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By Graham Hays
Jack Bulger is almost certainly one of the only players in NCAA history who struck out on the first pitch he saw as a collegiate student-athlete. The first-year catcher wasn鈥檛 in the starting lineup on Opening Day in 2021. But when a teammate suffered an injury during an at-bat, coaches told Bulger to grab his batting helmet and get in there. Inheriting an 0-2 count, he dug in, watched a curveball break across the plate for strike three and trudged back to the dugout.
Ted Williams famously said baseball is the only endeavor in which a person can fail seven out of 10 times and still be a success. But strike three on your first pitch? That was a little ridiculous.
Fast forward to Vanderbilt鈥檚 , and Bulger found himself part of a different鈥攁nd better鈥攕mall club. There aren鈥檛 many seniors who hit the first pitch of their lineup鈥檚 season out of the ballpark鈥擵anderbilt鈥檚 first season-opening leadoff home run in at least 21 years.
Whether it鈥檚 starting more than 150 games for one of the nation鈥檚 best teams or balancing an and in the College of Arts and Science and a through the School of Engineering, Bulger embodies what it means to never take an opportunity for granted.
鈥淵ou can’t control the outcomes, but if you stay consistent in your routines and stay disciplined in what you do on a daily basis, then you’re going to be successful,鈥� Bulger said. 鈥淢aybe not in the short run, but it鈥檚 going to play out over time. That applies to life. Whatever you do, if you’re consistent in how you operate on a daily basis, you’re going to be pretty good at what you do.鈥�
THE POWER OF MENTORS
Bulger grew up knowing he wanted a future in baseball. When he wasn鈥檛 on a field somewhere playing his own games, he was chasing foul balls and autographs at the minor league ballpark near his family鈥檚 home in Bowie, Maryland.
But he also learned from an early age that while everyone celebrates the big moments鈥攖he home run that brings a crowd to its feet or the professional contract that opens new doors鈥攕uccess comes from an unwavering, consistent and often thankless commitment to a process.
His preschool teacher was one of his earliest mentors, not just in the classroom but on the family farm she worked with her dad, a World War II veteran. Bulger鈥檚 parents often let him spend the day at the farm, watching his hosts feed the animals who depended on their care or, as he got older, helping them dig fence post holes.
鈥淚 was a pretty athletic kid, and I鈥檓 just getting dominated over here by this little 110-pound preschool teacher who is just working her tail off every day,鈥� Bulger recalled. 鈥淚 told her I don鈥檛 know how she does this every single day. But she loves what she does.鈥�
His parents, Chuck and Beth, helped him realize how success is a collaborative effort. Far from the stereotypical baseball dad, Chuck wasn鈥檛 an avid sports fan. But when he saw his son鈥檚 passion, he poured himself into research in a manner that would do any doctoral student proud. He arranged his work schedule to take the earliest shifts, rising well before dawn to clock out early enough in the afternoon to pick up Jack from school, take him to practice or games or just throw him batting practice.
聽VANDYBOYS FIT HIM LIKE A GLOVE
Little wonder, then, that Bulger fell in love with Vanderbilt. The 2014 national championship first caught his eye鈥攖he stylish pinstripes, major-league prospects and College World Series glory. But the more he learned about head coach Tim Corbin, the more he saw a program committed to putting the process ahead of results.
鈥淭he culture of personal development, leadership development and a sense of belonging to a team is something that you can never get enough of,鈥� Bulger said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 being part of a group with one shared goal with so many like-minded individuals. You get so immersed in the group that you kind of forget about yourself. But that’s the best way to make yourself a better person.
鈥淟ooking back at it, I’m such a better friend, son, man, athlete from Vanderbilt from Coach Corbin, by learning from everything this program has to offer.鈥�
SEIZING THE OPPORTUNITY TO GROW
Bulger traded cleats for wingtips in his final summer as an undergraduate, completing an internship and his Immersion Vanderbilt project with a New York hedge fund. Like the SEC Tournament that he and the VandyBoys won a season ago, Bulger said it was a hard-earned and unforgettable opportunity.
鈥淟earning something new and being able to figure out a new environment, it was a nice little reset for me, and I think it helped me on the baseball field this fall too,鈥� he said.
But for Bulger, the Vanderbilt experience isn鈥檛 solely about winning the SEC Tournament or experiencing an exciting job in finance. It鈥檚 about the process that leads to those results. It鈥檚 about learning.
Bulger didn鈥檛 need a second minor. He accomplished plenty as it was. But he鈥檚 always enjoyed DIY projects, always been good with the hands that so nimbly frame pitches. When he hurt his thumb, none of the available braces provided the ideal mix of prction and flexibility. So, he designed his own鈥攁 model he鈥檚 shared with fellow catchers and may one day market.
It鈥檚 why he added the digital fabrication minor through the School of Engineering: because the opportunity was there. If that鈥檚 your North Star in life, the prizes will come.
As he put it, if you鈥檙e consistent, and if you鈥檙e true to your principles, you鈥檙e going to be pretty good at whatever you do. No matter what happens in your first at-bat.
THREE QUESTIONS 鈥�
WHAT DOES COLLABORATION MEAN TO YOU?
鈥淓verything is more fun with others. The best part about being at Vanderbilt, being on Vanderbilt baseball, is being part of a team. Yes, we win a lot, and that’s obviously the goal. But if you told me about the score of a game against Ole Miss two years ago or four years ago, I’m not going to remember what I did. But I’m going to remember the time I spent with my teammates in the locker room after the game or the time we spent on Monday morning conditioning at God knows what hour. Those are the moments I’m going to remember for the rest of my life.鈥�
HOW DO YOU DARE TO GROW?
鈥淪tep by step, taking it one day at a time and not getting too ahead of myself. You obviously have a plan of what you want to do in your life, your season, your semester, but the only thing you can do at the present moment is accomplish the task at hand. Growing daily is a goal of mine. Learning about yourself can be hard, but it is really important to do.鈥�
VANDERBILT IS鈥�
鈥淰anderbilt is more than a university. It’s a place and an environment to hone my leadership skills. It teaches you the joy of personal development and being part of a team. My idea of Vanderbilt is a collaborative space.鈥�
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