Rottino pummeled pitching in the Midwest League in 2004, leading all hitters with 124 RBIs, passing former big-leaguer Greg Vaughn and one of the franchise’s best prospects, Prince Fielder, to set a Beloit record.
His 161 hits tied for second in the league and established another team standard. He topped the circuit with 10 sacrifice flies, shared league honors with nine triples and finished second in total bases with 255.
The 6-foot, 195-pounder made the loop’s midseason and postseason All-Star units as a designated hitter, but his motivation all along has been his dream of reaching the majors.
“This has been my first long season, 140 games,” the high school and college shortstop said. “I feel I adjusted well. I wanted to work on driving the ball, which I knew I could do because I had a ton of total bases in college. I wanted to become more disciplined and put the ball in play better.”
Rottino performed consistently at five or six positions when called upon for Don Money’s squad. In the season finale, there was no debating who Mr. Versatility was: Rottino played all nine positions, even pitching a perfect ninth inning.
He hopes that flexibility willlead to a utility tag that can land him on a major league bench.
“Every team needs that 24th or 25th guy who can play several spots, and maybe you make the roster instead of an extra pitcher or something,” he said, “if guys go down or need a rest.”
An undrafted free agent who attended University of Wisconsin at La Crosse, Rottino’s maturity and ability to handle the mental aspects of a pro career have helped him rise from obscurity.
“It’s a long season, so the key is keeping your highs low and your lows high, basically staying on an even keel,” Rottino said. “You have to let errors and strikeouts go.”
“Many of these kids think they’re going to get a hit every time up. You have to separate offense and defense. You might not get the big hit, but you could win the game defensively. Vinny does a good job in that he doesn’t let failure kill him,” praises Money
Rottino hasn’t endured many of those moments. He batted .339 during his college career, hitting a combined .393 his final two years. He hit .311 with the club’s advanced rookie league team in Helena, Montana, in 2003 and then he batted .304 this summer with 27 doubles and a .482 slugging percentage.
While his ticket to Milwaukee or anywhere else hasn’t been stamped yet, Rottino already has overcome the odds. He would seem a good bet to be suiting up for Class AA Huntsville at some point next season, something that wasn’t even a remote possibility at first.
The Quiet Phone
Nobody called him on draft day 2002, and his phone didn’t ring for the next month, so he figured his shot at pro baseball was over. He enrolled in pharmacy school at the University of Wisconsin and played with the Racine Kiwanis of the Land O’Lakes League.
Jack Schiestle, his coach with Land O’Lakes and a former scout with the New York Mets, arranged for tryouts in Arizona in February of ’03 with the Brewers, Diamondbacks, White Sox and Padres. Shortly after that Rottino inked a deal with Milwaukee.
Man with the Plan
“He’s one of the few guys who has an idea, a plan when he goes up to the plate,” Money said. “He’s got an excellent makeup and wants to learn. He’s behind the eight-ball because of his age, but he works and keeps a book on pitchers. He asked me during spring training what he had to do to increase his chances. I said just put up the numbers and make the decision tough on the guys in the front office, which he’s done.
“He’s got a good arm and is adequate at all of the positions,” Money added. “He’s the type of player that an organization will be looking for. We’re hoping that in three or four years you see names like Prince Fielder and Tony Gwynn Jr. up in Milwaukee. Who knows, maybe Vinny could be one of them.”
Rottino grew up idolizing guys such as Robin Yount and Paul Molitor and wants to wear the same uniform.
“That’s definitely been my dream and is my goal,” Rottino said. “The ultimate would be to be a major league player. There are 1,000 different scenarios, but you think too much and your focus isn’t between the white lines. I’m going to take it day-to-day and good things will happen. I want to be in Class AA next year, and that’s what keeps me motivated.”
