Local Baseball Star Vin Degifico takes talents to the Red Sox

South Portland native Vin Degifico was drafted in the 17th round of the 1987 Amateur
Draft by the Boston Red Sox. He attended local University of Southern Maine (USM) to develop
his baseball abilities to take his talents the next level. He received numerous awards and honors
throughout his time at USM, as he was named an NCAA Division III All-American twice, in
1986 and 1987 respectfully, making a name for himself as one of the most feared hitters in the
school’s history. He is considered by many as one of the greatest baseball players to ever attend
USM, as well as one of the greatest players to come from the state of Maine.

Degifico has his name written all over the USM record book. His 1986 season was a
historic one, as he set multiple school records with a .526 batting average and had a .934
slugging percentage. He hit 12 home runs that same year, ranking 9th in school history for home
runs hit in a single season. Next season in 1987, he totaled 13 home runs, which ranks 6th in
USM history for one season. His 29 career home runs rank him second in school history, only
trailing Pete Misiaszek, who hit 32 career home runs at the university. Degifico’s career slugging
percentage of .751 is another school record he holds, leading the next closest player by 17 points.
Degifico’s impact on USM baseball cannot be understated, from his playing days in the late
1980s to his coaching days after his professional career.

Degifico played in the Red Sox organization for five seasons, from 1987-1991. He made
his way up to AA New Britain in 1990 after playing on four other Red Sox affiliated teams prior.
He said, “At the beginning it was challenging,” …“strength was everything.”

He was not used to the constant traveling and having to play in a different town or city
most nights. He had to adapt quickly, with his teammates, as they were going through the same
learning experiences together. “Baseball became a job the second year playing pro ball” he said,
explaining that time management was one of the biggest skills he had to focus on, balancing his
pro baseball life with his own personal life. “I had to learn to budget my time. Between strength
conditioning, traveling, games, and my wife, it was hard, but you had to find a way.”

He played with many talented ballplayers during his tenure in the Sox organization. To
name a few, he played with Jeff Bagwell, John Valentin, Mike Greenwell, among many others.
He had a very close relationship with Jeff Bagwell, as they were roommates for three years while
they were growing up in the minor leagues together. Bagwell went on to have a very successful
big-league career with the Houston Astros, leading to him being inducted into the Major League
Baseball Hall of Fame in 2017.

Degifico would often be seen spending a lot of his free time with three of his closest
teammates: Kevin Morton, John Valentin, and Jeff Bagwell. Together, these four players were
referred to as “the four horsemen”. This group spent a lot of time together as they were together
a lot playing on the same Red Sox affiliate.

To many, the 1990s in baseball is known as “the steroid era,” as many professional
baseball players turned to doping in order to improve their performance on the field and increase
their statistics and value. He stated he never took any performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) but
he did know of players on his team doping as well as players on opposing teams.

He explained that to his knowledge, doping was “more prevalent in relief pitchers”
because they need to be able to pitch on consecutive days and needed to be effective when called
upon, or else they would not move up in the system. It did not bother him, saying “when you got
the amount of money out there that can take care of three generation’s families, you do what you
can to get over the hump.”

Degifico has had a huge impact for the USM Huskies over the years with his coaching.
After playing professional baseball, he came back to coach at his alma mater. Between his
knowledge of the game and experience within the game, he can understand players in a way very
few can understand. He has a way of relating with players, a trait that is beneficial to the team.

Vin Degifico is an icon in the baseball community in southern Maine, who had a great
impact both in his playing days and in his coaching das. The qualities he brings to a team are
significant, and they cannot be duplicated. He is a great example of how hard work and focus can
lead to a successful playing career on the field, a successful coaching career from the dugout, and
a prominent figure in the community.