Major league catcher Chris Gimenez received an early Christmas and birthday present Friday. After almost a decade removed from California, the Gilroy native is finally coming home.
Gimenez received word that he’d been claimed off the waivers by the Oakland A’s at around 10:30 a.m. Friday. He spent the last three seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays and its Triple-A affiliate the Durham (N.C.) Bulls.
Gimenez and his family had left Gilroy just an hour prior to hearing the news after spending an early Christmas with his parents — although it took an extra half hour for the news to reach home.
“Of course, of all days, I left my cellphone at home,” Pam Gimenez, Chris’s mother said. “My husband and I went for a walk and came back and saw that I had missed a call from Chris. We had absolutely no idea, didn’t know that he had been put on waivers or anything — that was very exciting news. … We’re very proud of him and happy that he’s going to be close to home.”
The 2013 American League West Champions feature a plethora of solid pitchers like Jarrod Parker, A.J. Griffin, Scott Kazmir, Dan Straily and Jim Johnson — just to name a few — that Chris said he’s happy to be teammates with.
“I think the best thing about it is that now I don’t have to face their pitching staff — that’s probably the best part right there,” Chris, who will turn 31 on Thursday said. “Knowing that I get to catch those guys now and don’t have to hit against them, that’s a big plus. That’s a few points off your batting average right there.”
Being a member of the A’s is a dream come true for Chris, who grew up watching the Bash Brothers — Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco — in the 80s. In fact, Pam said she still has some of her son’s old Oakland uniforms — though they’re probably too small for him now.
“They were my childhood team; I grew up an A’s fan, I went to a lot of games as a kid,” Chris said. “I think the coolest thing is the white cleats. They’re the only team in the Major Leagues that can do that and there’s something special to be said about that. Their forest green unis are my favorite unis to this day still. There’s really a lot to be excited about. Obviously just being so close to home and the family will actually have a chance to come watch me play.”
Chris sported a .333 batting average through four games with Tampa Bay this season — and a .224 average throughout 95 during his rehab assignment with Durham — and got his first taste of the postseason with the team in the American League Division Series. Now, as he joins the AL West Champs, Chris said he hopes to see a lot more October baseball.
“I’m so excited,” he said. “To get traded to a team that’s a perennial playoff team, you can’t beat that. I had my first taste of the playoffs this first year and really there’s no baseball like it.”
