"Wild Thing" Ricky Vaughn

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After pitching in the California Penal League, Ricky Vaughn has been getting some praise from MLB teams due to his great arm. With the MLB draft coming up, it'll be interesting to see which team decides to take a chance on this juvenile delinquint.

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[The commissioner announces the pick, shaking his head in disappointment]"With the 2nd Pick in the 2003 MLB Draft, the Milwaukee Brewers select Pitcher Ricky Vaughn from California."

Amazingly, the Brewers are betting the barn on this kid. While he proved to have a very good arm for a kid his age, he's a head case, pure and simple. Why the Brewers would guarantee him almost $3 million is just beyond me. Obviously, Bud Selig is upset with his daughter.

Ratings
Stuff: 11(100)
Control: 15(50)
Velocity: 83(100)
Poise: 7(50)

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Vaughn made his minor league debut with Milwaukee's AA farm club. While he picked up the loss, in one game, he proved that he deserves to be there. In eight innings, Vaughn striked out 5 and only gave up one earned run. No run support though cost him in his first outing.

If there is one chink in Vaughn's armor, it is his control. He's lucky he only gave up one earned run, as he walked 7 batters today with a pitch count of 135 pitches, 65 being strikes and 70 being balls.

Unless Vaughn gets some control, he's going to kill somebody out there. Two pitches went all the way up to the backstop, one of them shattering a wooden advertisement behind home plate.

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Rick Vaughn's Journal (April 2003)

The month started off bad, with the team losing 9 of our first ten games. Us pitchers were doing good, but we had no offense. But we have recovered nicely, and sit at 14-13, 6 games behind Montreal's AA club, who are sitting at 21-6.

I had a pretty solid month, but not as good as I had hoped. My control is just bothering me right now. While the coaches have been working with me and they have seen a slight improvement, I still have a long way to go. Baseball America listed me as the #2 Prospect in the minors. Hard to believe that I have gone from being the top pitcher in the CPL to being the #2 prospect in MLB.

Here are my stats currently:

Record: 2-3
ERA:    3.49
IP:     49.0
HA:     50
BB:     24
K:      41

The coaches still have me listed as the #4 starter in the rotation. The guys in front of me are washups who will never make it. Our #1 starter is a 26 year old who had two cups of tea with the Show, but he'll never make it again. He needs to retire and let me move up.

I've been trying to stay out of the bars. The last time I got ****-faced drunk, I got arrested for car theft. I don't want to ruin my second chance in life.

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Rick Vaughn's Journal (May 2003)
We started the month of May off very hot, but then we cooled off towards the end of the month. I've had three straight horrible appearances, but amazingly, our offense has been bailing me out. The one thing that pisses me off is that I'm still the #4 started on this club. I'm staff ace potential at the major league level, and here I am stuck at the bottom of a Double A rotation. Please. The only problem is MLB's salary arbitration rules. I'm stuck here for at least 5 years once I get out of the minors. That's a bunch of crap. I didn't want the Brewers to draft me. Personally, I want to be either an Indian or a Yankee. I don't know, there's just something about those clubs I like.

Here are my stats heading into the month of June:

Record: 5-4
ERA:    3.92
IP:     87.1
HA:     94
BB:     44
K:      74

As far as the Double A leaderboards, I'm currently tied for first in starts(11), first in innings pitched(87.1), sixth in wins(5), first in complete games(3), and first in walks(44).

The team is currently sitting at 31-20, 5 game behind the St. Louis Cardinals Double A club, who are sitting at 36-15. As for the major league club, they are sitting at 15-36, 16 game behind the NL Central leading Chicago Cubs, who are sitting at 31-20. The Brew Crew are ranked 28th in the Out of the Park Sports Network's Power Rankings.

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"Wild Thing" Rick Vaughn's Journal (June 2003)
It only took me three months, but I finally have a nickname. The problem is that's its not for a good accomplishment. Then again, is it an accomplishment when you make a local channel's Hall of Shame? In probably the worst outing of my life, I lasted 2 and a third innings, gave up 5 hits, 8 runs, 3 homers, while walking 8. Luckily I rebounded and won my last two starts of the month to pull my record up to 7-6.

My current stats look like this:

Record: 7-6
ERA:    4.33
IP:     122.2
HA:     128
BB:     58
K:      97

As for my leaderboard appearances, I'm currently tied for first in starts(16), second in innings pitched(122.2), second in complete games(5), and first in walks(58).

My team though has been doing great. We're currently in first place in the double-a standings with a record of 48-31, 1 game ahead of St. Louis and Cincinnati. As far as the big club, they are the worst team in baseball, with a record of 24-55.

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"Wild Thing" Rick Vaughn's Journal (July 2003)
I hate it here. I deserve to be in Triple A right now, but the club thinks that I would get ate alive in the next level. As long as I'm there next year. The sooner I get called up to Milwaukee, the sooner my five years are up and I go the way of free agency. The one good bit of news is that the skipper did move up to the 2 hole in the starting rotation.

But I'm getting wore down. I've never pitched this long at one time. One more month and then it's time to take a vacation. I still have almost $400 grand from my signing bonus left, so I have no need to get a job during the off-season.

Here are my stats heading into the final month of the season:

Record: 8-8
ERA:    4.66
IP:     150.2
HA:     162
BB:     72
K:      116

As for my leaderboard appearances, I'm 2nd in innings pitched(150.2), tied for 2nd in complete games(6) and 1st in walks(72).

The club as a whole is doing great. We are currently 64-39, and in first place with a 7 game margin over Cincinnati's Double A farm club. It appears we are going to win the league title. The major league club is just a ****hole. They won 6 games the entire month of July, and currently stand at 30-73, 33 games behind the NL Central leading St. Louis Cardinals at 63-40.

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"Wild Thing" Rick Vaughn's Journal (August 2003)

The season is finally over (unless I get a miracle call up to the show). I threw my first shutout in the minors a few weeks back, only allowing 4 hits and walking three. It was a great game for me. As a team, we stumbled the final month, but we still won the National League Double A pennant with a record of 78-52. I'm due for a vacation, but must stay in town till the MLB regular season is over (why I don't know).

With nothing better to do, I guess I'm just going to workout and hit the bars, meet some women and show them my stamp collection (if you know what I'm talking about ). Of course though, I'll make sure I don't do anything stupid to get myself thrown into the can.

Here are my stats for the 2003 season:

Year     G GS W  L SV  ERA    IP  HA   R  ER BB   K CG SHO WHIP
2003,AA 26 26 9 10  0 4.56 201.1 207 103 102 93 150  9   1 1.49

As for my leaderboard appearances, I finished first in games started(26), first in innings pitched(201.1), second in complete games(9), third in shutouts(1), and first in walks(93).

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"Wild Thing" Rick Vaugn's Journal (Ratings Report)

Ratings
Stuff: 11->36
Control: 15->30
Velocity: 83->86
Poise: 7->10

Women Stats
Got Laid: 8
Paper Bag Over Head: 2
Just Plain Sucked: 2

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"Wild Thing" Rick Vaughn's Journal (Spring Training 2004)

I finally did it! I have officially made it to the show. After a good showing in spring training, I was awarded the number 4 spot in the rotation. Jumping from Double A straight to the show is quite an accomplishment. Plus the pay is better.

Baseball America has me listed as the #1 prospect in the majors. Everyone is expecting me to strike somebody out every at-bat. For once in my life, there is a lot of hype surrounding me. I hope I don't buckle under the pressure.

Off-Season Ratings Progression
Stuff: 36->47
Control: 30->35
Velocity: 86->87
Poise: 10->15

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"Wild Thing" Rick Vaughn's Journal (April 2004)
My first month in the show sucked. While I did win the first start of my career (and at Coors Field no less), the month ended with two losses and a trip to the DL.

Nothing serious, though it's hard to type this with a bulky ice bag on your pitching elbow. I guess all the innings I threw last year finally caught up with me and my elbow just got tired. In the 7th innings of the game against the Dodgers, I felt something pop in my elbow. Luckily, nothing was torn, and all I had was a sore elbow. Two weeks on the DL though. I'm due to get off the DL on May 4th, so hopefully the team won't boot me back to the minors.

The team though is doing good, much better than that disastrous season last year. The Brew Crew are currently sitting in 2nd place in the Central Division, 1 game behind the Houston Astros.

My current stat line so far this season looks like this:

G GS W L S  ERA   IP HA ER BB K CG SHO WHIP
4  4 1 2 0 5.68 19.0 21 12  6 8  0   0 1.42