Angelo Songco had it made. Everything was going great for the 23-year-old Granada Hills, California native. Songco was drafted by the Dodgers in the 4th round of the 2009 First-Year Player Draft (127th overall) out of Loyola Marymount University and was on the fast track through the Dodgers farm system. He spent the 2010 season with the Dodgers Low-A Great Lakes Loons of the Mid West League in Midland, Michigan where he hit .274 with 15 home runs, 71 RBIs and a respectable .344 OBP.

Songco’s hard work and positive attitude did not go unnoticed by Dodgers assistant general manager De Jon Watson. (Photo credit – mdnvisuals.com)

Angelo played the entire 2011 season with the High-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes of the Cal League where he continued to flourish. Although drafted as an outfielder, the left-handed hitting / right-handed throwing Songco spent considerable time at first base, a position that he loves playing.  “I liked playing the outfield, but I prefer first base,” said Angelo. “You stay in the game so much more. You’re a part of it. Plus I like talking during the game. In the outfield, there’s nobody to talk to. At first base, you can talk to everybody… the pitcher, the second baseman, the runner, the ump,” he added. I mean, how can you not love a guy like this?

Through the 2011 season, Songco led the Quakes in nearly every major category – his batting average was .313 (2nd), he hit 29 home runs (1st), had 114 RBIs (1st), and sported a very good OBP of .367. He also led the Quakes in games played (131 of their 140 games) and in ABs (534). And for good measure, Angelo hit for the cycle on May 25, 2011 against the Lancaster JetHawks (I was there!). It certainly should come as no surprise that Angelo was selected to the 2011 Cal League All-Star team.

On May 25, 2011, Angelo hit for the cycle during a game against the Lancaster JetHawks. Angelo was gracious enough to sign a ball for me after the game noting his great accomplishment. (Photo credit – milb.com)

Angelo’s life outside of the lines was going great, too. He got married and he and his wife Charnae had a baby boy (Casey) who will soon be celebrating his first birthday. “My son is built like a catcher,” says Angelo. “He’s going to be a switch-hitter. Baseball people love switch-hitting catchers.”

Like I said, Angelo Songco had it made… and then it happened.

“I took a ground ball off my left leg at first base and it hurt,” Songco said. “I played through it (the rest of the season), and during the off-season it seemed to get better. But when spring training started, it hurt really bad. I got an X-ray and it showed a fracture. So they put a rod in and I’ve been working to get back since.”

Songco’s road back has been a rough one. After recovering from his broken leg, he literally had to start over… back to Low-A ball, back to Midland with the Loons. And even though he struggled during the first half of the 2012 season with the Loons hitting only .175 with 6 home runs and 20 RBIs, he continued to work hard and maintained a positive attitude. “I don’t know how long I’ll be here (in Midland),” said Songco during an interview this past May. “But I enjoy it here. Baseball is baseball. It’s fun to play wherever you can play. I had a great time when I was here before, so I’ll have fun again…”

Hard work and a positive attitude rarely (if ever) go unnoticed by assistant general manager of player development De Jon Watson and Songco’s did not. Last week Angelo was promoted back up to Rancho Cucamonga where he will continue his development under the skilled eye of two-time (consecutive) Manager of the Year Juan Bustabad; and though the sample size is small, Songco went 3 for 8 (.375)  in his first two games with the Quakes.

I’m certainly no scout, but I am quite confident that we will be seeing and hearing a lot about Angelo Songco throughout the second half of the 2012 season, especially when he has guys like Joc Pederson, Leon Landry, Jonathan Garcia and Chris O’Brien in the line-up around him.

It may have been a long and difficult road, but Angelo Songco is back.