Ryan Vogelsong

From BR Bullpen

Ryan Andrew Vogelsong

Bats Right, Throws Right
Height 6' 3", Weight 195 lb.
School Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
High School Octorara High School
Debut September 2, 2000
Born July 22, 1977 in Charlotte, NC USA

1 Biographical Information
2 Sources
3 Related Sites

[edit] Biographical Information

Ryan Vogelsong is a pitcher who spent 2007 with the Hanshin Tigers. He pitched for nine years in the San Francisco Giants and Pittsburgh Pirates organizations.

[edit] 1998-2001: San Francisco system

In 1998, Vogelsong had a 1.41 ERA, leading NCAA Division II. Ryan was taken by the Giants in the 5th round of the 1998 amateur draft. He debuted with the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes and was impressive, going 6-1 with a 1.77 ERA. He struck out 68 and allowed 37 hits in 56 IP over 10 starts. With the San Jose Giants, he had a 7.58 ERA in four starts, allowing 23 hits but only 4 walks in 19 innings and striking out 26. He was five innings shy of claiming the Northwest League ERA title.

Vogelsong split 1999 between San Jose (4-4, 2.45, only 37 H, 86 K in 69 2/3 IP) and the Shreveport Captains (0-2, 7.31, 40 H, 15 BB, 23 K in 28 1/3 IP). He was in Shreveport for most of 2000, going 6-10 with a 4.23 ERA. He struck out almost a batter per inning but opponents still hit .260 and his control was not great. He led the Giants organization and the Texas League with 147 strikeouts. He also led the TL in hit batters (13) and balks (4). He was called up to the majors in September and pitched six scoreless innings in four relief appearances for the 2000 Giants.

Ryan started 2001 with the Fresno Grizzlies and went 3-3 with a 2.79 ERA. He struck out almost a batter per inning and allowed just a .169 mark in 10 starts. He was then called up to San Francisco. With the 2001 Giants, Vogelsong went 0-3 with a 5.65 ERA in 13 relief appearances.

[edit] 2001-2006: Pittsburgh

On July 31, San Francisco dealt Vogelsong with Armando Rios to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Jason Schmidt and John Vander Wal. In retrospect, the trade would be a horrible one for Pittsburgh as Schmidt blossomed in San Fran and Vogelsong never developed to be a good major league pitcher. At the time, it was felt by many to be a fair trade of pitching prospects, neither of whom had not panned out in the majors yet.

Vogelsong was 2-3 with a 3.98 ERA and over a strikeout per inning in 6 starts with the Nashville Sounds then was 0-2 with a 12.00 ERA in two starts for the 2001 Pirates. Baseball America ranked Vogelsong the #7 prospect in the Pirates organization. Ryan suffered an injury in his second game in Pittsburgh and had Tommy John surgery by Dr. James Andrews that cut short his season and limited his playing time in 2002.

Returning to pitch halfway into the 2002 season, Ryan struggled in two stints (1-1, 8.04 for the Lynchburg Hillcats and 1-5, 5.56 for the Altoona Curve) despite continuing to strike out batters regularly.

Vogelsong spent most of 2003 back in Nashville, where he went 12-8 with a 4.29 ERA. He did strike out 146 to lead the Pirates farm system and he was only two shy of Pacific Coast League leader Dennis Tankersley. Vogelsong struggled in six games with the 2003 Pirates, going 2-2 with a 6.55 ERA.

In his first full year in the majors, Vogelsong was a regular member of the 2004 Pirates rotation. He went 6-13 with a 6.50 ERA and tied for 9th in the 2004 NL in losses. He had the highest ERA in team history for a pitcher with 20+ starts, worse than anyone even from the 1894 Pirates in the heart of the high-scoring era. Only three other pitchers in franchise history had topped even 6.00 - Ad Gumbert in 1894, Max Butcher in 1940 and Mel Queen Sr. in 1950 - and none of those were over 6.05.

He went 2-2 with a 3.94 ERA in the 2004-2005 winter season with the Tigres de Aragua.

Moved to the bullpen as a long reliever, Vogelsong had a decent season with the 2005 Pirates, going 2-2 with a 4.43 ERA; his 97 ERA+ was the best of his major league career.

Ryan struggled from the get-go with the 2006 Pirates (6.39 ERA in 20 games, no decisions, .301 opponent average) and was sent down to the Indianapolis Indians, where he finished the year with a 4-5, 2.66 record. Opponents only hit .217 against him there and his walk rate was good (1.60).

[edit] 2007-2009: Japan

He signed that winter with the Hanshin Tigers. He was 0-4 with a 10.80 ERA in September and was left off of Hanshin's playoff roster in favor of rookie Keiji Uezono. Overall, Vogelsong had gone 7-6 with a 4.13 ERA in 2007. He was 3-4 with a 3.99 ERA for Hanshin in 2008.

Ryan signed with the Orix Buffaloes for 2009 and was 1-4 with a 4.54 ERA.

Through 2009, Ryan was 10-22 with a 5.86 ERA (72 ERA+) in 120 major league games, 39-42 in the minors and 11-14 in Japan for a 60-85 record in professional baseball.