Testing a post like this (which is quite obviously something we would want to have front and center when something like this is live) to see how it formats on the portal:

RedSoxNation.net recently had a chance to speak with Beau Vaughan, one of the top pitching prospects in the organization. This is the first of a series of interviews we plan to include on our site. For more information on Vaughan, who pitched in Lowell last summer, please see our Prospect Tracker forum.


RSN: Your given name is William Lee Vaughan, but you go by Beau. Where does that come from?

BV: Beau is a nickname my mother gave to me at birth
because we have too many Bill's in our family. I am
actually William Lee Vaughan IV.

RSN: Your name brings to mind two former, and popular, Red Sox players. One is “The Spaceman”, Bill Lee. Do you have anything in common with him?

BV: I am a little young to have witnessed the Spaceman
in action. I do remember hearing he wanted to wear
337 because it was his name upside down and reversed.
I thought that was pretty clever.

RSN: Explain your personality. What are you like off the field?

BV: I am a goofball. To me, the greatest thing in the
world is to have a good laugh.

RSN: Your name also brings to mind former Sox slugger Mo Vaughn. What kind of hitter are you?

BV: I love this question. My dad always thought I was
going to be a better hitter than pitcher. And I love
hitting. I actually batted clean-up through high
school and my first year of junior college. If I
could, I'd rather be a left-handed hitting third
baseman as opposed to a pitcher.

RSN: More importantly, what type of pitcher are you? What are your best pitches?

BV: I like to think of myself as a power pitcher.
When it comes down to it, I love beating people with
my fastball. But at the same time, I love seeing
people look stupid on my change-up, my best off-speed
pitch.

RSN: Bill Lee once said his idea of a perfectly pitched game is 27 outs on 27 pitches. Would you rather throw a 2-hit shutout with 3 K’s, or allow 3 runs on 6 hits while striking out 18?

BV: If the team won in both scenarios, I'd want the 18
strikeouts. But I'll take a two-hit shutout win over
18 K's and a loss.

RSN: Four Vaughans have played in the major leagues, including HOF Arky Vaughan. Porter Vaughan is the all-time leader in wins for Vaughans with 2. Are you familiar with either, and do you pay attention to baseball history?

BV: I have heard of Arky Vaughan. but I could not
tell you anything about him. Other than that, I have
a good knowledge of baseball history. I was actually
a history major in college.

RSN: You share a birthday with another Beau who played in the major leagues, Beau Allred (Cleveland 89-91). He’s from the Phoenix/Mesa area, as are you. Have you met him, or even heard of him?

BV: I do know of him. But again, only by name, and
that's because I got one of his baseball cards as a
kid. But with that name, birthdate, and hometown, he
must be a handsome guy. Just kidding!

RSN: Ex-Red Sox, and current Arizona Diamondbacks, third baseman Shea Hillenbrand is also from the Phoenix/Mesa area. Do you know him?

BV: Yeah, I know of him, but I don't know him
personally.

RSN: You were drafted out of high school in the 39th round in 1999 by the Twins, but did not sign. Why?

BV: When I was drafted by the Twins, it was
specifically for a draft and follow. They wanted to
see me develop for a year. I guess they didn't feel
they needed to get me at the time. And they never
even offered me a contract, but it worked out for the
best.

RSN: The Red Sox drafted you in the 3rd round last year. Explain your development as a pitcher in that 4 year period, and who was most reponsible for it.

BV: I went to four colleges in four years. Over the
first three, I got more physically mature. I was a
late bloomer. I picked up a little bit from each
place I went. Finally, when I got to Arizona State,
Coach Pat Murphy and pitching coach Chris Sinacori
basically put the pieces together, and things started
clicking.

RSN: Why four different colleges?

BV: Out of high school, I didn't have colleges banging
down my door. I got some mail and a couple of calls
from schools. The only two schools that gave me more
than one phone call were Harvard and Dartmouth. I had
the grades and SAT scores to go pretty much anywhere.
I went to Phoenix College because they were the only
school who said I would get an opportunity to hit.
But certain promises that were made didn't happen, so
I transferred to South Mountain Community College in
south Phoenix. Things went well, but only two schools
offered scholarships when I was there. New Orleans
offered a lucrative scholarship, and I went there.
However, I barely pitched, and I had a tough time
throwing strikes. They said they needed to cut my
scholarship in half. I don't blame them. I came back
home done with baseball. I was two years away from my
degree, and I was going to go to ASU just as a
student. While messing around on a summer team in
Phoenix that summer, Jeremy West was on my team and
asked me what I had to lose by going to the walk-on
tryouts. So I went and made the team.

RSN: What round were you expecting to be taken in, and which teams showed an interest before the draft?

BV: As the draft got closer last year, people started
to tell me to expect higher rounds. First it was the
top 10, then the top 5, then the third or fourth. I
did not really care to tell you the truth. I was just
glad when it was over because we were going into a
super-regional at the time.

RSN: The Red Sox are a storied franchise, with a dedicated fan base, playing in a historic ballpark. What were your thoughts when they drafted you?

BV: I was glad the team I was going to had such an
amazing fan base. Players love playing for fans. If
we weren't playing, we'd have the seat next to you.

RSN: Have you ever been to Fenway Park?

BV: I went to Fenway when I was about seven years
old. My parents took me on vacation to the northeast.
We flew into Boston, stayed for a day, went to a
game, then drove up to Quebec. It was a great trip.
What I do remember about the game was the Sox beat the
Blue Jays, and it was a night game. Some of my late
nights in college have dimished the details of my
memories.

RSN: Which was your favorite baseball team growing up?

BV: I never really had a favorite team. My dad's
family rooted for the Royals because they're from
Kansas City. My mom's family roots for the Cardinals
because they're from southern Illinois. And Phoenix
did not have a team until recently. I definitely
never liked the Yanks.

RSN: Comments like that will make you popular here in Red Sox Nation.

BV: My disapproval of the Yankees isn't because I am
with the Red Sox. I just don't like the attitude that
the Yankees are all there is to baseball. And I've
gotten that impression over the years. Screw them.

RSN: Who were your favorite players?

BV: I like the hitters more than the pitchers. The
art of hitting is a marvel. Guys like Tony Gwynn,
Wade Boggs, and Ted Williams are amazing to watch. If
I had to pick one, I'd say...Gwynn.

RSN: What other sports did you play and follow, and who were your favorite players?

BV: I love football. I was an all-conference
quarterback in high school, and I still go back and
help coach in the off-season. I think the best player
of all-time is Jerry Rice. He's 40 and still
performing. Ray Lewis is going to be the best
linebacker ever in a couple more years.

RSN: What are your thoughts on this year's Patriots team?

BV: The Patriots have the greatest concept of team in
any sport going right now. Everybody on that team
complements everyone else so well, and that extends to
the coaching. They've managed to win two Superbowls
in the last three years without a "superstar."
Everybody does their job, and they're all on the same
page. That should be the mold other teams follow, in
any sport.

RSN: Someday you may be wearing a major league uniform, and kids will look at you as their favorite player. What will this mean to you, and will you feel an obligation to be a good role model?

BV: There would definitely be an obligation there to
not do anything embarassing. But the biggest thing
would to be personal and relate with the kids. When I
was little, players were gods in my eyes. They were
unapproachable. Kids should know players are guys
with the same mentality as them, only a few years
older.

RSN: What is important to Beau Vaughan, the person?

BV: The important thing to me is to be happy.
Baseball needs to be fun. This isn't a job. I don't
know what it is, but it is not a job. It is fun.

RSN: What are your interests outside of baseball?

BV: I love movies. That is what I do with my free
time. As a matter of fact, I would love for someone
to challenge me in a game of six degrees of Kevin
Bacon. Movies are the greatest.

RSN: Switching back to baseball, what was your biggest surprise when you joined the Lowell Spinners and were now a professional baseball player? Was it any different than you expected?

BV: There really weren't many surprises. It was what
I expected. The fact that the games were sold out
every night was surprising. That was great.

RSN: There were a lot of talented young players on the Spinners last year. Which of them impressed you the most?

BV: Jeremy West has been with me for the last full
year. And to see him make the transition from metal
to wood has been impressive. But Abe Alvarez has such
amazing control. I roomed and played catch with him,
and he is amazing.

RSN: Who among your Spinner teammates were the most interesting personalities?

BV: The best personality on the Spinners last summer
was probably Zack Basch. He is so witty and sharp.
He is also fun to mess with. We called him Dr. Green,
from "ER", because he looks exactly like him, and he
looks 40.

RSN: Going into your second year of pro ball, you’ll be hoping to move up the minor league ladder. Do you see yourself as having a better chance to advance through the system as a starter or as a reliever?

BV: I don't know. I know the Sox want me to be a
starter. I love getting as many innings as possible.
But I thrive for coming into pressure situations out of
the pen.

RSN: Which current, or former, major league pitcher would you compare yourself to?

BV: The management guys asked me the same question
last fall, and I told them I have my own style.
Murphy told me I reminded him of Kevin Brown a little
bit, but I don't know.

RSN: Switching gears again, if you could go back in time and pitch in any era, against any hitters, when would that be?

BV: Take me back to the late 20's. I want Gehrig. I
know I could get the fat kid (Ruth) out with his long
swing and heavy bat. But Gehrig is one of the
greatest of all time.

RSN: That sounds as confident as Pedro saying he'd like to wake up the Babe and drill him in the ass. Ruth did face guys like Walter Johnson and Lefty Grove. Are you sure you want to stand behind that statement?

BV: Walter Johnson and Lefty Grove are two of the
greatest pitchers to play. And I don't doubt that
getting the best of the Babe would be a Goliath-type
feat. But wouldn't you want that one shot to see if
you could get the best of arguably the greatest player
of all time? It's like Matt Damon taking on Johnny
Chan in "Rounders." Maybe I can't do it. But I'd go
into that at-bat knowing I can.

RSN: Last question: Someday, hopefully, you’ll step onto the mound at Fenway for the first time in a major league game. When you do, you’ll likely sneak a peek over your shoulder at the Green Monster. What will be going through your mind?

BV: I'll be thinking, "Hurry up and destroy these
guys, so we can go get a Guinness. That would be
wicked awesome."