SAN FRANCISCO -- Dubbed a "Forever Giant" in his return to AT&T Park on Monday night, Ryan Vogelsong could be a part of Giants history long after his playing career ends.
Vogelsong is eligible to receive a plaque on the Giants' Wall of Fame, home of the club's most accomplished and veteran players since the franchise moved to San Francisco. Mario Alioto, the Giants' senior vice president of business operations, confirmed Vogelsong's eligibility to MLB.com in December, after he signed with the Pirates.
The ovations and tributes were hard enough for Vogelsong to comprehend during his emotional return to San Francisco on Monday night. How about the idea of joining the 48 players currently on the Giants' Wall of Fame?
"If you've ever walked by and seen the plaques on the wall, it's pretty impressive people," Vogelsong said, laughing. "You think about there's a chance you might go on a wall with Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Juan Marichal, it's pretty special."
Vogelsong was a key figure in several memorable moments during the Giants' recent run of success. He won the club's "Willie Mac" Award in 2011. He made seven postseason starts en route to World Series championships in 2012 and '14, and the Giants won each of those seven games.
To qualify for the Giants' Wall of Fame, a player must spend nine years with the Giants, or play for the club five seasons and make an All-Star team.
Vogelsong, who pitched 17 games for San Francisco in 2000-01 before he was traded to the Pirates, returned to the Giants and pitched for them from 2011-15. He made the National League All-Star team in 2011, his first season back in the big leagues after fizzling out in Pittsburgh in 2006.