Kolbrin Vitek - 3B - Portland Seadogs
From Portland Street to Portland, MaineStory by Joe O'Rourke
Recent first round draft picks out of Ball State University haven’t seen too much success in the major leagues. From Brad Synder and Bryan Bullington, to Luke Hagerty, none of them put on a uniform for a major league team anymore. They each had their shot with a big league club, but none of them were able to make it last. Kolbrin Vitek hopes to change that pattern. Drafted 20th overall in the 2010 First-Year Player Draft by the Boston Red Sox, Kolbrin Vitek is attempting to show the world what Ball State first-rounders can do in the major leagues. Like Bullington, Vitek took to the mound at Ball Diamond during his three seasons as a Cardinal. However, it was Vitek skills handling the bat that got the Red Sox attention. His .361 batting average and Mid-Atlantic Conference leading 73 runs earned him 2010 MAC Player of the Year honors his junior year. And just for good measure, he also led the conference with a 3.28 earned run average while on the mound. Vitek was being looked by a lot of MAC schools and Big Ten teams, but he chose Ball State for the flexibility they were allowing him on the field. “A lot of schools were looking at me as only a pitcher, and I was looking to do the two way thing in college. Ball State was about the only school offering that to me, which worked out well for me,” said Vitek. Vitek has taken his baseball journey from Portland Street, where his alma mater Bryan High School is located, to Portland, Maine, where the Red Sox Double-A affiliate Portland Seadogs call home. But through it all, he is trying to stay humble, even after signing an eye-popping $1.359 million dollar signing bonus. “I try not to think about it too much. I thank God for that. I’m lucky I guess, it’s pretty cool, but I’m humble about it and try to keep it quiet,” said Vitek. Luckily for Vitek, he has a support system of teammates that he knew from previous baseball ventures. Former Ball State teammate and current Seadogs teammate Jeremy Hazelbaker recalls when he first heard the news that his buddy would be joining him in the Red Sox organization. “I just got done with a day game in Greenville, and I was walking back to the clubhouse and one of the fans actually told me that we just drafted him. Immediately I went to my phone and I had like 15 messages from people telling me we just drafted him. It’s fun having somebody I have a past history with and have played with before. It’s a good time,” said Hazelbaker. Brock Huntzinger, who was drafted by the Red Sox in 2007, knows Vitek in a different way. "I actually went on a visit to Ball State with him. Kolbrin is a great guy, a great player, good hitter. He's a great guy off the field. We'll go to dinner or go get whatever. We'll hang out and do little stuff together,” said Huntzinger. |
Pitcher Chris Carpenter, whom the Red Sox acquired via trade a couple months ago, played baseball with Vitek in High School. Vitek said, “I played High School ball with him at Bryan, so it’s cool to have those familiar faces, past teammates. It’s really helpful to have that comfort." Vitek’s new teammates in spring training have come up a nickname for the top third base prospect, “The Breeze," for his light-hearted personality. “They call me "The Breeze" or "Breezy" because of my go-easy attitude. Guys just say the nickname suits me well. I'm always real chill about everything and I think guys enjoy being around me because it keeps them more relaxed. Drew Dominguez was the founder of the nickname and Matt Spring has been the one to spread the name,” said Vitek. Despite his “cool” nickname, figuratively speaking, Vitek has no plans to hang around in chilly Muncie too much during his free time in the winter months. “I went back for a few days this offseason, but it reminded me of how cold it was there, so I had to get out of there pretty quick,” Vitek said with a smile. Even though Muncie isn’t in his travel plans for the near future, he has his eyes set on Triple-A in Pawtucket, RI and then eventually making it to 100-year-old Fenway Park in Boston. Vitek is out to prove why he was drafted in the first round out of Ball State, and why he won’t be like the Cardinal first rounders before him. |
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