The Long Journey Back

Leave it up to the Comeback Kid to snap the Giants’ five-game losing streak. Sure, much of the credit was given to the Giants’ bats finally waking up, but let’s not dismiss yet another solid performance from pitcher Ryan Vogelsong, who allowed just one run in six innings to the hot-hitting Arizona Diamondbacks this afternoon. Vogelsong chalked up his ninth victory—tied with Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain for the team lead—and now leads the National League with a 2.19 ERA.

Discussion on today’s sports talk shows pondered the possibility of the 34-year-old righty being considered for the Cy Young Award. While pundits say that it’s unlikely that Vogelsong will be chosen over the likes of Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels, Jair Jurrjens and Clayton Kershaw, wouldn’t it be a fairy tale ending to a remarkable story?

It wasn’t too long ago that Vogelsong wondered if his professional baseball career was coming to an end. His journey has taken all sorts of twists and turns. Originally drafted in the fifth round by the Giants in 1998, Vogelsong made his Major League debut in 2000, but was soon traded midseason in 2001 to the Pittsburgh Pirates. He suffered a devastating elbow injury, which later required Tommy John surgery, in his second start for Pittsburgh and went through a frustrating year of rehab in 2002. After several mediocre seasons, the Pirates released him. With few options in the States, Vogelsong and his wife, Nicole, decided to move to Japan where he would play two seasons for the Hanshin Tigers and one season with the Orix Buffalo.

“It was tough, not just on me, but on my whole family being away from everyone,” says Vogelsong. “Just going through the struggles of not really ever having success. Always failing and failing beats you down after a while.”

But it was his love of baseball that pushed Vogelsong to continue pursuing his dream. “It’s something that I’ve always wanted to do. I can’t really see myself doing anything but this,” he says. “That’s what drove me.”

At the end of 2009, Vogelsong, with encouragement from Nicole, decided to give the Major Leagues one more shot. But his road continued to be bumpy. He signed a minor league contract with Philadelphia, but was cut halfway through the season. For six days, no team picked him up. Eventually, the Los Angeles Angels signed him to a minor league contract, but did not re-sign him for 2011. Vogelsong went to Venezuela to play winter ball and caught the eye of Giants scouts, eventually signing a minor league contract on Dec. 28, 2010. He pitched impressively during Spring Training and started the season at Triple-A Fresno.

Vogelsong was promoted to San Francisco on April 17 to replace the injured Barry Zito. He earned his first win on April 28 against his old team, the Pittsburgh Pirates. Since then, he has been playing lights-out baseball, compiling a 9-1 record.

“It was a long, tough road, but the main thing is that it got me back here,” says Vogelsong. “This is where I always wanted to be.”

Last month, Giants manager Bruce Bochy named Vogelsong to this year’s All-Star Game. Even though he didn’t pitch in the game, just being there was a dream come true, says Vogelsong.

“It was an amazing experience. To be around all these elite players for a couple of days was very special to me, considering all that I’ve been through,” he says.

While his path back to the Majors may not have been ideal, Vogelsong says he has gleaned benefit from all of his experiences. That combination of life experience, mental focus and maturity over the years has helped him develop into the pitcher that he knew he could be.

Still, now that he is seeing some success in the big leagues, Vogelsong does not take his situation for granted.

“I don’t look too far ahead these days. When I was younger, I was always looking four steps ahead,” he says. “I’m more focused on taking the next step instead of looking too far in advance. I think about who I’m facing in my next game, the next pitch and try to simplify things as much as I can.”

His wife and one-year son, Ryder, help put things into perspective.

“I was always the guy who brought the game home with him. Baseball was always on my mind at home. Now that I have (Ryder), once I leave here, it’s time to be Dad,” says Vogelsong.

Giants Enjoy Off-Season, Sabean and Bochy Get Contract Extensions

Tim Lincecum’s sporting a ponytail and a wispy mustache à la Johnny Depp (see photo). The Panda’s looks at least 30 pounds lighter than last season. And Brian Wilson’s making another foray into Twitter. Change, such as it is, appears to be afoot for your 2011 Giants. One thing that will stay the same is team leadership. Already signed for the 2011 season, General Manager Brian Sabean and manager Bruce Bochy both received one-year contract extensions that will keep them with the Giants through 2012. The duo led the team to its first World Series berth since 1954.

“Brian and Bruce’s proven leadership and strategic moves throughout the course of their baseball careers, culminating in last year’s World Series Championship, distinguishes them as two of the best minds in all of baseball. This decision reflects our confidence in their abilities to build upon last year’s success and to steer us toward being perennial contenders,” said Managing General Partner and CEO William Neukom.

Sabean, 54, is currently in his 15th year at the helm of the Giants and is the longest-tenured general manager in Major League Baseball. During his 14 years as GM, he has guided the club to five post-season berths, including last year’s World Series Championship.

“I really, really appreciate the vote of confidence,” said Sabean, who has transformed San Francisco into the National League’s third-winningest team over the past 14 seasons behind only Atlanta and St. Louis. The Giants have won two National League pennants, four NL West Division flags and a Wild Card berth since Sabean assumed the GM reins at the end of the 1996 season. “It really gives us a chance, Boch and I, with the bar raised to see what’s next, and we hope that’s defending the Western title, getting to the playoffs and trying to make another run at winning another trophy.”

Bochy, 55, completed his fourth season as the manager of the Giants and guided the 2010 club to their first-ever World Series title in San Francisco history and first championship since 1954. He became the fourth skipper to win a title at the helm of the Giants, joining John McGraw (1905, 1921-22), Bill Terry (1933) and Leo Durocher (1954).

“This has been an incredible ride. I’m very honored to continue to be a Giant. This is a special place to be,” Bochy said. “We know that we have some work ahead of us, but to have this team still intact says a lot about what ownership and Brian wants to do— to not just do this one time, but to try and do it again."

Both are ready to take on the 2011 season and show that last year’s team of “misfits and castoffs” are the real deal and a force to be reckoned with. And while it is difficult for a team to repeat—only 14 teams have won back-to-back World Series titles since 1903—the 2011 Giants have the advantage of remaining largely the same as last season. The only major change is the addition of veteran Miguel Tejada replacing Edgar Renteria.

“We just have to stay true to ourselves and let the chips fall where they may. Obviously, we want to come out on top, but it’s one game at a time,” Lincecum said.

With their off-season postponed by a little event called the World Series, many players spent the last couple of months just chillaxing. Eli Whiteside took his 11-month-old son to Disneyland. Mike Fontenot got married and spent his honeymoon in the Bahamas. Lincecum bought a new house in Washington. Most others just kicked back at home with family and friends. Their break will come to an end in nine days when pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training camp in Scottsdale, Ariz. on Feb. 14. Position players will follow four days later on Feb. 18.

Coming off of last year’s post-season high, which culminated in a festive city-wide parade and celebration on Nov. 3, a lot of players say that it’s still hard to believe that they are World Champions.

“It still hasn’t sunk in yet,” said Whiteside. “Maybe it will when we get our World Series ring.”

Said Rookie of the Year winner Buster Posey: “There are certain times it hits me and I think, ‘Wow, we won the World Series.’ But it still hasn’t really sunk in.”