In early July the Dodgers acquired right-handed pitcher Chase De Jong from the Toronto Blue Jays as part of a trade in which the they gave up three international signing slots to the Jays. Since then De Jong has been starting for the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes of the California League.

Meanwhile, 22-year-old first baseman Scott De Jong has been making an impression with the Ogden Raptors of the rookie level Pioneer League. But believe it or not, in spite of the exact spelling of their last names, the two De Jongs are not related.

A native of North Haledon, New Jersey, Scott De Jong graduated in 2011 from East Christian High School in his home town, having played four years with the Eagles. He became the first graduate of East Christian to be drafted and signed by a major league baseball team having earned All-League, All-Country, and All-Area honors as a senior.

After graduating from high school he registered at the University of Connecticut which is a NCAA Division I school. De Jong indicated things did not go as planned at UConn, so along with his parents, the decision was made to transfer to Felician College with campuses in Lodi and Rutherford, New Jersey. His family knew head coach Chris Langan of the Golden Falcons so they were looking for a fresh start for their son in a more relaxed situation.

De Jong hit a home run in his second at bat in his debut with the Golden Falcons but it was to be his only home run of the season. He struggled at the plate and ended the year with a disappointing .224 batting average.

Coming from the Division I UConn Huskies, De Jong felt pressure to live up to high expectations and he lost the enjoyment of the game.

“It was like putting a curse on you,” said De Jong. “It was like a black cat walking by you.”

After the season ended coach Langan talked with De Jong advising him to just take it easy at the plate and let it be a game again. Perhaps his best advice was to leave all expectations behind. It seems his coach’s words of wisdom were well received.

Following his season with Felician College De Jong played with the Wellsville Nitros in the New York Collegiate League. He hit .315 with 15 home runs and was named as the league’s MVP.

In his second season with Felician College De Jong enjoyed the type of season that catches the eyes of scouts. He hit .374 with seven home runs and his 51 runs batted in led the NCAA Division II East Region. Among his other awards the most prestigious would be his selection as the New Jersey Collegiate Baseball Association Division II/III Player of the Year.

Prior to his 2014 collegiate season, being drafted by a major league team seemed to be less than a remote possibility. However, Scott De Jong was selected by the Dodgers in the 32nd round of the 2014 First Year Player Draft and gave credit to his coaches at Felician College.

“This is a dream come true – there’s no other way to say it,” De Jong said. “After starting the day full of anxiety, when I finally got the news, I don’t think I’ve ever been that happy before. Especially to be taken by a big name like the Dodgers – it’s just amazing. I can’t thank the coaching staff at Felician enough. I’ve known Chris Langan since I was 11 years old, and his brother, Steve, was my first hitting coach. I’m so grateful for all they’ve done for me.”

His first year as a professional got off to a bit of a slow start as he posted a .220 batting average with the AZL Dodgers in 35 games. He did show some power with 6 home runs and 20 runs batted in.

After a brief nine game stint with the Great Lakes Loons of the Class-A Midwest League to begin the 2015 season, De Jong was reassigned to the Pioneer Rookie League Ogden Raptors. His season was progressing very well until he hit a slump in late June and early July going through an 0-21 stretch of six games that caused his batting average to drop to .205. Older Dodger fans will remember the agony of an 0-21 World Series for Brooklyn Dodger first baseman Gil Hodges in 1952. They also remember how productive he was throughout his career and is most likely worthy of being in the Hall of Fame.

The 6’4”, 230-pound first baseman was away from the team for six days in early July to participate in and celebrate the birth of his daughter Mila, whom he describes as “a keeper.” Her birth came in the midst of his slump and he continued to be hitless in his first three games after returning to Ogden.

On July 11 things began to change for De Jong. He went 4 for 4 at the plate and hit for his “first ever” cycle by legging out his triple in his last at bat. He now is on a 10-game hitting streak that includes a .471 batting average with 16 hits and 11 runs batted in. Among his 16 hits are four doubles, two triples and four home runs.

Scott De Jong broke out of his 0-21 slump when his daughter Mila was born. He has been tearing up the Pioneer League with the Ogden Raptors ever since. (Photo credit – Stephen Smith)

Was it the daughter “Mila” effect or was it something else that triggered his offensive outburst? Although we would like to attribute it to his infant daughter, Scott De Jong in a post-game interview on July 12 offered a very simple explanation which included a suggestion by Raptors hitting coach Darryl Brinkley.

“Before the game, Brink and I actually made some adjustments – raised my hands up so I could get on top of the ball better,” said De Jong. “You can tell by the game that it paid off for sure.”

“He did it all, I just made a suggestion,” Brinkley said. “It just looks beautiful when he does it correctly.”

On the season De Jong is now hitting .321 with six home runs and 23 runs batted in 23 games with a .415 OBP. His 1.094 OPS is the third-best in the Pioneer League.

De Jong is on a July roll right now. One kind of suspects that between the birth of his daughter and the astute eye of his hitting coach Darryl Brinkley, he has once again remembered to let it be a game.