Fan favorite and two-time World Series champion Ryan Vogelsong will make his return to AT&T Park on Sunday, taking the mound for the final time to officially retire as Giant after a wild 12-year career.
Vogey, 40, was drafted by the Giants in 2000, but didn’t play a full season with the big league club until 2011, after a spell in the Japanese League. Interestingly, Vogelsong had the best year of his career in 2011, making the NL All-Star team, and was a part of the Giants rotation during both 2012 and 2014 World Series runs.
Vogelsong joined his old friends Murph & Mac on Thursday morning, and recounted a conversation he had with Giants general manager Bobby Evans this summer that led to his decision to retire as a Giant.
“It went in the works quite a big ago,” Vogelsong said. “I was on the phone with Bobby (Evans) a few times this summer. Talking about different things, trying to stay connected with the organization, seeing if there was anything I could do to help without being full time, and when the situation came up to go to San Jose and work with (Madison) Bum(garner) and be with Bum on his rehab assignment, we were talking and I said, ‘Bobby, you know it’s something I want to talk to you about. I’ve been thinking about it for the summer now and I think I really want to try and sign a one-day deal to retire with the Giants.’ He was like ‘really?’ and I was like ‘yeah, absolutely.’ And he said ‘well you know I can’t keep this a secret I’m probably going to have to tell everyone around here, and they’re going to want to do something.’ And I said ‘I feel like I need to do it. I don’t mind if you do something, lets try and keep it low-key,’ but I know the way the Giants do stuff around there, they’re a class act and they do stuff the right way, so I’m rolling with the punches at this point so whatever they want to do I’m going to do.”
What exactly the Giants have planned, however, Vogelsong wouldn’t disclose.
“I got a little bit of the scoop, but I’m not going to be the one to spill the beans, so you’re going to have to get that out of somebody else,” he said with a chuckle.
Listen to the full interview below. To hear Vogelsong’s comments on retiring as a Giant, skip to 1:30.