This note from Fox News on Octorara grad and Giants’ pitcher Ryan Vogelsong’s comments at Monday evening’s Philadelphia Sport Writer Association dinner where he received the Association’s Native Son award:
Ryan Vogelsong was the talk of baseball last season, and no one in the Philadelphia area missed it.
The former Kutztown University standout, who graduated from Octorara High School in Chester County, was signed by the Phillies during the 2009-10 off season. But after going 2-5 with a 4.91 ERA and a WHIP of 1.705 in 582/3 innings pitched with Triple-A Lehigh Valley that season, the Phillies decided to release Vogelsong.
Enter San Francisco.
The Giants took a chance on him, and it paid off in a big way. Vogelsong, who won the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association “Native Son” Award on Monday night, was 13-7 with a 2.71 ERA in 1792/3 innings pitched.
“Growing up right outside Philly, I consider myself a huge Philadelphia fan,” Vogelsong said during his speech at the PSWA banquet at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Cherry Hilly, N.J. “I’m a huge Eagles fan, Flyers, Sixers … and don’t tell anyone but I still love the Phillies. As a young kid, I thought Rocky was real like a lot of us. I feel very proud to be from Philadelphia. 2011 was an amazing year.
“I wasn’t going to bring this up, but since Ruben and I were talking about it, I’ll go ahead and throw him under the bus: I wouldn’t be up here right now if it wasn’t for Ruben. He released me in 2010. But it was probably for the best. At that point in time, that’s when I really sat down and looked in the mirror and said, ‘Some things needed to change for me with my faith.’ And things kind of turned around for me at that point and took off.”
