Aubrey Huff has experienced a more relaxed winter

For Aubrey Huff, the difference between this off-season and last is sort of like the difference between boxers and that red thong for which he became famous last year.

This winter has been much more relaxed.

A year ago, Huff had trouble finding a job. He had been a tough out in the A.L. East for years but was coming off a poor season during which he hit .189 after being traded to the Tigers for the stretch run.

Only one team called, the Giants, and all they offered was a $5 million pay cut for one year. Huff accepted the $3 million deal.

"That was the only option I had," he says. "I don't know if it was a product of being on bad teams my whole career. You see a lot of guys who are good players but seem to be forgotten when they're on teams that never get much publicity or they don't win. I think that had a lot to do with it."
He admits his weak showing in Detroit did, too, but still "it was surprising more teams didn't want to take a shot."

Flash forward a year and Huff's career could not have worked out much better. In 2010, he led the Giants in runs, homers and batting average, won a World Series and re-upped for a guaranteed two years, $22 million.

Along the way, he attracted much attention for his stretch-run fashion statement. The infamous red thong that, if you're wondering, has spent the winter in his closet.

"At the time, winning 20 out of the next 30 would get us to 92 wins, which is usually what you need to make the playoffs," Huff says. "I thought it would be a funny deal to go in there with that and tell the boys, 'This is worth 20-10 and we'll make the playoffs.' We went 19-10 til the last day of the season and we ended up winning. It was kind of a funny deal."

Though he does not plan to don the thong in 2011, he still expects the good times to continue.

"I seriously hated baseball for the four years before San Francisco the way my career had gone," he says. "It definitely was a blessing to be able to go there. I wanted to go back. The Giants wanted me back. I've fallen in love with that city. And it was definitely a sigh of relief to get (the contract) done early."



(sportingnews.com)