‘Uncle Vogey’ gets warm welcome from old pal
When newest Blue Jay Daniel Vogelbach made his first appearance at the spring training clubhouse early Monday morning, he had a special greeting from a long ago teammate.
That was pitcher Yusei Kikuchi, who was fast friends with the boisterous, veteran DH when they were teammates in Seattle in 2019. New to North American baseball at the time, Kikuchi was finding his way and was often quiet and reserved. Enter Vogelbach, who was a key figure in welcoming the Japanese lefty and helping him navigate the language barrier. Kikuchi never forgot the gesture.
The two became fast friends and when Kikuchi’s son Leo was born in July of 2019, Kikuchi and his wife Rumi decided to honour Vogelbach by choosing Daniel as their child’s middle name. In fact, those were the first words Vogelbach had for Kikuchi when they embraced with a hug on Monday.
“How’s my son?” Vogelbach bellowed.
After little Leo made his way into the world, the big DH became known as “Uncle
Vogey” in the Kikuchi household.
“I can’t wait to see him,” Kikuchi said moments before his big buddy arrived. “He’s a good guy and was good to me.”
Kikuchi’s grasp of English is much stronger now, to the point where regular dialogue with his fellow pitchers and coaching staff is smooth and productive.
Toronto agreed to a minor-league contract with the 31-year-old designated hitter who hit .233 with 13 home runs and 48 RBIS in 104 games last season with the National League New York Mets.
Meanwhile, Monday was the busiest day of camp thus far as position players were officially required to go to the player development complex for medicals. Included in that group was first baseman Vlad Guerrero Jr., who was looking slim and trim after his elevated off-season workout regimen.
The first full-squad workouts are scheduled for Tuesday with the Grapefruit League opener Saturday when the Philadelphia Phillies visit TD Ballpark.