Spring training is well underway at Camelback Ranch so obviously the universe has righted itself again after being out of alignment since last October. I had a relaxing day yesterday doing a bit of writing, listening to my favorite music and thinking. I thought long and hard about what job I would like most to shadow, if I could, at Camelback during the next few weeks. It couldn’t be with Vin because standing silently in awe wouldn’t help anyone very much. I could perhaps be a bench coach along side Don Mattingly but encouraging him to bunt a runner over wouldn’t sit well with more than a few Dodger fans. After considerable deliberation I decided the job I would most like to shadow would be De Jon Watson’s.

Watson, the Dodgers Vice President of Player Development, is ultimately responsible for assigning the Dodger minor league players to their team for the upcoming season. I can just picture a big board with minor league teams listed along the top, player positions listed down the side and then filling in those positions with player names. That image of course comes from my time constructing junior high school time tables in the pre-computer days. Perhaps De Jon Watson and his staff now do so with computers but I would like to think it is more hands on than that.

The future of some of the young Dodgers is relatively clear as is the path they will follow as they progress through the farm system. Others are not so clear and one player that I would like to discuss with De Jon would be Tyler Ogle. As I watched the Great Lakes Loons play during the 2013 season I could not figure out the path for Ogle as it deviated considerably from the path that most likely was expected.

Tyler Ogle
(Photo courtesy of Herald-Zeitung.com)

Ogle was drafted by the Dodgers in the 9th round of the 2011 First Year Player Draft out of the University of Oklahoma. He was listed as the seventh best catcher available in that draft. His credentials included a pro-caliber defense, a good arm, a level line drive swing and gap power. During his three-year career with the Sooners, Ogle posted a .330 BA in 161 games along with 21 home runs, 108 RBI and a .430 OBP.

The 5’ 10” catcher was named as a semifinalist for the 2011 Johnny Bench Award presented to the nation’s best college catcher. Chris O’Brien (Wichita State University), a catcher with the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes in 2013, was also named among the thirteen semifinalists for the prestigious award which was ultimately awarded to Cleveland Indians catching prospect Jake Lowry.

Ogle was a semifinalist for the prestigious Johnny Bench Award while playing for the Oklahoma Sooners. (Photo courtesy of hardballu.com)

Ogle reported to the AZL Dodgers following his college season but was able to play in only six games with the rookie team. He returned to the AZL Dodgers again in 2012 and after 16 games was promoted to the Ogden Raptors of the short season rookie league. He was soon promoted again, this time to the Great Lakes Loons of the Midwest League. He did struggle with the Loons and posted an OBP of only .310, by far the lowest in his professional career.

One highlight for Ogle in 2012 was an appearance with the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes, having been called up due to an emergency catching situation with the Isotopes. He went three for three in that game along with a walk. In an interview with Hugh Bernreuter, Ogle commented on his Albuquerque experience.

“At the time, it didn’t hit me that I was playing in Triple A with a bunch of guys who had played with the Dodgers,” Ogle said. “I was just playing. I was just moving to the next stop. But after the season it kind of hit me how cool that was playing with those guys. It was even better that I was able to have some success there.”

Ogle started the the 2013 season back with the Loons and played the entire season at Great Lakes. After a very hot start he cooled a bit and finished the season with a .250 BA, 12 home runs, 24 doubles and 57 RBI. His OBP returned to its norm at .401 made possible by 110 hits and a league-leading 96 walks. Throughout his career he has walked more than he has struck out. He was named to the Midwest All-Star team and his 96 walks, compared to 78 strike outs, set an all-time Loons record for free passes, as did his .401 OBP.

My discussion with De Jon Watson would be about Ogle’s 2013 season. Selected as a semifinalists for the Johnny Bench Award two years earlier, he caught only 14 games with the Loons. He played 102 games at first base, made two appearances in the outfield and was a DH 18 times. He also made a pitching appearance in a blowout game.

Perhaps one explanation for so few appearances as a catcher would be an unexplained decision to carry four catchers on the Loons roster – the other three being Eric Smith, Jose Capellan and Dashenko Ricardo. Smith spent a good portion of the season on the DL with Jose Capellan eventually picking up most of the time behind the plate. It still does not compute for the 5’ 10” Ogle to be converted to a first baseman. It is my feeling he was nursing a chronic injury of some type during the 2013 season, although his thoughts about playing first base would suggest otherwise.

“I love catching, but wherever they want to put me, I’m happy,” Ogle said. “As long as I get in the lineup and get to hit, I’m good with wherever I play. I still want to catch. I try to catch every chance I can, whether that’s warming up pitchers or bullpens or working with coaches.”

During the off season Ogle began working out for the 2014 season. D. Benjamin Satkowiak of the Yahoo Contributor Network in a January 29 interview asked Ogle about his off season conditioning goals.

“So far this off season, I’ve really hit the weights. More weight for more reps has really helped out my conditioning, as well as gotten my strength up. My goals are to put on as much size as possible while maintaining good stamina, and increase my arm strength.”

Ogle was also asked about his on field goals for 2014.

“My goals for next season are high… where I think goals should be. I would like to have enough success to finish the year in Double A. As for the team, the playoffs are where you want to be.”

Ogle turned 23 in last August. I expect he will start the season with the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, and hopefully behind the plate. It seems to me there is another catcher in the Dodgers system who rode a high OBP and dedicated hard work to the top. Beyond that I look forward to Ogle getting a July or August stint with the Chattanooga Lookouts.