Welcome Home Logan Forsythe

June 12, 2013 by Wayne McBrayer & Rebecca Herman

Monday night, the San Diego Padres welcomed back Logan Forsythe to Petco Park where they started a three game series with the Atlanta Braves.

In the world of Major League Baseball, you must be ready for any and every opportunity to play baseball. Every player that we’ve spoken with has that in common – they love the sport and want to play – every day! But sometimes the game can take its toll on your body and injuries do occur. The only solution is to work your best every day to follow your rehab plan, hone your skills, and ensure you are ready when the call comes.

Logan Forsythe had a very good Spring Training Camp this year and at the start of the 2013 Season, he was slated to cover Third Base while Chase Headley was on the DL. However, a nagging case of plantar fasciitis caused Logan to be placed on the DL as well. Ball players never want to give into injury but they have to do what is necessary to heal, get healthy, and prepare to play again – it’s what they do.

ON THE FARM AT TUCSON

~~WITH LOGAN FORSYTHE, JUNE 7-9, 2013~~

Forsythe’s progress was as expected – out of the boot in early May; started fielding ground balls and taking BP in mid-May; assigned to AAA Tucson May 24.  Forsythe got his first start of the season with the Tucson Padres on May 30 and appeared in 8 games overall.  We were at Kino Stadium in Tucson to watch his last three games there June 7-9, 2013.  He played second base on Friday, Shortstop on Saturday, and served as Designated Hitter on Sunday.

His overall stats while with Tuscon were:

• 8 games started
• 25 ABs
• 6 R, 9 H, 2 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 21 TB, 5 RBI, 8 BB
• BA: .360
• OBP: .515
• SLG: .840

Upper – Dean Anna and Logan Forsythe with Little League Players pre-game.
Lower – Logan Forsythe (Toros retro night) playing Shortstop.
~Photo Courtesy of TheBaseballPHD~

Logan Forsythe getting some at-bats on Friday and Saturday night.
~Photo Courtesy of TheBaseballPHD~

Logan Forsythe batting Sunday night – getting one of his two home runs that helped the Tucson Padres defeat the Sacramento River Cats.
~Photo Courtesy of TheBaseballPHD~

After Sunday’s game, we had a chance to speak with Logan and get to know him a bit better.

Wayne McBrayer interviewing Logan Forsythe post-game June 9, 2013
~Photo Courtesy of TheBaseballPHD~

“Playing with my pops in the backfield of our church, taking ground balls, and hitting balls off the Tee is my earliest memory of playing baseball,” is what Logan told us after his 2 home run performance in Tucson against the Sacramento River Cats.  Logan started playing competitive baseball around the age of 9 and was inspired by the likes of Ken Griffey Jr. of the Seattle Mariners.  “That whole Seattle team was my team growing up and they were fun to watch.”  Logan was a 3 year starter at 3B for Christian Brothers High School.  In 2005, he helped lead the school to a state championship hitting a blistering .527 with 16 doubles, 14 triples, 5 homers, 58 RBI’s and 21 stolen bases.

After graduating high school, he was recruited by The University of Arkansas, which was the college that his mother had attended.  Logan had planned to redshirt his first season, but an injury to a teammate caused Logan to step in and play right away.  He struggled at the plate hitting only .189 for the season.  In 2007 he turned things around.  He locked down the starting job at 3B and never looked back.  Logan became the best hitter on the team hitting .347 with 9 homers 55 RBI’s and a .556 slugging percentage!  He was selected to play for Team USA in the 2007 Pan Am summer games and helped the team win a silver medal hitting 10 for 16 during the tournament.  In 2008, Logan was named First Team All-ACC, which caught the eye of the San Diego Padres who used their 1^st round supplemental pick to draft the former Razorback.  Logan was sent to the Arizona Padres rookie league and then to low A ball in Eugene.  The Padres were very impressed with what they saw and moved Logan straight up to AA San Antonio for 2009.  He remained there for 2010 hitting .253 and learning a new position; 2B.  2011 saw Logan moved up to AAA Tucson where he hit .313 for the first month of the season.

On May 4, 2011 Orlando Hudson was placed on the DL with a hamstring injury and Logan was called up for the first time.  “My proudest moment was my first call up, and getting to start on Mother’s Day.  My mother and grandmother were both there and my mom threw out the first pitch.”  Logan bounced back and forth from AAA and the Padres during the season and struggled at the plate only hitting .213.  His season was ended due to season ending knee surgery.  The injury bug bit Logan in the spring of 2012 and he started the season on the DL.  Logan played briefly in Tucson before being recalled on June 3^rd.  He spent the rest of the season with the Padres batting .273 with 6 home runs and hit .313.at Petco Park, which is the highest average any player has hit at Petco with more than 110 A at-bats.

During the Tucson Padres game we had been following the San Diego Padres vs Colorado Rockies game on our phones and had seen that Jedd Gyorko had left with a possible groin injury.  As we finished talking with Logan, we let him know that Jedd may be hurt and asked if he was ready if the Padres called tonight. He said he hated to hear that Jedd may be hurt – you never want that for a teammate – but if the Padres called – he was ready. And that’s what happened … Gyorko to the DL and Forsythe activated from DL – just one day after hitting two home runs at Tuscon, he had his first MLB at bat of the season and it was a gem – he hit a home run off Julio Teheran right into the Padres bullpen. His HR helped the Padres in a 7-6 victory over the Braves.

If baseball doesn’t work out for Logan, he could always take up another sport.  “I’ve always enjoyed fishing, something along those lines, probably something outdoors.”  Let’s hope that Logan continues to hit and that a potential fishing career is put off for a while.  Based on his hitting results, we don’t think the fish need to worry for quite some time.

Interview & Story by Wayne McBrayer, TheCasualFan

Editing & Photography by Rebecca Herman, TheBaseballPHD

For Padres360