Friday, July 27, 2012

New Hawk brings big bat, humor to Boise | Boise Hawks ...

Boise first baseman Dan Vogelbach went 3-for-5 with a double, an RBI and a run scored, but the Hawks were unable to win their third straight game for the first time this season as the Yakima Bears defeated the Hawks 10-8 on Wednesday night at Memorial Stadium. Vogelbach is 5-for-9 with two doubles in two games since joining the Hawks.

Chris Butler ? cbutler@idahostatesman.com

Easy-going Dan Vogelbach was racking up the RBIs in the Arizona Summer League.

Some people just have that look about them.

Robert Redford looks like an actor. Gisele Bundchen carries herself like a supermodel. Mick Jagger was born to be a rock star.

And Boise Hawks first baseman Dan Vogelbach looks like a home run hitter.

?Since I was a little kid, I?ve always loved baseball,? Vogelbach said.

Vogelbach, who?s listed at 6-foot, 250 pounds, was a welcome addition to the Hawks? clubhouse when he joined the team Tuesday.

?Anytime you get a big bat, it helps,? Boise manager Mark Johnson said.

Vogelbach had hoped to start the season with the Hawks, but he said he didn?t perform as expected in extended spring training.

?I didn?t play that well in extended, so I didn?t deserve to come to Boise the way I played,? he said. ?So, I had to play my way out of Arizona (Summer League), and I think I did that.?

That he did.

In 24 games with the Mesa Cubs, Vogelbach hit .326 with seven home runs and a league-best 31 RBIs.

?I got in a bit of a groove,? Vogelbach said.

His gaudy numbers earned him a promotion to Boise, where he continues his journey through the minor leagues. Last summer, however, it wasn?t a sure thing that Vogelbach would go pro.

?I was really, really committed to Florida,? said Vogelbach, who went to high school in Fort Myers, Fla. ?I really wanted to be a Gator. I?ve been a Gator fan my whole life.?

The Chicago Cubs had other ideas, however, and selected Vogelbach in the second round. Negotiations went into August, but Vogelbach eventually agreed to a $1.6 million signing bonus.

So, instead of playing in the SEC, Vogelbach found himself making the transition from high school baseball to pro ball.

?That?s a big jump, probably the biggest jump he?ll ever take,? Hawks hitting coach Bill Buckner said.

Buckner worked with Vogelbach in Arizona, and he said that Vogelbach could give the Hawks a needed boost.

?He?s a big, strong guy,? Buckner said. ?He should do a good job for us now. We could use the left-handed bat, too.?

Vogelbach is listed at 250 pounds, but he admits he?s closer to 255. His weight hasn?t been an issue at the plate. After all, he did hit a 508-foot home run in a national high school home run derby.

Still, he lost some weight to prepare for his first pro season.

?Last offseason, I lost 25, 30 pounds,? he said. ?It was just something the Cubs wanted me to do. ? A lot of people underestimate my athleticism, so I try to work in the offseason and try to keep being light on my feet.?

Vogelbach, who has a quick, easy smile, also tries to keep things light in the clubhouse.

?You have to,? he said. ?If you?re having fun you play loose, you play more relaxed. ? I try to bring a little laugh to the team. I try to stay off myself, but sometimes I need to remind myself that it?s a game and I?m blessed to be playing it for a living.?

That attitude can be infectious, and it?s part of the reason why fellow first baseman Rock Shoulders was glad to hear Vogelbach was coming to Boise.

?It?s going to be great having him here,? Shoulders said. ?He?s a great player and he has a lot of confidence right now.?

And why not?

?God?s given me the ability to hit, and I?ve taken advantage of it,? Vogelbach said. ?But I?ll continue to work at it.?

NOTE: Prior to the game, pitcher Justin Amlung was promoted from Mesa to Boise. Amlung, selected in the 12th round of June?s draft, was an All-Big East selection at Louisville.

Source: http://www.idahostatesman.com/2012/07/26/2202632/new-hawk-brings-big-bat-humor.html

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