Ryan Vogelsong retires as a San Francisco Giant

source: Ezra Stone / Getty Images

"...I don't know where I'm gonna be at next year. Or what the front of my jersey's gonna say. But I do know one thing. I will always - always - be a Giant."

--Ryan Vogelsong, October 4, 2015, San Francisco's last home game of the season.

If you're a regular follower of my blog, you already know I'm a huge Ryan Vogelsong fan. My September 23, 2012 blog entry titled "Resilient - Ryan Vogelsong" got the attention of Ryan's wife Nicole on Twitter.

Knowing he wouldn't be with the team after the 2015 season, Vogelsong signed a 1-year contract in 2016 with the Pittsburgh Pirates. In 2017, he failed to earn a roster spot with the Minnesota Twins and made the decision to retire.

This past week, the San Francisco Giants signed Ryan to a 1-day contract so he could officially retire with the team that drafted him in 1998 as a 5th round draft choice.

In a season that has had a lot more lows than highs, it was a very nice distraction to see Ryan back in a Giants uniform wearing his familiar #32. He threw 3 warmup pitches, waved to the cheering crowd with a couple of pats to his chest acknowledging his heartfelt appreciation.

I'll close with a YouTube video I shared on my June 5, 2016 blog entry:



Yes, Ryan, you are forever a Giant.