The Baseball Hall of Fame is bringing back an old tradition this year, bringing back the Hall of Fame Classic. A longtime Memorial Day Weekend tradition, former big-league players will face off at Doubleday Field in Cooperstown on Saturday, May 27th. While former SF Giants reliever Jeremy Affeldt is the only player representing San Francisco, four other former Giants (Cory Gearrin, Chris Ray, Rajai Davis, and Gerardo Parra) are set to participate.
Affeldt is easily the most memorable participant for Giants fans. Affeldt was a key member of the team's bullpen from 2009-2014, allowing just two runs across 26 innings pitched in the postseason during the team's championship runs in 2010, 2012, and 2014. The big lefty who relied on his signature curveball during his playing career, also has appeared on Giants radio and television broadcasts.
Gearrin is playing as a representative for Atlanta but had more appearances with the Giants than any other team. Gearrin was a middle reliever and setup man in San Francisco from 2015-2018, recording a 3.24 ERA with 145 strikeouts in 150 innings pitched (166 appearances) before he was packaged in a trade to the Texas Rangers. Gearrin would also have stints with the Athletics, Mariners, Yankees, and Twins before hanging up his cleats.
Davis is representing the Cleveland Guardians, who he helped reached the World Series in 2016. During his 14-year MLB career, Davis had a short stint with the Giants from 2007-2008. The Giants acquired Davis alongside a pitching prospect from the Pittsburgh Pirates in a trade deadline deal for veteran starter Matt Morris. Davis showed promise toward the end of the 2007 season with the Giants, hitting .282/.363/.380 in 51 games, but the team designated him for assignment after a slow start in 2008. That decision proved costly as he landed with the A's, where he found his footing as a fringe everyday player/top-end fourth outfielder.
Ray was one of the best young closers in MLB with the Baltimore Orioles before a serious arm injury limited his ability to make an impact. However, the Giants acquired Ray alongside a pitching prospect for catcher Bengie Molina in June of 2010. Ray appeared in 28 games with the Giants that season and received a World Series ring for his contributions.
Parra arguably had the most productive career of any former Giants participating in the game. Granted, he also had the least substantial tenure with the team. A two-time Gold Glove Award winner, Parra's 12-year MLB career included a short stint with the Giants early in the 2019 season. Parra hit just .198/.278/.267 in 97 plate appearances with San Francisco before he was designated for assignment. Parra landed with the Nationals shortly after and ended up helping Washington win the World Series.
The game is not scheduled to be televised, but surely video will emerge from the event. So, do not be surprised if you see former SF Giants like Jeremy Affeldt delivering a nasty 12-6 curveball tomorrow.
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