Ryan Vogelsong
Encyclopedia
Ryan Andrew Vogelsong is a Major League Baseball
pitcher
for the San Francisco Giants
. In addition to an earlier stint with the Giants (2000–2001), he has played for the Pittsburgh Pirates
(2001–2006), and for Nippon Professional Baseball's Hanshin Tigers
(2007–2008) and Orix Buffaloes
(2009).
, in 1995 where he played baseball, basketball and soccer. He played Legion baseball in Oxford PA. He played his little league baseball in the Southern Chester County Midget League for Highland. He also played for Kutztown University in Kutztown, Pennsylvania
during the 1996-1998 seasons.
. He made his major league debut with the Giants on September 2, 2000.
Vogelsong was acquired by the Pirates on July 30, 2001, along with outfielder
Armando Ríos
, for pitcher Jason Schmidt
and outfielder John Vander Wal
. He appeared in two games for the Pirates before he required Tommy John surgery
that kept him out of the majors until the end of the 2003 season.
2004 marked Vogelsong's first full year in the major leagues. He spent most of the season as a starting pitcher and struggled in that role, ending the season with a 6-13 record and 6.50 ERA. He rebounded in 2005 after being moved to the bullpen, posting a 4.43 ERA and 2-2 record while primarily being used as a middle reliever. At the end of the 2006 season, Vogelsong had a career 10-22 record and 5.86 ERA in 120 games and 315 innings over parts of 6 seasons.
of Japan in 2007 and made his Nippon Professional Baseball debut as their starting pitcher on April 5, 2007, facing another former Major League Baseball pitcher, Kazuhisa Ishii
. He won in his debut at the home stadium, Koshien Stadium
, on April 12, 2007, hitting a home run in the bottom of the second inning.
. He was released on July 15, 2010. Vogelsong signed a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
on July 28, 2010.
In 2011, he signed a minor league contract to return to the San Francisco Giants
with an invite to spring training. On April 17, 2011, Vogelsong had his contract purchased by the Giants to replace the injured Barry Zito
. On April 28th, after two appearances in relief, Vogelsong got his first start since the 2004 season against his former club, the Pirates. He held the host Bucs to two earned runs on four hits and struck out eight en route to a 5-2 Giants victory and his first MLB win since September 2005.Yahoo.com Stats
Vogelsong has excelled in his replacement role, posting a record of 6-1 with a 2.17 ERA by the All-Star break and securing his spot in San Francisco's vaunted starting rotation. Giants and 2011 National League All-Star manager Bruce Bochy
named Vogelsong to the 2011 NL All-Star Team on July 3, 2011. He didn't see any action in the NL 5-1 win over the AL. His first start after the All-Star break on July 18, 2011, a 5-0 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers
, gave him enough innings pitched
to qualify for the National League leader in ERA with 2.02..
He throws a four-seam fastball
, two-seam fastball
, cut fastball, circle changeup
, and curveball
.
On his final start of the season Vogelsong pitched 7 shutout innings against The Rockies, giving up just 4 hits and walking no batters along the way. The 33 year old right hander finished his first MLB season as a starting pitcher since 2005 with a 13-7 record and a 2.71 ERA, the lowest among a San Francisco starting rotation that boasted Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, and Madison Bumgarner. 5 of Vogelsong's 7 losses occurred all in a row, during a stretch where Vogelsong received 3 total runs of support, with no more than one run scored each game by a struggling San Francisco's offense.
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...
pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
for the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
. In addition to an earlier stint with the Giants (2000–2001), he has played for the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
(2001–2006), and for Nippon Professional Baseball's Hanshin Tigers
Hanshin Tigers
The are a Nippon Professional Baseball team based in Koshien, Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, and are in the Central League. Hanshin Electric Railway Co., Ltd., the subsidiary of Hankyu Hanshin Holdings Inc., owns the Hanshin Tigers directly...
(2007–2008) and Orix Buffaloes
Orix Buffaloes
The are a Nippon Professional Baseball team based in Osaka and Kobe, Japan. They play in the Pacific League. The team is owned by the Orix Group, a leading diversified financial services company based in Tokyo....
(2009).
Amateur career
He graduated from Octorara Area High school in Atglen, PennsylvaniaAtglen, Pennsylvania
Atglen is a borough in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,406 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Atglen is located at ....
, in 1995 where he played baseball, basketball and soccer. He played Legion baseball in Oxford PA. He played his little league baseball in the Southern Chester County Midget League for Highland. He also played for Kutztown University in Kutztown, Pennsylvania
Kutztown, Pennsylvania
Kutztown is a borough in Berks County, Pennsylvania, southwest of Allentown and northeast of Reading. As of the 2000 census, the borough has a total population of 5,067. It is the site of Kutztown University.- History :...
during the 1996-1998 seasons.
Major League Baseball (1998-2006)
Vogelsong was drafted by the Giants in the 5th round of the 1998 Major League Baseball Draft1998 Major League Baseball Draft
The 1998 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft of high school and college baseball players, was held on June 2 and 3, 1998...
. He made his major league debut with the Giants on September 2, 2000.
Vogelsong was acquired by the Pirates on July 30, 2001, along with outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
Armando Ríos
Armando Ríos
Armando Ríos is a 5' 9", 185 lb. left-handed outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1998 through 2003....
, for pitcher Jason Schmidt
Jason Schmidt
Jason David Schmidt , is a former American Major League Baseball pitcher.Schmidt was born in Lewiston, Idaho. In his career he has played for the Los Angeles Dodgers , San Francisco Giants , Pittsburgh Pirates and Atlanta Braves , by whom he had been drafted in the eighth round, 206th overall, of...
and outfielder John Vander Wal
John Vander Wal
John Henry Vander Wal is a former American Major League Baseball left-handed hitter who played outfield and first base for eight different teams over 14 seasons.-Early life:...
. He appeared in two games for the Pirates before he required Tommy John surgery
Tommy John surgery
Tommy John surgery, known in medical practice as ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, is a surgical procedure in which a ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with a tendon from elsewhere in the body...
that kept him out of the majors until the end of the 2003 season.
2004 marked Vogelsong's first full year in the major leagues. He spent most of the season as a starting pitcher and struggled in that role, ending the season with a 6-13 record and 6.50 ERA. He rebounded in 2005 after being moved to the bullpen, posting a 4.43 ERA and 2-2 record while primarily being used as a middle reliever. At the end of the 2006 season, Vogelsong had a career 10-22 record and 5.86 ERA in 120 games and 315 innings over parts of 6 seasons.
Nippon Professional Baseball (2007-2009)
Vogelsong was acquired by the Hanshin TigersHanshin Tigers
The are a Nippon Professional Baseball team based in Koshien, Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, and are in the Central League. Hanshin Electric Railway Co., Ltd., the subsidiary of Hankyu Hanshin Holdings Inc., owns the Hanshin Tigers directly...
of Japan in 2007 and made his Nippon Professional Baseball debut as their starting pitcher on April 5, 2007, facing another former Major League Baseball pitcher, Kazuhisa Ishii
Kazuhisa Ishii
Kazuhisa Ishii is a Japanese former Major League Baseball pitcher who currently plays for the Saitama Seibu Lions....
. He won in his debut at the home stadium, Koshien Stadium
Koshien Stadium
is a baseball park located near Kobe in Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. The stadium was built to host the national high school baseball tournaments, and opened on April 1, 1924. It was the largest stadium in Asia at the time it was completed, with a capacity of 55,000.The name Kōshien comes...
, on April 12, 2007, hitting a home run in the bottom of the second inning.
Return to Major League Baseball (2010-present)
During the 2009-2010 offseason, Vogelsong signed as a free agent with the Philadelphia PhilliesPhiladelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
. He was released on July 15, 2010. Vogelsong signed a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
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...
on July 28, 2010.
In 2011, he signed a minor league contract to return to the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
with an invite to spring training. On April 17, 2011, Vogelsong had his contract purchased by the Giants to replace the injured Barry Zito
Barry Zito
Barry Zito is a Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher for the San Francisco Giants. He previously played seven seasons with the Oakland Athletics, where he won the 2002 American League Cy Young Award and made three All-Star teams....
. On April 28th, after two appearances in relief, Vogelsong got his first start since the 2004 season against his former club, the Pirates. He held the host Bucs to two earned runs on four hits and struck out eight en route to a 5-2 Giants victory and his first MLB win since September 2005.Yahoo.com Stats
Vogelsong has excelled in his replacement role, posting a record of 6-1 with a 2.17 ERA by the All-Star break and securing his spot in San Francisco's vaunted starting rotation. Giants and 2011 National League All-Star manager Bruce Bochy
Bruce Bochy
Bruce Douglas Bochy is the manager of the San Francisco Giants. Prior to joining the Giants, Bochy had been the manager of the San Diego Padres for twelve seasons. Bochy is the only former Padres player to serve as the team's manager. He has participated in all five postseason appearances in...
named Vogelsong to the 2011 NL All-Star Team on July 3, 2011. He didn't see any action in the NL 5-1 win over the AL. His first start after the All-Star break on July 18, 2011, a 5-0 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
, gave him enough innings pitched
Innings pitched
In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two...
to qualify for the National League leader in ERA with 2.02..
He throws a four-seam fastball
Four-seam fastball
A four-seam fastball, also called a rising fastball, a four-seamer, or a cross-seam fastball, is a pitch in baseball. It is a member of the fastball family...
, two-seam fastball
Two-seam fastball
A two-seam fastball is a pitch in baseball and a variant of the straight fastball. The pitch has the speed of a fastball, but the general movement of a screwball...
, cut fastball, circle changeup
Circle changeup
In baseball, a circle changeup is a pitch thrown with a grip that includes a circle formation, hence the name. The circle is formed by making a circle with the index finger, holding the thumb at the bottom of the ball parallel to the middle finger and holding the ball far out in the hand...
, and curveball
Curveball
The curveball is a type of pitch in baseball thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball causing it to dive in a downward path as it approaches the plate. Its close relatives are the slider and the slurve. The "curve" of the ball varies from pitcher to...
.
On his final start of the season Vogelsong pitched 7 shutout innings against The Rockies, giving up just 4 hits and walking no batters along the way. The 33 year old right hander finished his first MLB season as a starting pitcher since 2005 with a 13-7 record and a 2.71 ERA, the lowest among a San Francisco starting rotation that boasted Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, and Madison Bumgarner. 5 of Vogelsong's 7 losses occurred all in a row, during a stretch where Vogelsong received 3 total runs of support, with no more than one run scored each game by a struggling San Francisco's offense.
Awards
- He was awarded the 2011 Willie Mac AwardWillie Mac AwardThe Willie Mac Award is named in honor of Willie McCovey. It has been presented annually since 1980. It is awarded to the player on the San Francisco Giants who best exemplifies the spirit and leadership consistently shown by McCovey throughout his long career, voted upon by the players and...
, given annually to the Giant who best exemplifies the spirit and leadership consistently shown by Willie McCoveyWillie McCoveyWillie Lee McCovey , nicknamed "Mac", "Big Mac", and "Stretch", is a former Major League Baseball first baseman. He played nineteen seasons for the San Francisco Giants, and three more for the San Diego Padres and Oakland Athletics, between and...
throughout his long career.. - He was named Giants Breakout Player of the Year by MLB.com for the 2011 season.http://sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20111104&content_id=25902764&vkey=news_sf&c_id=sf 7 November 2011. 8 November 2011.