On Monday Evening, September 28, Giants Rising Star Eugenio Velez made his first Sports Gallery appearance at our Walnut Creek Gallery.

Eugenio Velez, is quickly becoming a key ingredient to the Giants future. A utility player at the start of the 2009 season, Vélez saw everyday action in the Outfield and 2nd Base and batted lead-off by the end of the year. A switch hitter, Vélez was selected by the Giants from the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2005 minor league Rule 5 Draft. In 2006, he was named the Most Valuable Player of the South Atlantic League for his offensive performance with the Giants single A affiliate the Augusta GreenJackets. He won the award by batting .315 with 63 extra base hits, 64 stolen bases and organization-high 91 RBIs. Vélez made his major league debut on September 5, 2007. On September 14, Vélez had his first major league hit, appropriately a triple, off of Chris Young of the San Diego Padres (he later scored on a wild pitch). But 2009 has seen the real emergence of Eugenio as one of the cornerstones of the Giants future, along with Pablo, Timmy and Matt. Watch out for his speed, defensive versatility, and quick bat!