It always warms my heart when a kid that I have been following through the Dodger Minor League system finally makes it to the Bigs. Last season it was Jerry Sands, Javy Guerra and Dee Gordon; and while Guerra and Gordon are still with the Big club, Jerry Sands struggled horribly in Spring Training in 2012 and began the season at Triple-A Albuquerque, where he will most likely remain until a possible September call-up.

During the ten days that I spent in Glendale, Arizona for Spring Training 2012, one highly touted prospect caught my eye (just as he did the powers that be with the Dodgers) – Scott Van Slyke. I first saw Scott two years ago when he was in Advanced Single-A and to be quite honest, I didn’t think that he had a snowball’s chance in hell to make it to the Bigs. He was lackadaisical, didn’t hustle and appeared to be phoning it in. Knowing what it takes to make it from Low-A to High-A, I couldn’t understand what he was doing here; other than being the son of former Major Leaguer Andy Van Slyke, of course. Sure enough and before long, Scott was demoted to Low-A and I pretty much stopped following him; if he didn’t care, neither did I. Well lo and behold, the (then) 23-year-old Van Slyke saw the light and got the message. In the two years since, Scott not only improved his game, he improved his over all physical condition and when I saw him at the annual Dodgers minicamp workouts this past January, I almost didn’t recognize him – he was an absolute beast. And then when I saw him at Spring Training 2012, I realized that this kid was going to be a Big leaguer at some point during the 2012 season.

Scott Van Slyke (fourth from the right) was one of only 14 prospects invited to the 2012 Winter Minicamp Workouts held at Dodger Stadium in January. Pictured from left to right are Matt Wallach, Gorman Erickson, Josh Wall, Dodger fan Tim Cervenka, Van Slyke, Alex Castellanos, Chris Withrow, and Shawn Tolleson

During Spring Training, Van Slyke went 5 for 14 (.357) with a home run, a triple, and 2 RBIs. Additionally, he played extremely well in the outfield and at first base. Based on what I saw and on the painfully awful Spring Training that Jerry Sands had, it was clear to me that Van Slyke had passed Sands on the organizational depth chart and convinced me that he would be the first one called up to the Bigs should there be an injury in the Dodgers outfield or a meltdown by first baseman James Loney. Sure enough, both have occurred, with Dodger starting left fielder Juan Rivera landing on the DL on Wednesday morning and James Loney struggling at the plate – especially against lefties.

Van Slyke was notified of his call up to the Bigs around 8 AM on Wednesday morning while the Albuquerque Isotopes were on the road in Tacoma, Washington. He boarded a plane for LAX at 11 AM and arrived at Dodger Stadium just as the National Anthem was playing. He quickly changed into his Dodger uniform (number 33) and was in the dugout shortly after the game against the San Francisco Giants began. In the 7th inning, Scott was called upon to pinch hit for Jamey Wright and in his first Major League at bat he laced an 0-2 pitch up the middle for a single and his first RBI. Van Slyke shattered his bat on the hit but later said that he collected all of the pieces and taped it back together to be placed in his trophy case along with the baseball. He will also have the satisfaction of knowing that he contributed to the eventual 6-2 victory over the rival Giants.

Scott Van Slyke breaks his bat while getting a single in his first Major League at bat. Van Slyke also collected his first RBI on the hit. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

And though it is way too early to know whether Van Slyke is up to stay with the Big club or if he will be sent back down to Triple-A when Rivera returns from the DL, one thing is for certain – Scott Van Slyke had a day that he will never forget… not ever.

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EDIT UPDATE – I learned this morning that Scott Van Slyke became the first Dodger to get a pinch-hit RBI hit in his first Major League at-bat since Carl Warwick did so in 1962. (The internet is a wonderful thing).