After much anticipation I finally have become a part of the Xclusive family. What I am hoping for with Matthew Vuckovich, as my agent, is to extend my presence in the baseball community to those who are not familiar with “Jeff Vincent.” I plan on taking this opportunity and using it to the fullest. I will not back down and I will not stop working hard until mine and Xclusive’s goal of making it to the major leagues is met.
I’d like whoever is reading this blog to first know a little about me. I began playing baseball at a young age like most ball players and continued to excel up the ladder. I played high school ball at C.W. Baker High School in Baldwinsville, New York. My senior year we finished 18-2 and I was named Central New York Player of the Year. I received scholarships from different schools and had to make a decision to play baseball, basketball or football, and I am glad I choose to play baseball at Niagara University. I was very fortunate to be under head coach Mike McRae. He taught me a lot about the mental side of baseball, which I carry with me today. When I was a junior, Chris Chernisky, took over and I continued to progress with help from Reed Easley who spent that summer in the Seattle Mariners organization. I learn a lot of the mechanical adjustments I needed to change in order to make it to the next level. That season, my senior year, was one to remember as I was projected as a top prospect and was drafted in the 43rd round by the Boston Red Sox.
In the New York Penn League I encountered many difficult obstacles in which I was not familiar with. Not being able to play all the time and having a tough time adjusting was something I had to overcome. I was very fortunate to have excellent coaches that helped me with my understanding of the system. I played with many talented players and will never forget that summer with the Lowell Spinners.
The off-season was a battle not being able to have a set schedule of practices and workouts. I went back to school in the fall and would make my own decisions on when to get myself ready for spring training. I worked very hard that winter and I think it definitely showed in spring training. Unfortunately I did not get the results I was expecting. I showed up a month before the report date of Spring Training in Fort Myers to show how dedicated I was to the game. I wanted to continue my success within the organization. I was told by coaches about my improvement and the professionalism that I carried on and off the field. I played with the low and high A teams and was under manager Gabe Gapler, in which I gained a lot of my knowledge of how the game of baseball should be played. Then on the last day of training I was released which was tough, but it was something I had to overcome. A month later I was back out on the field with the Traverse City Beach Bums of the Frontier League trying to make my way back into a professional organization. I am now with the Gateway Grizzlies and I can’t wait for the season to start!
- Jeff Vincent
