Pat Burrell, a Boulder Creek native, makes most of second chance

SAN FRANCISCO - Much like the bases Pat Burrell rounds during his home run trots, his professional baseball career has come full circle.
The 33-year-old slugger - a Boulder Creek native who shined at Bellarmine College Prep in San Jose - is back in the San Francisco Bay Area, where his career started, and heading back to the playoffs.

This time, he's with the National League West-champion Giants, who face Atlanta in a best-of-five division series beginning today in San Francisco at 6:37 p.m.

Six months ago, the postseason wasn't even a blip on Burrell's radar. He was unemployed, a broken-down, slower-than-average outfielder with a cold bat. Not the type of player who is in high demand.

But the Giants gave the free-agent outfielder a second chance and Burrell never looked back - until Sunday's regular-season finale.

"For me, it's very special," Burrell said after the Giants beat the visiting San Diego Padres to win the West Division for the first time since 2003. "I wasn't sure where things were going...."

Burrell's voice doesn't trail off in reflection, but rather because his locker room interview was interrupted by three celebrating teammates emptying cans of beer on his head. Normally stoic and tight-lipped with the media, Burrell's emotions were hidden by the beer gushing down his face.

"I'm just thankful for the opportunity," he continued, "to the organization. ... Hell, let's get this party going."

Burrell, who played one year at San Lorenzo Valley High and has donated to the Cougars' athletics program, has been at these baseball bashes before. He's also been exiled from a clubhouse with a winning mix.

Burrell was the starting left fielder for the 2008 World Series-champion Philadelphia Phillies.

A month after the season, the Phillies decided to go another direction and signed speedier free-agent outfielder Raul Ibanez to a three-year, $30 million deal. The transaction signaled the end for Burrell, who played nine seasons with the Phillies after the team made him their No. 1 pick in MLB's First-Year Player Draft in 1998.

A month after the season ended, though, Burrell - coming off a 33-homer, 86 RBI campaign - had found a new employer. He signed a two-year, $16 million deal with the Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays, the '08 World Series runner-up, planned to use him as a designated hitter.

The plan flopped. Burrell, nicknamed "Pat The Bat," hit a career-low 14 homers in 122 games.

He got off to another slow start with the Rays this season.

Instead of waiting for similar sub-par results, the team released the struggling hitter, who was batting .202 with two home runs in 24 games. He remained unemployed for 14 days.

Enter the Giants, who were in dire need of some offensive pop. They signed Burrell to a minor-league contract on May 29. Within a week, Burrell joined the Giants a new man, seemingly, and with new life.

Burrell was one of the first of several players added by the Giants to give their stellar pitching rotation some support. In August, they acquired outfielders Jose Guillen and Cody Ross and infielder Mike Fontenot and promoted infielder Emmanuel Burriss from Triple-A Fresno. They called up top prospect Buster Posey just days before he arrived in San Francisco.

Burrell liked what he saw in the Giants.

"We've got a bunch of guys who are here to win and are serious," he said. "I think it's a good mix of old and young. We have a group of stars in the making, like Buster, and a couple old guys like [Aubrey] Huff and I."

Unlike the player who had slumped with the Rays, Burrell found his stroke in San Francisco. He manufactured several momentum-changing at-bats. Five of his 18 home runs for the Giants have come in the eighth inning or later and seven of them have been go-ahead shots. He finished the regular season with nine game-winning RBIs.

Patient at the plate, he also didn't mind drawing a walk to jump-start the offense. He reached base safely in 73 of 88 games.

"Pat's a pro," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said after Burrell had two walks and a homer against Milwaukee two weeks ago. "He gives you a great at-bats, quality at-bats. He'll take his walks and that's what you need. I wish he ran better, I'd lead him off."

Burrell's rejuvenated bat was a godsend for the Giants' lineup. But Burrell added to his stock, Bochy said, by the way he has carried himself in the dugout and clubhouse. He said Burrell has a calming influence on the younger players.

In Tampa Bay, Burrell was rumored to be a negative influence on the Rays' younger stars, such as Evan Longoria. He quickly showed that wouldn't be the case with the Giants.

Just weeks after Burrell joined the team, San Francisco lost a 15-inning heartbreaker to host Colorado, 4-3. The loss dropped the Giants to a season-worst 7.5 games behind the San Diego Padres in the National League West standings. It was then Burrell addressed his teammates in the clubhouse.

"Pat Burrell says - he's been there before - and he says, 'One game a week,'" recalled Huff, the Giants first baseman who has remained close friends with Burrell since their days of playing together at University of Miami. "And we went on a nice run there and got within striking distance. We got close to the Padres and nobody gave up."

Now when the camera pans to the dugout, Burrell is often the first to emerge with a high-five, butt smack or loud cheer after big hits from teammates.

"He's been huge for us," said Posey, a catcher in the running for Rookie of the Year honors. "It's hard to put into words. He's been in this league 10 years and he has fun. He enjoys competing and that rubs off on guys."

Burrell is playing with the heart and enthusiasm of a rookie trying to earn his keep. In Sunday's regular-season finale, he actually sprinted out an infield pop-out.

Given his unemployed situation six months ago - yes, all 14 days of it - perhaps Burrell recognized the game can be torn from his batting gloves in a heartbeat.

Burrell looked around the NL West champions' clubhouse Sunday, which smelled like a frat house the day after a party. Drenched from head to toe in beer and champagne, he let out a few hoots.

"The whole experience has just been incredible," Burrell said. "Our fans are incredible. We wanted to give the people what they wanted. Granted, it took a couple of days, but we delivered. This city's going to be rocking."



(mercurynews.com)