Vail was original drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the seventeenth round of the 1970 Major League Baseball draft as a senior at Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose, California. He declined, choosing, instead, to attend De Anza College. Seven months later, the St. Louis Cardinals selected him in the fourth round of the January 1971 secondary draft.\n', '

Through his first three seasons in the Cardinals\' farm system, Vail batted .256 with 27 home runs & 158 runs batted in. In 1974, his fourth season in professional baseball split evenly between the class A Modesto Reds & the double A Arkansas Travelers, Vail batted .334 with fifteen home runs & 76 RBIs. After the season, he & shortstop Jack Heidemann were dealt to the New York Mets for infielder Ted Martinez.\n', '

His first season in the Mets\' organization, Vail batted .342 with seven home runs & 79 RBIs for the Tidewater Tides to earn the 1975 International League "Player of the Year" award. He was called up to the majors in August, and got a pinch hit single off Houston Astros ace J. R. Richard in his first major league at bat. On August 22, Vail went 2-for-5 against the San Francisco Giants. Three days later, Vail went 4-for-4 with two doubles & an RBI against the San Diego Padres. He was intentionally walked in his fifth plate appearance in the ninth inning. From there, he proceeded to tie a modern Major League rookie record 23 game hitting streak. Over the course of this streak, Vail batted .364 with three home runs & fifteen RBIs.\n', '

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