'Crazy' Brian Wilson at Home in Ninth

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Closers are baseball's high-wire perfomers.

Their professional careers are played in a spotlight, one that grows even brighter when they fail. No wonder, then, that the men who succeed as closers often have somewhat eccentric personalities.

Which is one of the reasons -- that and his electric fastball -- that Brian Wilson seemed destined to slide into a closer role, and to succeed.

"He's a little crazy," Giants reliever Jeremy Affeldt said. "But that's usually how closers are. They have kind of have a different perspective on the game. They are the scapegoats if it doesn't go well, so those guys have to think differently."

Giants pitching coach Dave Righetti, a former closer, agreed that Wilson has just the right mix of confidence, humility and occasional amnesia to handle the mental strain of pitching the ninth inning.

"He's definitely different," Righetti said. "There is definitely an air about him. He's not afraid to be on the stage. Whatever that personality is, he's got it."

Catch Wilson in the Giants clubhouse and you won't get the true picture of his personality. That's because Wilson has a ballpark persona, and a totally different one away from the park. At the ballpark, he is as serious and business-like as you can be with your hair in a faux-hawk.

"He just talks about random stuff. He's not necessarily talking to anyone. He kind of just talks to himself, but it's funny."
-- Barry Zito on Brian Wilson "Once you are in between the lines, it's not just your career at stake, but your teammates," Wilson said. "The fans, the general manager, the organization, all that is in consideration. You have to act accordingly. There needs to be some sort of business side."

Away from the park, though, Wilson is the guy who last year was featured on his own reality show on a local sports cable channel. Life of Brian included video, much of which Wilson shot himself, to give fans a look at his more offbeat side.

"It was fun," Wilson said. "Just a new way of letting fans into a baseball player's routine or life."

In this clip, Wilson tells viewers five things they may not know about him, including the fact that he's a certified genius and a ninja. Here he is describing the Giants' visit to the White House, and how disappointed he was in President Obama's dog. And here he breaks down the differences between Jack Bauer and Chuck Norris.

Wilson's Twitter account became a favorite for Giants fans early last season, until one of his tweets implied he may have been out enjoying the nightlife a little too late before a day game. Wilson insisted it was just a joke, that he was really in his hotel room, but he nonetheless stopped tweeting, to avoid further misunderstandings.

"Brian is a real funny guy," said Barry Zito, who shared a house with Wilson in the winter of 2008-09. "He makes a lot of jokes about everything. He just talks about random stuff. He's not necessarily talking to anyone. He kind of just talks to himself, but it's funny. Everyone cracks up when he's talking."

Wilson also has a self-deprecating view of himself. In one of the clips from his show, teammate Joe Martinez is off-camera playing a baseball video game and he mentions that there are two on and no one out, to which Wilson replies: "Who's pitching? Me?"

Wilson has never been able to get his job done with Rivera-like efficiency, but he has shown dramatic improvement over his time in the big leagues. In 2007 Wilson came to spring training with a shot at the closer's job, but his control was so bad in Arizona that he got sent to the minors.

A year later, he took over the ninth inning and didn't let it go. Wilson saved 41 games in 2008, earning a trip to the All-Star Game. His 4.62 ERA was not very impressive, but it was inflated by a few blowups in non-save situations. Wilson had a 3.72 ERA in save situations.

Last year he got even more efficient, cutting his ERA to 2.74. His strikeouts were up and his walks were down.

Righetti said Wilson improved his ability to get the first pitch over for a strike. He also stuck more to his fastball, which touches 100 mph, and slider, with only occasional changeups, instead of trying to get too cute by expanding his repertoire.

"The objective was to streamline his stuff, not to reinvent the wheel and make all kinds of pitches," Righetti said.

Wilson also continues to do a workout program that is legendary in Giants circles. Wilson does a regimen of cardio and strength exercises designed to keep his heart rate up for 45 minutes, without a break. Zito worked out with Wilson when they were roomates, and he can attest to the difficulty of Wilson's program.

"A lot of people work out just to get in shape, but Wilson takes a greater focus and puts a greater importance on working out," Zito said. "He has a determination with his workouts that not a lot of people have."

Considering the whole package, from Wilson's stuff to his fitness to his personality, Affeldt said that the past two years were no fluke.

"That's standard for what you are going to see from that guy," he said. "As long as he stays focused and takes his job seriously like he does now, he's going to be a phenomenal closer."