If there’s one term that could be used to describe the baseball career of 31-year-old San Francisco Giants journeyman outfielder Justin Christian, it’s “perseverance.”
It doesn’t matter that he’s undergone a number of surgeries to repair an old high school injury, or that he went un-drafted out of Southeast Missouri State University; Christian’s determination has been the key to success in his path to professional baseball.
“Just like his whole life and his whole life story, he was persistent to get better,” said Skyline Head Coach Dino Nomicos. “When people told him he couldn’t do something, he proved them all wrong.”
Christian came to Skyline in the summer of 2000 during the first year of Coach Nomicos’ tenure at the college. Skyline was an important part of Christian’s development as a ball player.
“Out of high school I was decent, but I wasn’t as good as I needed to be,” Christian said. “(Skyline College) was a big part of my development. (Batting Coach) John Quintell really did a great job of giving me a foundation to my swing.”
Coaches Nomicos and Quintell recognized the extraordinary amount of raw talent that Christian possessed, and were both confident that he would have a bright future in baseball.
“The first day I saw Justin Christian, he hit a weak ground ball to second base, a four or five-hopper,” Quintell said. “And I said to myself, ‘That guy could play in the big leagues.'”
Paired with the Skyline coaching staff’s expertise, Christian’s ability led to big numbers for the young phenomenon. In his one year at Skyline, Christian recorded a batting average of .485 and was an All American selection.
Nomicos’ and Quintell’s mentorships played a big part in Christian’s performance at Skyline. Consequently, Christian’s prowess on the baseball diamond helped establish legitimacy for the Skyline baseball team, which had only won two games in its previous season.
“He took a chance to come play for me,” Nomicos said. “He’s one of the reasons we’ve built the program to what it is today.”
Christian is a Bay Area native who grew up in San Mateo and attended Aragon High School, where he played both baseball and football. His father helped instill a love of sports in him at an early age.
“I’ve been playing baseball since I was two or three years old,” Christian said. “My father is the one who taught me the game. He gave me the opportunity to play little league and coached me. He did an absolutely fabulous job of helping me learn the game.”
Growing up in the Bay Area, Christian was a big Giants fan and made frequent visits to Candlestick Park with dreams of one day playing for his favorite team. It was at the age of fifteen, when he began playing in the San Mateo Joe Dimaggio League, that he decided to pursue a career in baseball to someday play in the big leagues.
“It was at that point where I really tried to stay focused and really work on my craft to be the best I could be,” Christian said.
But his road to the big leagues would be plagued with nagging injuries. After receiving a full scholarship out of Skyline to the University of Auburn in Alabama, he missed the entire 2002 season recovering from surgery. With regular injuries, Christian’s health became the biggest obstacle to pursuing his baseball career. He went un-drafted in 2003 out of Southeast Missouri State University despite having a stellar season and making All American for the second time in his career.
In June of 2004, he was finally picked up by an affiliated team. He made his Major League debut on June 24, 2008 starting for the New York Yankees.
“That was a great experience,” Christian said of his first game in the big leagues. “I ended up going two for four with a double and a couple RBI’s and got a taste of the big leagues at that time.”
He played 24 games with the Yankees that season and in 2009, he was signed to a minor league contract with the Baltimore Orioles.
Christian signed with a Giants affiliate in February 2011, and later that fall the San Francisco Giants purchased his contract from Triple-A Fresno. Christian got a second chance to play in the big leagues.
Christian’s father, who is his biggest fan, has been with him through it all.
“He’s always been there for me,” Christian said. “He was very excited when I signed with the Giants to come over here and play at AT&T Park.”
For Justin, being called up to San Francisc
o was the culmination of years of toil and some frustration. But he says that all that hard work has been worth it.
“The Giants were my hometown team growing up as a kid. To be able to play for your hometown team is absolutely extraordinary. This is a lifelong dream come true.”
