Hogan making living chasing his dream

BY MARTY COOK, Arkansas Democrat - Gazette

SPRINGDALE - All Gary Hogan Jr., ever wanted to do was play baseball.
Now, he's doing it for a living.
And he's having the time of his life.
Hogan, the former North Little Rock standout and Arkansas Razorback, signed with Texas after the Rangers selected him in the 32 nd round of the 2002 draft. He didn't expect to sign until the Rangers showed him enough interest and offered him a large enough signing bonus.
Hogan pitched for the Clinton (Iowa) LumberKings in relief Thursday and gave up three runs in four innings in an 8-1 loss to Burlington. For the season, Hogan is 0-2 with a 4.28 ERA and 2 saves. "I'm loving it, just playing baseball every day," said Hogan, 21. "It's a fun game. You're getting paid for it. You can't beat that."
Hogan, the son of former UALR Coach Gary Hogan Sr., was 10-14 with a 4.71 ERA in three years at Arkansas. He planned to return for a fourth year but the Rangers impressed Hogan during negotiations. "When the Texas Rangers came back after me that made me really think, 'They do want me, '" Hogan said. "It was my junior year and I'm eligible to go play pro baseball, and that's all I ever wanted to do. It basically came down to that.
" I said, ' You know what? It's time for me to move on with my career.' "
Hogan won't disclose what he signed for, but he said it was a fair amount for both sides.
" It was nice. It bought me a new car, "said Hogan, who has a 2003 Grand Cherokee.
Signing bonuses don't guarantee performance, and Hogan had a rough start in rookie league. Hogan said because he hadn't expected to sign, his arm was out of shape when he reported about a month after being drafted.
Hogan was 1-2 with a 5.04 ERA in rookie ball but reported to spring training this season with a healthy, ready-to-go arm. Important people noticed.
Andy Hawkins, the LumberKings' pitching coach, liked what he saw and requested Hogan be assigned to Clinton. Hawkins pitched 10 seasons in the major leagues, most notably with San Diego and the New York Yankees before retiring in 1991.
" Pitchwise, he has a very good slider and he has good movement on his two-seam fastball, "Hawkins said." His changeup at this point is almost in place. A lot of kids this age, we're working on something that's not there. Gary has a lot of things that are in place. "
The biggest adjustment has been getting Hogan to pitch more aggressively. Hawkins said some former college players pitch around hitters because they have aluminum bats in college.
" It's just a matter of him getting enough confidence to throw all pitches over the plate consistently and be aggressive, "Hawkins said." Sometimes he doesn't give himself enough credit for what he has got. "He was trying to throw a lot of pitches that weren't going to get hit. He has good enough stuff. The more he buys into it, the more effective he is going to be."
Hogan is a part of an eightman rotation, a unique arrangement that helps get young pitchers consistent work. It also encourages the throw-strikes philosophy of the Rangers organization.
In eight-man rotations, pitchers are paired in four two-man teams. Each gets 75 pitches and alternates starting and relieving every four days. "That's the only thing they care about, throwing strikes as best you can," Hogan said. "They say, 'Throw it down the middle and let them hit it. Don't be too fine and go after hitters.' They want ground balls and the hitter out in three pitches or less."
Hawkins said it is evident Hogan's upbringing was solid, and he said he wasn't surprised to learn Hogan's father was a college baseball coach. "He does everything we ask him to do," Hawkins said. "He catches on pretty quick. He's a kid that's coachable. He acts like he has had some coaching before. He knows how to take it."
Hogan stills gets advice from his father. His parents, who saw all of his Razorbacks games, drove up from North Little Rock to see him pitch Thursday. "I've been around the game for so long," Hogan said. "My dad started coaching when I was 4 or 5, and I've been on that baseball field ever since then. That's where I learned to play.
" My dad always gives me advice. Every time I talk to him, he has something to say to me. He always tells me to go out there and give it my best shot and make them take the uniform off my back. "

Page Created: 6-4-03

Page Last Updated: 6-4-03