Page 2 - Florida Sentinel 11-27-20

Feature
Tampa Native And 20-Year L. A. Dodger Exec Vance Lovelace Is Feeling Pure Joy After World Series Win
BY MONIQUE STAMPS Sentinel Feature Writer
Many young kids grow up playing organized sports. Some do it to escape, others... because they love it and are good at it. However, very few make it to the professional level. Fewer than that play professionally, and later have a career after.
Tampa native and former professional baseball pitcher, Vance Lovelace is one of those rarities. After playing professionally, he has worked for a professional baseball team and last month achieved the ultimate prize, a World Se- ries championship ring.
When the last strike was called and he knew that the Los Angeles Dodgers had beaten the Tampa Bay Rays for the championship, Lovelace states he had a feel- ing of relief, followed by pure joy. Why relief, well, because the Dodgers lost the 2017 and 2018 World Series and it was very disappointing. The joy came seconds after the last in-
ning of the 2020 series and his phone began to blow up with congratulations. Because of COVID, he had stayed in to experience the final game by himself.
“That very day I was in Port Charlotte, scouting more players!” he laughed.
Lovelace grew up in Bel- mont Heights where he at- tended Lockhart Elementary
School. At 11 years old, he and his Belmont Heights team went to the Little League World Series. By the time Lovelace was 15, he had played with Dwight Gooden and Floyd Youmans and had been coached by leg- endary Negro League player Clifford “Quack” Brown. They also went to the Senior League World Series.
VANCE LOVELACE
By the time Lovelace reached Hillsborough High School, he was a known com- modity in the baseball world and was being scouted. After being drafted in the first round by the Chicago Cubs, he re- scinded his letter of intent to go to Florida State University (FSU) and went straight to the pros. As with most players, he started playing in the minor league system.
After being traded to the Dodgers for several veteran players, he spent the next few years in the minor leagues. He made his big-league debut for the Los Angeles Angels in 1988. Unfortunately, the right- handed pitcher began having issues with his throwing arm. The next year, he played for the Seattle Mariners, but his arm issues continued, how- ever, he continued to play for another three to four years. Lovelace says that this period taught him patience, some- thing that would benefit him greatly as his career took him on different paths.
After retiring, Lovelace faced many options and looked to find the right direc- tion for himself. He received a call from his old friend Floyd Youmans who was working in NY with an independent minor league team and asked him to come up and play. Lovelace reminded him of his arm injuries, but Youmans was looking for something else from his old friend. Youmans wanted Lovelace to show his young players things like a good work ethic and attitude. This led to Lovelace becoming a pitch- ing coach the next year in New
Jersey. Part of his coaching duties included player pro- curement and scouting. This opened a whole new world for Lovelace.
A casual conversation be- tween Dodger superstar Gary Sheffield and Dodger man- agement led to extensive dis- cussions between Lovelace and the team in 2000. After the discussions, Lovelace was flown out for a formal in- terview and spent some time reviewing and evaluating play- ers. The Dodgers gave him the option of being a pitching coach or a scout. Lovelace chose scouting which would allow him to travel and dis- cover talent all over the world.
For young people looking to be in team management like him, Lovelace strongly rec- ommends as much education, internships, and workshops as possible. Read as much as you can about players, including blogs. Also watch as many games as possible.
Lovelace has worked in many capacities with the Dodger organization since 2001. In 2009, he was named Director of Pro Scouting, a po- sition created for him by the Dodgers. Prior to that, he held the title of special assis- tant to the general manager, one of eight such positions. His current title is Special As- signment, meaning that he can work on many different scout- ing and player development angles.
Lovelace credits patience and the ability to keenly ob- serve athletes as the key to his success. He also credits his late parents who were always involved and taught him many good lessons and served as role models along the way. This balance and discipline helped him develop a keen ability to see how someone re- acts to different environments, especially high stress situa- tions, and convey their strengths and weaknesses to the team. It also has led to him being a crucial member of the Dodger organization for over 20 years.
He also credits his ability to hold his own and get people to see things as he does as an- other factor in his continuing success. He believes that stay- ing true to himself and leaving ego at the door have been key to his success.
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