It used to be that the United States was home to dozens of professional baseball leagues. As Major League Baseball grew and honed its empire, that number reduced dramatically. Proving how much Americans love the national pastime there are still some independent professional leagues that have persisted and continue to pump out a competitive and exciting brand of baseball. They are full of players with years of experience in the major and minor leagues who are able to keep doing what they love for a living. One of these players is Richard Giannotti, an outfielder now playing in his eighth professional season.
The switch-hitting Giannotti was a star for St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Plantation, Florida. He was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 20th round of the 2001 MLB draft, but decided to play collegiately at the University of Miami instead, where he continued his stellar play. He remained on the draft boards of teams and ended up being taken by the Anaheim Angels in the 38th round of the 2004 draft, where he signed and began his professional career.
Giannotti played in the minors for the Angels and the St. Louis Cardinals for three seasons, reaching as high as A-ball in 2005 and 2006. During the 2006 season he decided that more opportunity existed for him in the independent leagues and he signed with the Reno Silver Sox. He also played for the Nashua Pride in 2007, but his career turned a corner when he joined the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs of the Atlantic League in 2009. He became a fixture in the Southern Maryland outfield and finally found his niche in professional ball.
Giannotti is now in his fourth season with Southern Maryland. He is a stronger fielder with a productive bat. While he doesn’t hit a ton of home runs, he does a little bit of everything. Entering 2012 he has appeared in 496 games, producing a .243 batting average with 21 home runs and 176 RBI. More information about his career statistics is available here.
This past off-season Giannotti answered my questions about his time in baseball. He is an interesting follow on Twitter and not just because of his baseball pedigree. He is also part owner of an up and coming clothing line called Bubucheek, and likes to write, making him one of the more well-rounded players in professional baseball. Read more »
Filed under: Down and Dirty - Interviews, On the Farm - Prospects | Tagged: Brian Sabean, Butch Hobson, Los Angeles Angels, Richard Giannotti, San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals | Leave a Comment »
