wearing the orange and black.

You’re no longer someone for who I hold a small part of love. I don’t hate you, but if I had it my way and was allowed, my opening statement wouldn’t have been “Screw you.” It would have been a much more appropriate word (or inappropriate, depending on how you look at it).

You took a public forum to air your grievance with front office staff, Larry Baer to be exact. After a game that your team lost, and on a special night for Tim Lincecum who pitched his potential final game as a Giant, you pull this stunt. You told Andrew Baggarly that it was, “Just a conversation between me and him.” Forgive me if I disagree. I was at the game Thursday night in the upper deck. As I was exiting the game, I saw you on the field. From the upper deck, I could tell it wasn’t a friendly conversation. In your conversation between just you and him, you got the attention of the camera crews, fans in the stands, and more importantly, your former teammates on the field during their handshake.

All of this over your World Series Ring. Hey, you earned it. By earned it, I mean you pitched just two games in 2012, but you were on the roster, and it is rightfully yours. You’ve also had seven months to retrieve it, including during the actual ring ceremony for which you were invited, and couldn’t have had much of a reason not to attend since you were still rehabbing. Bruce Bochy even reached out to you during that time, along with other front office staff, and you failed to return phone calls. You even told Giants staff to “just put it in my locker.”

But my all means, you picked the best time possible to have a “private” conversation about when you would get your ring. Not by returning a phone call. Not by asking for it when the Giants were in Los Angeles. Not by asking Dave Righetti when he came to watch you pitch before you signed with the Dodgers. No. You did it during the handshake, in public, after your team, that is going to the playoffs by the way, lost their final game of the season with the Giants.

Let’s be honest. You wanted an on-the-field ceremony at AT&T Park. You wanted Giants fans to cheer for you, and you wanted to be in the spotlight. Unfortunately, you gave up that option when you declined an invite to the actual Ring Ceremony. You gave up your right for many fans to cheer for you when you became a Dodgers player. Don’t get me wrong, I understand you signing with them. They offered you a contract, the Giants didn’t. But it’s a sport and booing players is part of the deal. I guarantee had you shown up for the ring ceremony, you would have gotten a standing ovation. I’m pretty sure that if over the past few months, you had showed some class toward your former organization, you may have even gotten a few claps when you warmed up in the bullpen last night. Not many, but some fans would have at least had respect for you. But now…there isn’t much left to say to you.

I can still say “thank you” for 2010. I mean that. I also hope you enjoy your ring, as it may be the last one you ever receive. But I truly hope you get booed at AT&T Park for the rest of your career. You’ve earned that all by yourself.

Sincerely,

A Pissed Off Giants’ Fan

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Around the Foghorn readers want more info on Ring-Gate? Try these links.

Andrew Baggarly: Source: Wilson confronts Larry Baer over World Series ring

Henry Schulman: Brian Wilson’s bizarre confrontation with Larry Baer over World Series ring, with photo