| In
2009/2010, Sports Gallery entered into a formal relationship
with the "Kung Fu Panda"
himself, Pablo Sandoval.
Pablo
Sandoval, born in Carabobo, Venezuela, is the latest Giants
phenom and there is NOTHING about Pablo that is ordinary. After
all, when was the last time a 22-year-old 5'11" 245-pound
switch-hitting catcher made the jump from A-ball to the middle
of the batting order for a major league team in one year? If
you're leafing through your Baseball Almanac, we'll save you
the time. The answer is never. The closest comparison you will
find is 2008 NL MVP Albert Pujols, who made a similar rapid
rise in 2000. The 22-year old Venezuelan was signed by San Francisco
in 2002 at the age of 16. And few young players have generated
as much buzz. He has torn up every league he's played including
Single-A San Jose where he hit .359 with 12 home runs while
leading SJ to the California League Championship. And he did
the same when he got to The Show,
hitting .330 in 2009 (2nd in NL) and leading the SF Giants with
25 home runs. Pablo has also proved very capable at multiple
defensive positions. Sandoval can play Catcher, 3B and 1B extremely
well and played all three in '09 for the Gigantes. And he was
a World Series Champion in 2010! Nicknamed "Kung
Fu Panda" by teammate Barry Zito because of his
resemblance to the movie character, Pablo is fast becoming one
of the most popular athletes in the Bay Area. |