Meet the newest Barons pitcher having ‘Lunch with Lynden’ at Dreamland Barbeque

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - Did you really just move to Birmingham if your first meal isn’t Dreamland?

Vince Vannelle got the AA call up this week, meaning the undrafted pitcher is moving through the White Sox’s system pretty fast in his first year.

He is driven and passionate about baseball and now southern barbecue.

Ten hours in Birmingham and Vannelle is already living the dream (land.)

“That’s insane,” Vannelle said while eyeing ribs. “Dude, I gotta send a pic to my dad, he’s going to freak, that’s the first thing he told me I have to do when I get here, gotta go to Dreamland.”

The right hand pitcher’s road to the Barons took work after going undrafted

“Baseball is my life.. I love it to death,” Vannelle said. “So when I didn’t get drafted of signed that really put me in a dark spot mentally.”

Vannelle worked at a country club for seven months while training every day to throw faster.

Then his trainer hit send on an email to Chicago.

“The White Sox called like three minutes after he sent it, and said we want to sign you,” Vannelle said. “I was more dumbfounded because it happened that quick.”

Kinda fitting he landed in Birmingham where his all time favorite athlete Michael Jordan played.

“The one time I was like wow I’m actually here is when I walked in and saw pictures of Michael Jordan in the stadium and stuff, I was like this is crazy,” Vannelle said.

And just like Jordan, Vanelle is ready to give his team his best.

“I think its a perfect fit,” he added.

He’s talking about his spot on the Barons... though Vannelle would consider wearing Jordan’s 45 jersey too!

“Honestly, I might have too, that’d be kinda sweet,’ Vannelle said.

Vannelle has even transformed some of his Jordan shoes to cleats.

You can welcome him to Birmingham when the Barons are back at Regions on August 2 against Chattanooga.

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