Major League dreams
Vince Voiro can’t remember a time when he didn’t play baseball.
And he’s got the home videos, circa 1990, to prove it.
He took infield positions while playing little league and tried the outfield once he got older, but always stayed true to what he really enjoyed — pitching.
“I always liked it. As a pitcher, you’re involved with every play. And with pitching, you have control of the game,” he said.
Sticking with the position has paid off for Voiro, a 22-year-old Cherry Hill West and 2012 University of Pennsylvania graduate.
Earlier this month, Voiro was selected in the 15th round of the Major League Baseball’s First-Year Player Draft — 469th overall — by the Oakland Athletics.
“It’s really exciting. My goal was to continue playing baseball and now I’m able to realize that dream is coming true,” Voiro said.
Voiro received a call on June 8 from the organization, and by June 11, he was en route to Arizona, to pitch for the A’s minor league affiliate team, the Arizona A’s.
He’s still got a ways to go before he can take the mound at The Coliseum. But for now, he’s enjoying the ride.
“The competition was good at Penn and I put in a lot of work,” Voiro said. “The transition hasn’t been that difficult, I’m comparable to many of the players.”
This season at Penn, Voiro was named Ivy League Pitcher of the Week numerous times and had eight starts on the mound. He also led the Quakers in wins, innings pitched and strikeouts, fanning 59 batters in 66 innings.
Most of his colleagues now on the diamond range in age from 18 to 22, so many are on, what you could call, a level playing field.
From Arizona, Voiro and his teammates have the opportunity to advance to other A’s affiliate teams, criss-crossing the country from Vermont, to Iowa, with a final stop in Sacramento before the big leagues.
Voiro said he’s confident he’ll get there someday.
“I have to stay consistent and be able to compete at all the different levels, and know what the expectations are,” he said.
He said he doesn’t mind the potential change-of-pace from season to season and might even enjoying throwing pitches for different teams in different parts of the country.
“I’m not burdened by the idea of moving around, I’m looking forward to the opportunities,” Voiro said.
And so are his friends and family.
“Everyone who knows me knows this was what I wanted to do,” he said. “A lot of people are very happy for me.”
