Ryan Vogelsong: Loyal Dog Returns Home to Giants
On Monday, Ryan Vogelsong was in Houston, meeting with Astros’ brass to work through “some final details in anticipation of an agreement,” as reported by ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick. On Friday, the 37-year old right-hander agreed to a one-year deal with the San Francisco Giants, returning to the team that took a chance on him five seasons ago. Despite seeming like a virtual certainty that he would be wearing an Astros’ uniform less than a week ago, the loyal dog Vogelsong is back home.
Getting to where he is now, with multiple teams pining for his services, has been no easy task. He’s had a long journey from major league journeyman, to Japanese League pitcher, to All-Star and World Series hero.
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Prior to the 2011 season, Ryan Vogelsong showed his loyalty to a team he hadn’t pitched for in over a decade. Despite getting offers from multiple teams, including the Los Angeles Dodgers, Vogelsong “pushed hard” to return to the Giants. One of the big reasons was to work with Dave Righetti once more.
Righetti, in his rookie season as a pitching coach in 2000, was Vogelsong’s first major league pitching coach. 11 years later, Righetti was still coaching the Giants’ staff, while Vogelsong had pitched for six organization in two separate continents.
Sep 15, 2014; Phoenix, AZ, USA; San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Ryan Vogelsong (32) throws during the first inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
Righetti, who referred to Vogelsong as one of his “favorite pupils,” had to have been a big reason for Vogelsong turning his back to the Astros and returning to the team that has brought him more success than he could have hoped for just a few years ago.
While the Giants took a chance on Vogey with a minor league deal in 2011, he still needed some things to go his way. Early in April, he got his break. If not for a serious ankle injury to Barry Zito, putting him on the disabled list for the first time in his 12-year career, Vogelsong may have never gotten a chance at the rotation.
He got his chance and ran with it, as he earned his first All-Star appearance in that season. He finished the year 13-7 with a 2.71 ERA, with his first – and so far only – career complete game shutout, and finished 11th in Cy Young voting. Not bad for a guy who hadn’t pitched in the big leagues for six years.
Over the four years in his second stint as a Giant, he’s gone 39-34 with a 3.74 ERA in 112 games. His most impressive body of work has come under the bright lights of postseason baseball, as he is 3-0 with a 2.92 ERA in eight games. The Giants have never lost a postseason game started by Vogelsong.
For the second year in a row, Vogelsong is returning to the Giants on a single-season contract. He also doesn’t have a basically guaranteed slot like he may have gotten in Houston. The Astros were reportedly offering multiple years to have the veteran join their inexperienced rotation. Instead, Vogelsong is taking a $4 million deal to fight for a rotation spot as the fifth starter with Tim Linecum.
Vogelsong has overcome odds before. But with his team, his family, by his side, he’s going to work hard, with his normal gritty and stubborn attitude, the overcome them again.