Dana LeVangie
Encyclopedia
Dana LeVangie is a former baseball player. Listed at 5' 10", 185 lb., LeVangie batted and threw right-handed. He is currently a Major League Baseball
scout
for the Boston Red Sox
.
, LeVangie was a 14th-round draft pick of the Boston Red Sox in 1991 out of American International College
in Springfield, Massachusetts. He had been a catcher
on the AIC baseball team for two seasons from 1990-91 and provided a lasting mark on the program. As a senior, LeVangie hit a .462 batting average
with 13 home run
s and 75 runs batted in en route to garnering Division II All-America and Northeast-10 Player of the Year honors. That season, AIC went 32-12 and advanced to the Division II College World Series for the first time in school history. As of 2008, LeVangie holds the school record for career batting average with a .410 mark among players with at least 100 hits.
in 1995, but never got a shot with the big team. He was a .201 hitter (193-for-960) with seven home runs and 74 RBI in 316 career games, including 76 runs
, 25 doubles
, three triples
and five stolen base
s.
Following a surgery on his left hand, LeVangie was offered the job of bullpen catcher
by minor league coordinator Bob Schaefer
and was quick to accept it.
status with the Boston Red Sox in 1997, serving as the bullpen catcher for eight seasons, including the 2004 World Series Championship
campaign. After the season, he joined the advanced coaching staff of the organization.
In September 2007, LeVangie was assigned to follow the Los Angeles Angels
in anticipation of the postseason, and eventually saw the Colorado Rockies
, too. During Game 2 of the 2007 World Series
, Red Sox bench coach Brad Mills, armed with information assembled by the Sox scouting report, correctly anticipated that Matt Holliday
would attempt to steal
on Jonathan Papelbon
's first pitch with two outs in the eighth inning and the Rockies down by a run. Mills signaled for a pickoff, and Papelbon, who had not picked off a runner since breaking into the majors, nailed Holliday with ease. Boston won the game and completed a four-game sweep of the Rockies in the Series.
LeVangie is still employed as a scout with the Red Sox organization. Despite his low playing profile, he has established himself as a tireless contributor for two World Championship teams. In addition, he gained induction Class of 2006 to the AIC Yellow Jackets Hall of Fame.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
scout
Scout (sport)
In professional sports, scouts are trained talent evaluators who travel extensively for the purposes of watching athletes play their chosen sports and determining whether their set of skills and talents represent what is needed by the scout's organization...
for the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
.
College
A native of Whitman, MassachusettsWhitman, Massachusetts
Whitman is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 14,489 as of the 2010 census. It is notable as being the place where the chocolate chip cookie was invented....
, LeVangie was a 14th-round draft pick of the Boston Red Sox in 1991 out of American International College
American International College
American International College is a private, co-educational liberal-arts college located in the Mason Square neighborhood of Springfield, Massachusetts.-History:...
in Springfield, Massachusetts. He had been a catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
on the AIC baseball team for two seasons from 1990-91 and provided a lasting mark on the program. As a senior, LeVangie hit a .462 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
with 13 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s and 75 runs batted in en route to garnering Division II All-America and Northeast-10 Player of the Year honors. That season, AIC went 32-12 and advanced to the Division II College World Series for the first time in school history. As of 2008, LeVangie holds the school record for career batting average with a .410 mark among players with at least 100 hits.
Professional
After being signed by Boston, LeVangie languished in the minor leagues for five seasons. He eventually reached Triple-A PawtucketPawtucket Red Sox
The Pawtucket Red Sox are the minor league baseball Triple-A affiliates of the Boston Red Sox and belong to the International League...
in 1995, but never got a shot with the big team. He was a .201 hitter (193-for-960) with seven home runs and 74 RBI in 316 career games, including 76 runs
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
, 25 doubles
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
, three triples
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
and five stolen base
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
s.
Following a surgery on his left hand, LeVangie was offered the job of bullpen catcher
Bullpen
In baseball, the bullpen is the area where relief pitchers warm-up before entering a game. Depending on the ballpark, it may be situated in foul territory along the baselines or just beyond the outfield fence. Also, a team's roster of relief pitchers is metonymically referred to as "the bullpen"...
by minor league coordinator Bob Schaefer
Bob Schaefer
Robert Walden Schaefer is a former interim manager, bench coach and farm system official in American Major League Baseball. He is currently the special assistant to the general manager with the Washington Nationals....
and was quick to accept it.
Highlights
LeVangie finally reached a Major LeagueMajor League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
status with the Boston Red Sox in 1997, serving as the bullpen catcher for eight seasons, including the 2004 World Series Championship
2004 World Series
The 2004 World Series was the Major League Baseball championship series for the 2004 season. It was the 100th World Series and featured the American League champions, the Boston Red Sox, against the National League champions, the St. Louis Cardinals...
campaign. After the season, he joined the advanced coaching staff of the organization.
In September 2007, LeVangie was assigned to follow the Los Angeles Angels
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
in anticipation of the postseason, and eventually saw the Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
, too. During Game 2 of the 2007 World Series
2007 World Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 24, 2007 at Fenway Park in Boston, MassachusettsThe Red Sox cruised to a blowout win in Game 1 behind ALCS MVP Josh Beckett, who struck out nine batters, including the first four he faced, en route to his fourth win of the 2007 postseason...
, Red Sox bench coach Brad Mills, armed with information assembled by the Sox scouting report, correctly anticipated that Matt Holliday
Matt Holliday
Matthew Thomas Holliday , nicknamed "Big Daddy", is an American Major League Baseball left fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals. Holliday was originally drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the seventh round of the 1998 Major League Baseball Draft.Holliday is a five-time All-Star and Silver Slugger...
would attempt to steal
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
on Jonathan Papelbon
Jonathan Papelbon
Jonathan Robert Papelbon is an American professional baseball pitcher with the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball. Before joining the Phillies, Papelbon played with the Boston Red Sox from 2005-2011....
's first pitch with two outs in the eighth inning and the Rockies down by a run. Mills signaled for a pickoff, and Papelbon, who had not picked off a runner since breaking into the majors, nailed Holliday with ease. Boston won the game and completed a four-game sweep of the Rockies in the Series.
LeVangie is still employed as a scout with the Red Sox organization. Despite his low playing profile, he has established himself as a tireless contributor for two World Championship teams. In addition, he gained induction Class of 2006 to the AIC Yellow Jackets Hall of Fame.