Vinny Rottino: My story in personal

[jaybird2001wi]

A lot of you have thought my stories, mostly in the minor league thread, was not "story worthy." But I have a personal and professional story of him.

This is a guy who is intellectual. He is a smart guy and turned down a full-ride masters degree deal at University of Wisconsin-Madison in the field of pharmaceuticals in favor of accomplishing his Major League Dreams.

I kind of know him on a personal front in so many levels. My coworker graduated High School with him and on top of that, he knows a lot of "baseball buddies" of mine that went to my high school.

He is a good natured guy. He drove all the way to his parents house in Racine from Triple A Nashville when he got the phone call this year, according to the Journal-Times in Racine.

During my time as a "novice" minor league baseball reporter who covered the Beloit Snappers for five games and he was always the first guy I saw in the Pohlman Field locker room after EVERY game and him and I had personal talks prior to me interviewing key figures in the games at hand. Him and I had mutual friends back home in Racine.

On top of all of this, my brother is a teacher at Racine Park High School and works with Vinny's dad, Tony.

 

I may be personally involved with this situation, but tonight or this evening proves that Ned Yost and company needs to give Vinny more legitimate action out there. He is a left-side infielder skill by trade and poured his heart out to diversify his skills for the good of the Brewers' farm system and for the good of himself. He played EVERY position in ONE game back in Beloit, which was noted in the At The Yard Magazine.

Rottino deserves a lot more accolades than what he has been given. He is a team player. I noticed during the win which sent the Brewers to its first winning season in 15 years, he was always willing to warm up the pitcher prior to Mike Rivera entering the game.

Rottino deserves more respect from the Brewers organization because he has done a lot for the good of the organization and branched out to become a catcher.

[SeriesFinale]

"I may be personally involved with this situation"

 

Well, Geoff Jenkins's brother is my wife's second cousin's brother-in-law's Uncle, so I can feel your plight.

Jokes aside, it's great that he's a good guy and a team player...I wish he displayed a little more on the field of play since his story's so good.

[GAME05]

if anyone ever said Vinny was a jerk or was lazy they'd be laughed off this board. nobody has ever disputed that.

 

but we're talking about a game of numbers here, not a game of who's nicest.

 

plus at the very least, Rottino has had his cup of coffee at the major league level, and there are way more great people who never even seen that. I feel worse for players like Brad Nelson (or Insert Name), who for all I know is the greatest guy in the world, but may never be in a regular-season Major League game in his life.

[pogokat]

Last Saturday in Atlanta, Vinny signed autographs from the beginning of batting practice until the first ball was thrown out...seemed like a heckuva guy

[sheetswannabe]

Ive meet Vinny. His sister was my 8th grade study hall teacher, and Ive seen him at the batting cages I go to. Hes a nice guy, he also came into our sports lit. class last year at park, awesome guy.

[Cyanogen5]

I graduated from UW-La Crosse in 2000 with a degree in Chemistry...a couple of years before Vinny did. I do not remember him at all. A couple of weeks ago I was at the Astro's game and tried to ask Vinny about it...you know, find out when he graduated, talk about UW-L, maybe something would trigger my memory...but he would have nothing of it. I am not trying to say he was a jerk...I am sure he is a great guy...but he only had two words to say to me or about UW-L...it was kind of dissappointing. It would have been my only link to anyone who has played in the Majors (as week as it may be!).

[sgtcluels]

Ive meet Vinny. His sister was my 8th grade study hall teacher, and Ive seen him at the batting cages I go to. Hes a nice guy, he also came into our sports lit. class last year at park, awesome guy.

 

Is she hot?

[Mass Haas]

Milwaukee Brewers' catcher sports a major-league Catholic faith

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

http://www.journaltimes.com/articles/2007/10/15/sports_columns/doc471414db75885652411831.txt

 

Rottino has right attitude

BY PETER JACKEL

Journal Times

I'll be honest with you. I had been fearing that Vinny Rottino's story was winding down. I was thinking the former undrafted free agent's baseball career had pretty much run its course when the Racine native was called up by the Milwaukee Brewers the last two Septembers for a few swings of the bat at Miller Park.

 

Let's face facts. Rottino will be 28 next April and this is a multi-billion dollar industry with little room for feel-good stories.

 

Nevertheless, I thought Rottino's story was so enticing as it was. The nicest kid you would ever want to meet got a little reward after several years of running through brick walls for the Brewers' organization. And maybe around the year 2040, a graying Rottino would be able to regale his grandchildren with the wisdom of what can happen if enough sweat and tears are produced by the glands of a human being.

 

Boy, was I wrong. The Rottino with whom I sat down just before the Brewers' final game of the season at Miller Park was emboldened with an attitude I had never seen before. Accentuating that little extra edge was a couple days growth of beard.

 

Now, let me quantify that. Rottino with an attitude is still Wally Cleaver, the kind of young man you would love to see your daughter bring home. It's just that I was serving up some softball questions and he was knocking them over the fence.

 

Like asking the 1998 St. Catherine's High School graduate the thrill he felt whenever he stepped to the plate before 35,000 people at Miller Park.

 

"It's a thrill, but I'm not sitting here star-struck or anything," said Rottino with the slightest hint of irritation in his voice. "No, not at all. I'm up there competing. I'm up there, the mound is 60 feet away and it's just like every other ballpark I've played at and the thousands of at-bats I've gotten.

 

"I'm up there to compete and I'm up there to get the job done. I don't really sit there and marvel at the thrill I'm having."

 

Or when I asked him about the difficulty of pinch-hitting, which has been Rottino's primary role with the Brewers. Jim Skaalen, the team's hitting coach, would later reinforce the validity of my question by saying, "I think pinch-hitting at the major-league level has got to be one of the most difficult things to do."

 

Rottino, though, wasn't biting when I suggested to him how difficult his job has been.

 

"I don't really think like that," he said, again about as forcefully as one can imagine Rottino being. "If you continually sit there and think how hard your job is as a pinch hitter, you're not going to get it done. So I just go up there and stay as relaxed as possible."

 

Man, I like that. Rottino with an attitude. Rottino acting as if he genuinely belongs instead of feeling so gratified just to breathe in the sweat-soaked atmosphere of the Brewers' clubhouse.

 

And do you know what? Maybe he does belong. Maybe these last two Septembers haven't been his ultimate reward.

 

Just ask veteran pitcher Jeff Suppan, who signed with the Brewers as a free agent prior to the 2007 season.

 

"What is great about Vinny is he is able to play a lot of different positions and he plays them well," Suppan said. "He had to wait a little while to get some good opportunities in the big leagues, but I think in the years to come, he's going to be a mainstay."

 

And just ask Skaalen, who appears to have taken a special interest in Rottino.

 

"He knows he belongs up here," Skaalen said. "Through the hard work he's put in over the years coming from where he's come from - an undrafted player - and the odds that are against someone in that situation, he's obviously a fighter or he wouldn't be here. And now he's fought himself and worked himself to this level and he's not going to be denied now.

 

"That's the way it is with guys who play at this level. They expect to be here, they're comfortable in this environment and they know they're as good as anybody else who's out there."

 

Let's look at this a little closer. Rottino is being groomed to be a catcher, a spot that might loosen up since starter Johnny Estrada's knees are deteriorating and backup Damian Miller may not be re-signed. Furthermore, he can play the corner infield and outfield positions, providing Brewers manager Ned Yost with multiple options.

 

And then there's Rottino with a bat.

 

Serving mostly as a pinch-hitter the last two Septembers, he hit .217 with two doubles and four RBIs.

 

"No one in our organization has listened more intently to what I've said as well as all the other instructors he's been involved with," Skaalen said.

 

And now that another long season is over, Rottino isn't about to take a breath. He'll be departing this month for the Dominican Republic, where he will play winter ball for the first time. After working out in January, Rottino will be back in Arizona in February, fully intent on earning a position with the Brewers.

 

Just don't doubt him.

 

"He almost made the club, as you know, out of spring training," Skaalen said. "He's a valuable guy because he can play anywhere and his makeup is off the charts. There's not a better kid on the face of the earth.

 

"So I like his chances down the road and, personally speaking, I'd love to have Vinny Rottino on my team any time."

 

Peter Jackel is a reporter for The Journal Times. You can reach him by calling (262) 634-3322, Ext. 323.

[bobskube]

Nice to hear he is a good guy. I will root for him to do well. Reminds me of the Brooks Kieshnick story.

 

I'd still rather have a bunch of jerks win the World Series for us than a bunch of nice guys finishing last though.

[hauser42]

Bottom line is that Rottino does not have the talent to help the Brewers become a better team. Being is nice guy great but that does not win a lot of baseaball games or gain a roster spot in the majors.

[JJHardy7]

I think someone who has shown can hit at every level and play multiple positions seems like an ideal 25th man player. I don't think anyone here is saying he could start everyday at first base, but having him in the IF and a 3rd catcher might help us out late in games.

[Crewin06]

I think someone who has shown can hit at every level and play multiple positions seems like an ideal 25th man player. I don't think anyone here is saying he could start everyday at first base, but having him in the IF and a 3rd catcher might help us out late in games.

 

Personally I would rather have Dillon and Counsell in the infield and Gross and Mench in the OF.

 

If Rottino can beat one of those guys out. Great. Sign him up. But he should not make the team because he is from Racine or the fact that he is a great guy.

 

Personally I heard great stories about all four of the other guys also. Gross plays Christian Rock music as his walkup music. Should that entitle him to a spot on the 25 man roster?

 

Dillon is the guy Rottino has to beat out. If he can't then I think it might be time to look at other organizations. Because the infield depth does not look like it will get any lighter in the following years with Escobar, Gamel and the Hurricane knocking on the door pretty soon and Fielder, Weeks, Hardy and Braun entrenched at their spots for the next 3 or so seasons.

[JJHardy7]

I'm not saying he should make the roster because he is from Wisconsin. The fact that he can play multiple positions gives him a shot to play at the big league level as a utility player. I think if he's going to be on the Brewers 25 man roster 2008 has to be the year. He'll need to really play well in spring training.

[joepepsi]

He would have made the team in '07 if it weren't for the roster snafu of having to carry both Graffy and Counsell.

 

fwiw, Counsell is pretty much a AAA caliber player at this point in his career. He didn't help the Brewers in any appreicable way in 2007 and probably won't in 2008. I'd much rather have a Rottino type on the roster; he's younger, cheaper, more versatile.

[SenatorShriv]

I'd have traded Rottino for that other Wisconsin native eating up roster space all season.

[Zycho32]

Kinda Off-Topic, but who backs up SS if Counsell goes? I very much doubt the team will let Bill Hall take time at that spot.