Kenny Giles Interview Excerpts
Recently, I spoke with Phillies pitching prospect Kenny Giles for a segment on Phillies Nation TV. Some of what the 23-year-old right-hander chatted with me about didn’t make the cut for the show, but I’ve transcribed that material below.
Through 18 combined games with Double-A Reading and Triple-A Lehigh Valley this season, Giles has posted a 2-0 record along with eight saves, a 1.29 ERA and a .155 batting average against. Additionally, the Phils’ 7th round pick from 2011 has struck out 33 and walked 10 in 21 innings.
Read ahead for some exclusive quotes from Kenny.
-I asked Giles which individual stood out among Phillies teammates that he learned the most from during his time with the big club in spring training this year…
I can’t just pick one guy. I mean, everybody on that team opened up my eyes and opened my mind to bigger and better things. Just things I never thought I would think about. I’d just say everybody on that team opened my eyes.
-Giles spoke about the progress of his consistency and how that is key for him…
I think my consistency is getting a lot better. My control is getting there. I mean, I wouldn’t say I’m perfect. I’m never gonna be perfect, but I think over the years, I’ve gotten so much better with my consistency. I’ve been a lot better this year.
-On the subject of how missing a lengthy amount of time last season with oblique strains and how that helped him develop mental toughness…
It was a big thing mentally. I mean, everything I went through was really hard on me. I really wanted to get on the field. I’m one of those guys that even if something hurts a little bit, I’m gonna push right through it. But, in that case, I couldn’t do it, ’cause it’s one of those things where (the Phillies) wouldn’t let me. And, so, they sat me down and were like, “Hey, you need to take a breather. Take some time off and focus on what you need to do first.” And they broke me down and I started to see why they wanted me to do that. Right now, it’s been great so far.
-I asked Giles if he has athletics in his family tree…
I’ve got some athletics. Nothing you would expect. My mother was a swimmer and my dad was a track star, wrestler and a football player in high school and he did track in college. So, I don’t know where this arm strength came from, but I guess that’s the perfect combination for it.
My brother (Joshua) played for the Texas Rangers’ (organization) for five years, now currently playing indy ball right now and I have an older sister (Cassandra) that played played three years of (collegiate) softball as a pitcher as well.
-Giles also spoke of getting a kick out of hitting 100 MPH on ballpark radar guns and the buzz that comes from the crowd and the dugouts when he enters a game…
I enjoy it. That’s who I am. I’m not gonna change that for the world. I’m the guy that can pump triple digits whenever I need to. It’s always there and I’m going to unleash it once it a while. That’s just who I am. That’s just what I do.
It’s like a sideshow for everybody. I like to enjoy and I like to entertain people. But, it’s always fun. The more people (there are) wanting to see me, the more excited I’ll get.
