Rich Aurilia debuts on BBWAA Hall of Fame ballot
In a San Francisco Giants lineup filled with record-setting power, Rich Aurilia set new standards for hitting at shortstop.
Now, Aurilia stands on the verge of baseball’s gold standard: The Hall of Fame.
Aurilia, who played 15 big league seasons with the Giants, Mariners, Padres and Reds, debuts on the Baseball Writers’ Association of America Hall of Fame ballot this fall, one of 34 players on the 2015 BBWAA ballot for the Class of 2015.
BBWAA members who have at least 10 years of tenure with the organization can vote in the election, and the results will be announced Jan. 6. Any candidate who receives at least 75 percent of all BBWAA votes cast will be enshrined in the Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2015. The Induction Ceremony will be held July 26 in Cooperstown.
Bio
Born Sept. 2, 1971 in Brooklyn, N.Y., Aurilia attended St. John’s University before entering the professional ranks as a 24th-round draft pick of the Texas Rangers in 1992. After three successful years in the minors, Aurilia was traded to the Giants on Dec. 22, 1994 in a deal that sent 20-game winner John Burkett to Texas.
After getting his feet wet in the big leagues in September of 1995, Aurilia became a regular contributor for the Giants from 1996-98. But it wasn’t until 1999 that Aurilia finally established himself as the Giants’ everyday shortstop.
“I thought I could play every day,” Aurilia said. “Once I got a chance in the second half of 1999…that’s when I knew I could be an everyday shortstop.”
Aurilia hit 22 home runs and drove in 80 runs in 1999, then followed that with 20 homers and 79 RBI in 2000. The next season, Aurilia led the National League with 206 hits, blasted 37 home runs and drove in 97 runs en route to a .324 batting average, a Silver Slugger Award and his first All-Star Game selection. From 1999-2001, he led all NL shortstops in home runs and RBI.
“The only goal I set for myself this year was that I didn’t want to give at-bats away,” Aurilia said in 2001. “So far, I’ve noticed a difference. It hasn’t to do with numbers. It’s concentration and patience at the plate.”
Defensively, Aurilia led all NL shortstops in double plays (108) and putouts (246) in 2001.
“Good things happen to good people,” said Giants general manager Brian Sabean in 2001. “(Aurilia’s) success didn’t happen by accident.”
In 2002, Aurilia’s offensive numbers declined to 15 home runs and 61 RBI, but his steady play help the Giants win the National League pennant and come within one game of the World Series title. He left for Seattle as a free agent following the 2003 season, then bounced to San Diego and Cincinnati before returning to San Francisco for the final three seasons of his career.
His final numbers: a .275 batting average with 186 home runs, 756 RBI and 1,576 hits, including 301 doubles. With teammate Jeff Kent, he became part of the first set of middle infielders in baseball history to hit 20-or-more home runs in three consecutive seasons (1999-2001).
“I’m not a high-profile guy,” Aurilia said. “I don’t like a lot of attention. When I’m out of this game, and guys I played against say I played the game the right way, that’s all I really need.”
