A tribute board hangs close to the doorway of the visiting clubhouse at Angel Stadium, acknowledging gamers who made their major-league debuts on the ballpark since 2020.
The listing contains Andrew Vaughn.
The Chicago White Sox designated hitter loved returning to Angel Stadium this week.
“It’s kind of cool,” Vaughn stated earlier than Monday’s collection opener in opposition to the Los Angeles Angels. “They have a bit of factor within the clubhouse that has a bunch of (autographed) balls from guys that debuted. I bought to be up there, which is sort of particular.
“Brings back a lot of memories.”
Back on April 2, 2021, Vaughn went 0-for-3 with a stroll and a run in a 12-8 Sox victory.
“It was a whirlwind,” Vaughn stated. “So many feelings. Nerves. Excitement. It’s powerful to place into phrases how a lot was going by way of my head.
“Looking back, it’s been a year and a half, but it kind of feels like yesterday. It’s so cliché to say, but you don’t forget things like that.”
Vaughn stated the journey from then to now has been “a learning curve.”
“I’ve gotten to improve on so many things because of that moment,” Vaughn stated. “I got to just build upon it and learn what it’s like and how this game works and evolve with it.”
In that brief time, Vaughn has develop into one of many workforce’s high hitters. He entered Wednesday’s collection finale slashing .307/.360/.465 with seven house runs and 33 RBIs in 56 video games. He’s second on the workforce with 13 doubles.
Vaughn has a .798 OPS in opposition to right-handers, an enchancment from .610 final season.
And he has been clutch, going 15-for-42 (.357) with runners in scoring place and 7-for-18 (.389) with runners in scoring place and two outs.
He was not within the beginning lineup Wednesday, as supervisor Tony La Russa stated the workforce wished to offer Vaughn two days — together with Thursday’s time without work — to “refresh his legs.”
“Most days if not all days this season, he’s as good as any hitter we have on the team, and that’s a remarkable statement to make,” La Russa stated earlier than Wednesday’s sport. “He’s smart. He adjusts. He takes instruction well. And he’s a hungry hitter.”
Vaughn is slashing .337/.391/.429 (33-for-98) with six doubles, one house run, 11 RBIs, 10 walks and 9 multihit performances in his final 23 video games. He has reached base safely in 22 of the 23.
He’s seventh within the American League in common (.315) since May 1 and tied for ninth within the majors (.345) since May 31.
All of that success has led to Vaughn’s identify popping up within the All-Star dialog.
“They are amazing words,” he stated when requested about being within the All-Star dialogue. “I don’t even know methods to clarify it. But it’s fairly cool to be in that firm. As a child, you watch the Home Run Derby and the All-Star Game and it’s in all probability the best factor to look at throughout the entire 12 months apart from the playoffs.
“It would be an extreme honor, but I think the No. 1 goal — and everyone in here is the same way — is to get to the playoffs.”
Among Vaughn’s favourite All-Star week moments have been a pair that occurred in 2007 in San Francisco.
“Vlad (Guerrero) Sr.’s Home Run Derby in San Francisco, hitting the glove (well beyond the left-center wall), which was basically thought to be unheard of,” Vaughn stated. “The Ichiro (Suzuki) inside-the-park home run in SF (in the fifth inning of the All-Star Game) was insane. Just so many (moments).”
Vaughn was born in Santa Rosa, Calif., and performed school baseball at California. The Sox chosen him with the No. 3 decide within the 2019 draft.
He stated his mother and father and sister have been in attendance at Angel Stadium. He’s anticipating extra family and friends when the Sox play the Giants this weekend at Oracle Park. That three-game collection begins Friday.
“It’s really cool,” he stated. “As a kid I was a Giants fan, I went to Giants games. Giants games were where it was at. Fun, a great atmosphere. It’s going to be pretty special to get to play there after sitting in the stands so many times.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com