The 6'0, 225-pound Vogt has been on the A's since 2013, and has made more than a name for himself. He's got a bobblehead, he's got his own chant, a bagel nickname, a political slogan, a pretty sweet Chris Farley impression and much more ... only in a few short years!
Vogt grew up a little over three hours away from the Coliseum in Visalia, California. He excelled in both baseball and basketball (perhaps a peek at things to come?) in high school, but focused on baseball alone when he attended college at Azusa Pacific. However, his wife, Alyssa, picked up the slack and continued to play though college. Baseball has been in Vogt's heart since he was born -- especially being surrounded by a baseball-playing father and brother -- and solidified its place when he was four, playing T-Ball.
Basketball is still his favorite sport besides baseball, and if he could, he'd spend a day hoopin' and hitting the links with Michael Jordan. A reasonable request.
Family is very important to Vogt in many ways. He was playing ball with his older brother, Danny, and his father, Randy, since he could pick up ... just about any object. His father (a pitcher at Fresno City for two years and one at Fresno State before giving up the playing days for good, though he would go on to coach) raised Stephen and Danny with a pure love and adoration for baseball and sports as a whole. Randy started coaching at Central Valley Christian high school when Danny was a sophomore and Stephen was in seventh grade. Even then, Randy wasn't about to leave his younger son behind. For two years, Stephen was the batboy for the team, before he could play for his father when he was a freshman. It was his six years involved in CVC that Stephen cites as crucial in his development as a player.
A father now himself, Stephen and his wife, Alyssa, are excited to share their own experiences with their two children, Payton and Clark. In addition to helping their own kids' development, Stephen and Alyssa donate their time and funding to various charities, including the School of Imagination and Happy Talkers in Dublin.
It's 2016, and you should still Believe in Stephen Vogt. Back in 2014, A's fans started a chant mimicking the U.S. Men's Soccer Team's "I Believe That We Will Win" when Vogt would step up to the plate. A cute moment at A's Fan Fest 2K16 reminded us that, yes, we should still believe in Stephen Vogt. (I BELIEVE IN STEPHEN VOGT!)
When Vogt was in sixth grade, Eric Chavez came in for D.A.R.E. Vogt spoke to the ex-A's six-time Gold Glover, telling him he wanted to be a professional baseball player just like him when he grew up. Chavez told him, "Work hard, because you never know what's going to happen."
Vogt got his Everything Bagel nickname from one of the many A's commercials he's appeared in, one where the guys in the clubhouse decided everyone should have a breakfast-themed nickname to match Billy Butler's "Country Breakfast" and Covelli "Coco" Crisp. In the spot, Vogt came up with "Everything Bagel," to highlight his versatility on the field.
There were more crowning moments in video form for the stocky catcher, including his Chris Farley impression and his own character, the Basketball Official, both on MLB Network's International Talk. Both were fan-favorites and the Basketball Official Vogt was made into a talking bobblehead that produced two clips from the skit and a recording of fans doing the I BELIEVE IN STEPHEN VOGT chant.
It’s worth a traveling violation to pick up a Stephen Vogt Referee Bobblehead WITH SOUND on May 28. #2015promotions pic.twitter.com/oN1Uj9b3N1
— Oakland Athletics (@Athletics) January 27, 2015
In 2015, fans were encouraged to "Vote for Vogt!" for the All-Star Game of the same year. Vogt didn't quite get Vogted in as a starter, but he was selected as a reserve and got to play in the game (he struck out against Jacob deGrom in his only at-bat).
With the whole squad already scrimmaging over in Arizona, it's almost time for the regular season to begin. Time for another year of Believing in Vogt!