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Maybe if he had been around four years later, or a few years earlier, things may have played out differently for Josh Rabe. Instead, he spent a lot of time in the Rochester Red Wings outfield before finally getting a call to the big leagues in the Twins terrific 2006 season. Shannon Stewart. Michael Cuddyer. Torii Hunter. Lew Ford. Jason Kubel. Those guys were all around, but Rabe didn’t give up and got to live out his dream of playing in the big leagues. Two years later, he was out of professional baseball. So, where is Josh Rabe now? An Illinois native, Rabe was the Twins 11th round pick out of Quincy University in 2000. He gradually worked his way up, and in 2006 reached his dreams of playing in the big leagues. He played a total of 38 games for the Twins between 2006 and 2007 and hit a combined .250/.268/.375 (.643) with a double, three home runs and nine RBI in 82 plate appearances. His playing career came to an end in 2008. So let's catch up with Josh Rabe.Recently Twins Daily caught up with the former Twins outfielder about getting drafted out of a small college, spending many years in the minor leagues, getting called up to the big leagues, and his post-playing career. A big thank you to Josh Rabe for his thoughtful responses to our questions. Last week, we shared the draft day stories and memories of many Twins players (past, present, future). We’ll start there with Josh Rabe. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Seth Stohs: Josh, what were your memories from your draft and what was the reaction from those around you? Josh Rabe: To answer your question: What was draft day like for me? I honestly thought the Cubs were going to draft me. They came to a lot of my games, and I did well when the cross checkers were there and I did well in the pre-draft workout at Wrigley A lot of people told me I was going anywhere from the 8th to the 13th round. In 2000, the internet was dial up, and you could not really follow the draft online. I was at home at my parents’ house in Mendon, Illinois, because that was the phone number I listed on all the draft questionnaires. Back then they did two days - rounds 1-20 and then 21-50. My college coach called around 11 and told me they were in the 4th round so be ready. I was sitting on my parents’ couch around 12:15 and the phone started ringing. I ran to the phone and on the other end was my mom's dentist. She called to remind her about her appointment the following week. I honestly cut her off and said, "We don't have call waiting. Today I am getting drafted, and I do not want to miss the phone call." I hung up on her after saying that. About 20 minutes later, Bill Milos from the Twins called and asked me "What are you doing?" I said, "Waiting for someone to draft me. That is what!!" He then told me I was the 2nd pick in the 11th round by the Twins, and he would call in two days to set up a meeting. Short call, couldn't really hear anything after that because my mom and dad were hooting and hollering. It was a big relief because I did not want to sleep on the fact that I was going to have to wait till Day 2 to get picked. After that, a couple of local news crews came to my family farm and interviewed me. I then went to a summer ball game that night and did a couple of radio and TV interviews. I went out with some friends that night and two days later signed with the Twins. I flew to Mini-Camp in Fort Myers, and the journey began. It was a long way from Mendon, Illinois, to the Metrodome. Seth Stohs: What was your development path? You weren't necessarily a top prospect, but you always put up strong numbers that few talked about. What did you think of the coaching you got through the minors, some of the guys that are still around? Josh Rabe: My development path was... COMPLICATED!!!! You are right. I was not a top prospect, always put up decent numbers, but I guess I wasn't toolsy enough to be on one of those LISTS!!! You have to remember, I came from Mendon, Illinois, and attended a D2 school called Quincy University. Big fish in the small pond in both spots. When I got to pro ball, that was an adjustment!! I listened to everyone, too many people probably my first year. I was blessed with a quick bat, but I did everything but be myself my first year of pro ball. It went so well for me that six weeks into it, I called my dad asking him to find all the football letters I got out of high school for when I got released at the end of the summer. I could go play college football!!! I had to hustle to hit .221 at Elizabethton!!! I might be the only Twins big leaguer ever to hit under .230 in that league. I was so bad I broke a Baum Bat, which some thought was impossible to do. I went to Instructional League and broke my hamate bone the second game. Hell of a first year for the kid from Quincy!!! Somehow, I got sent to Quad City to start my second year. I remember Jim Rantz was in town at the beginning of May. I went 0-4 in South Bend to take my batting average to .201. I was raking once again... I went back to the hotel, and I was pretty much prepared that I was probably a goner. My roommate that trip was having a cigarette on the balcony of the MOTEL we were staying in. He had the door open and saw that I was contemplating life. He takes a drag and said something that resonated with me. He said, "When you first signed, you did everything so natural. You ran around, didn't have a care in the world, had a natural stroke, and had more bat speed than anyone could hope for. Why do you let people mess with you all the time? Why don't you go back to what got you here and quit trying to listen to everyone that speaks? If I am going out, I am going out my way!!" He then got into a cab and went to the casino, which he did five nights a week. I thought that was great advice. I got to the ballpark early the next day and told the hitting coach Floyd Rayford that I was going to do some things differently that day. He looked at me and replied, "I don't care what you do, but you need to start getting some hits, dog!" I took some swings, pieced some stuff together and felt ok. We played a doubleheader that day and, thank god, we had some injuries so they HAD to play me and my .201 average. I went 4-6 that day in the 9 hole, hitting a couple of extra base hits and had a couple of RBI's. From that day until the All-Star break, I went from .201 to .311. I got hot and stayed hot. I never really stopped hitting for three years after that point. I went from a guy that thought I was going to get released in May of 2001 to a guy in Triple A in July of 2003 with two All Star game appearances. I had some GREAT coaches that made the game fun. Stan Cliburn was the best manager I ever played for. Guy just wanted to win!!! He didn't care about the prospect lists, man just wanted to win which was my style. I was one of his guys so I played everyday for him. Bill Springman is and was the best hitting guy I have ever had or ever been around. Guy is a damn horse whisperer. He is so positive and so knowledgeable. Joe Vavra is the hardest working coach I have ever seen. Guy would throw BP till his arm went numb, then switch arms and throw some more. I wish I had taped the baseball conversations I heard Paul Molitor and Tom Kelly have. When they would hold court in spring training, sit back and listen and learn. They forgot more about the game than about 90 percent of baseball knows. photo from Rochester Red Wings Seth Stohs: You spent about six years in the minor leagues, including almost three years in AAA. You probably saw a lot of teammates get that call. So, tell me about how you learned that you were heading up to the big leagues. Who told you? Teammates reactions? Who did you call? What kind of emotions did you experience? Josh Rabe: Three years? Hey, I spent parts of five seasons in Triple A. I believe I am the second longest tenured Red Wing of all time (Seth Note: Garrett Jones is now #1 on this prestigious list). Have to be infamous for something??? Triple A is hard because there are flame-throwing prospects and veterans who know how to pitch. When I was young and dumb, those veterans wore me out, and I am not ashamed to say that. (Torii) Hunter got hurt and had to go on the 15 day DL. I had just got done playing in the Triple A all star game. My dad called me and told me he thought I was going to get called up. It was a Sunday day game so I was heading early to the ballpark. I told my dad that I don't know if it going to happen and hung up on him. I got to the park and started to get dressed for BP. The trainer Tony Leo came to me and said the manager needs to see you. I went into Stan's office and he, his brother Stu and Jim Rantz were in the office. Stan didn't mess around. He said, "I never been so happy to tell someone that they are going to the big leagues than I am right now." He and Stu gave me a hug. Mr Rantz shook my hand and congratulated me. I walked out of the office and most of the team was waiting to shake my hand and congratulate me. Back then, the culture the Twins had with promotions was something special. They promoted from within and everyone pretty much pulled for each other and were genuinely happy when someone got a chance. I called my parents first. I called some friends, and then I called the parents of my best friend. My best friend had passed away about a month earlier so that was an emotional call. Honestly, it was a feeling of relief that I had finally got the call. Happy of course but a huge sigh of relief is all I can remember. Seth Stohs: While it's still part of the same line of thinking, what was the response when you go to the big league stadium that first day? How were you greeted by teammates and coaches there? Josh Rabe: I got some calls from some guys on my way. Terry Tiffee and Jason Bartlett called me and told me about the schedule. I had roomed with them for several years. Everyone congratulates you when you get to the clubhouse. The first day is a blur. 7:05 comes and it is THE SHOW... There is a reason they call it that and no other term could describe it better. Seth Stohs: Firsts... what are your memories of your first hit, and then your first home run in the big leagues? Josh Rabe: I remember my first at bat. I lined out to center on a 3-1 count. My first hit, 2-1 fastball, line drive to right center off Edwin Jackson. I remember Travis Lee congratulating me at first base. My mind was all over the place. My mom told me that the crowd gave me a standing ovation, but I didn't hear or see that. A lot of stuff goes through your mind during an event like that. The ball was in my locker after the game. No one messed with me. I gave it to my dad after the game. He could not believe it. He cried. First homer was off Nate Robertson. To be honest, I thought it was going to be a double. I remember seeing the second base ump signaling home run as I was approaching second base. I told myself to slow down, but my heart was going way too fast so my home run trot was more of a slow sprint. Rondell White mobbed me in the tunnel behind the dugout. I do not know what he is doing now, but he and Torii Hunter were two of the best guys for young rookies to be around. Rondell was a great dude and was a genuine, good person. Seth Stohs: You spent some time in an indy league, but tell me what the transition was for you from player into coaching? Is it something you'd always wanted to do? Josh Rabe: Time in the indy league!! Might be the only guy to go from the AL to the AL - Atlantic League!!! My back was a mess in ‘07. I had shoulder trouble, had to have surgery. During rehab, I couldn't do the rehab program because my back was acting up. So when you are a hurt mess and do not have a long term contract, they release you!! I thought I could still get healthy, all the other MLB teams thought otherwise that off season. I went to Indy ball and hit well. Only problem was I could not run anymore, hurt too much. So I could not play outfield everyday, had to DH most days. I had a week where I played outfield everyday and a couple of teams wanted to sign me. Literally was probably going to sign with an affiliated team the next day and my back acted up on me the night before. I sat around for a couple of days, was going to get another injection and go for it again. I was sitting in the doctor’s office, and I said to myself, "Enough is enough." Called the GM and said I'm done. Flew home the next day. I was 30, single, did not own a house, just moved from town to town and lived life to its fullest. My mom picked me up at the airport and asked if I was ok. I told her I had come to terms with my body just being done and I could not do it anymore. At that point I had no idea what I was going to do with the rest of my life. I sat around for about a week at my parents’ house contemplating my next move. I had bought an LSAT study book and considered going to Law School, which is something that I had always wanted to do. My college coach called me after about a week of being home and asked if I wanted to be a college coach. So I went to St Joseph's College and became the hitting coach there for two years. Quincy University, my alma mater, at the end of the 2010 school year fired their coach and hired me. Seth Stohs: You went to Quincy University in Illinois, and now you're the head coach there. What did you mean for you to get that job? Josh Rabe: I had not been home for 12 years. West Central Illinois is always going to be my home, no matter where life takes me. I love it here. I met my wife here. We have had our children here. It is a great place to live and raise a family. Quincy University gave me a chance and to work for them now means a lot. I get to help young men grow up and do the things they want to do in this world. It is a rewarding job to say the least. And I get to be around my family!!! Seth Stohs: Talk a little about your team's success in recent years, specifically this year. Josh Rabe: My first year at Quincy, we started off terrible. Somehow we righted the ship and won the conference and went to a NCAA Regional for the first time in seven years. That was the start of a successful run. We have won the GLVC conference title twice, been to four NCAA tournaments, and just finished going to the World Series for the first time in program history. We have had multiple draft picks and a ton of great people roll through this program. We offer a good education and great facilities for college baseball players to flourish at. photo by Brad Loper Seth: Finally, what are your goals for your program, leading the student athletes, from a baseball perspective, etc.? Josh Rabe: The ultimate goal for any program is to win a National Title. The chances of that happening at most programs is slim to none. That is not the case at Quincy. We were very close this year. We have the resources to make that happen. It is a great feeling knowing you have a chance every year to compete for a championship. The administration at Quincy needs to be commended for making that happen. It takes good people and money for stuff like that to happen, and I am in a fortunate spot that provides that. We keep it pretty simple philosophy-wise. We surround ourselves with high-character, talented people and turn them loose. That has been the recipe for our success. Seth Stohs: If anyone reads this and is interested in learning more about your baseball program, what is the best way for them to contact you and the program? Josh Rabe: Go to QUhawks.com for info about the program, or contact me at rabejo@quincy.edu with interest. Thank you again to Josh Rabe for taking time to answer our questions so well. Please feel free to ask questions or leave feedback below. Click here to view the article

Eight times in his career Harmon Killebrew hit 40 or more home runs. In 2016, Brian Dozier became the only other player in Minnesota Twins history to top the 40 home run mark. Killebrew led the American League in home runs six times. He also led the league in walks four times. Those of you reading a site dedicated to Minnesota Twins baseball know how great Harmon Killebrew was as a player. For many, it took his death in 2011 to realize the person he was. Yesterday, we wrote about the Cedar Rapids recipient of the Harmon Killebrew Award. For more on the award, click here. Today we want to highlight the Harmon Killebrew Award for Community Service recipient for the Ft. Myers Miracle, Trey Vavra. Vavra was the Twins 33rd-round pick in 2014 out of Florida Southern. He hit 20 doubles for Elizabethton that summer. In 2015, he moved up to Cedar Rapids. He was hitting .346/.406/.538 (.944) through 42 games with the Kernels before his season came to an unfortunate end due to an ankle injury and subsequent surgery. He spent last offseason playing in Melbourne, Australia. He was a member of the Melbourne Aces where he played with his older brother Tanner who was the Miracle recipient of the Killebrew Award in 2015 and the Cedar Rapids recipient in 2014. The siblings played for their father, Joe, a long-time Twins coach. ---------------------------------------------------------- Learn much more about Trey Vavra in this Twins Daily Get To Know ‘Em article from last year. ---------------------------------------------------------- Vavra played in 125 games in 2016 for the Miracle. Overall, he hit .230/.316/.326 (.642) with 17 doubles and eight home runs. He was a Florida State League All-Star and, at season’s end, was named the Miracle recipient of the Killebrew Award. We’ll be profiling all four of the 2016 Harmon Killebrew Award recipients this week. If you missed one, Check out the winners here: Cedar Rapids Kernels: Nelson Molina Ft. Myers Miracle: Trey Vavra Chattanooga Lookouts: Rochester Red Wings: Previous Winners: 2015, 2014, 2013,The award means a lot to Vavra. “The award was great to receive. I am truly lucky to have received it! I never met Mr. Killebrew, but his reputation is something I definitely remember and take seriously.” He continued, “Great to have an award with such a highly-regarded name.” The Ft. Myers Miracle organization does a tremendous job reaching out and staying very active in southwest Florida. Steve Gliner is the Miracle’s COO. He explained, “Having our players and staff involved in the Southwest Florida community is one of the best ways we can give back to the region that has supported the Miracle so well over the last 25 seasons. In the case of our players, we get requests for all kinds of community involvement including visiting schools and hospitals, helping kids learn the game of baseball via small camps and clinics, and having a presence at community events all throughout the year. The Minnesota Twins do a fantastic job of encouraging players to become involved in the communities in which they play. This helps us get great participation from the players and field staff all throughout the season. It means a great deal to us to be able to give back each season and throughout the year.” Vavra was quite active throughout the season. “I ‘worked’ primarily with the Boys and Girls club and Keep On Playing in Fort Myers. We did camps every month, followed with a point of emphasis on several topics like teamwork, perseverance, honesty, etc. Marnie Schneider coordinated that and she is great at explaining everything we did! Also did things with the handicapped, helped out with kids camps, and read to kids/played catch with at the Sanibel library.” Marnie Schneider is the director of Keep on Playing. Of Vavra’s presence at the clinics, she was quite impressed. “Trey is a man with a super big heart, who's full of grace. Keep On Playing was fortunate to have Trey participate in each of our baseball clinics this season. Trey made such a positive impact with the kids we work with, and he was always the last one to leave our clinics, always making sure that, even if we were way over time, the kids all had a chance to play baseball and learn something. The kids all gravitate to Trey, and he is able to communicate his love for baseball through his involvement and care. Being a professional athlete is a responsibility that Trey clearly cherishes, and he understands the job comes with responsibilities. He hits it way out of the park every time, not only when he's at bat, but when he's volunteering his time which he does so effortlessly. He makes us all want to be better. That's what a pro he is!” Gliner said of the Miracle’s choice of Vavra as its Killebrew Award recipient, “Trey was a clear choice to represent the Miracle for the Killebrew Award. Trey would always volunteer his time for any community appearance we had on the calendar. When he attended these events, he was always personable and willing to help and participate in any way. He shows tremendous leadership when he shows up to an appearance. He would always immediately jump in and take charge by asking what was needed, and then take the ball and run with it. There was not an event that he would say no to.” Vavra said he is not going to play winter ball this year. He has a plan for his offseason. “I plan on working, training, and getting my lower half as strong and quick as it was before I got injured.” The Florida State League can be grueling for the players. The heat and humidity has a tendency to wear out players over the course of the season. It’s very rigorous physically, but can be equally difficult mentally. Yet through it all, Vavra was willing to volunteer his time and energy to helping youth in any way he could. Gliner added, “The impact he had on the kids was just awesome to witness firsthand.” We’ll give the final word to Marnie Schneider. “I know that Trey has influenced more than a few kids who only watched football before. He turned them into huge baseball, Twins, and Miracle fans!! Trey, simply put, is a star and exactly what we want our role models to be!” Click here to view the article

Several Minnesota Twins minor leaguers are playing in a Winter League abroad. We have been posting weekly updates from the Arizona Fall League, and Steve Lien will post this week's later today. But there are also players playing in Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Australia. Check out how they've done in the early stages of the Winter Leagues.Venezuela Winter League The Venezuelan baseball league began about two weeks ago. Several Twins minor leaguers are playing. Here is a quick update of how they have done to this point. Shortstop Argenis Diaz is playing for Aragua. He is hitting .500/.571/1.000 (1.571). Sounds great, but he has just six at bats so far. He is 3-6 with a double and a triple. One walk.Infielder Jose Martinez is also playing for Aragua. He is 6-34, hitting .176/.222/.176 with two walks.Heiker Meneses plays for LaGuiara. He is hitting .208/.345/.250 (.595) with a double and two walks. He is 5-24.Engelb Vielma is also playing for Aragua. He is 9-47, hitting .191/.255/.234 (.489). He has two doubles, two walks and two stolen bases.Omar Bencomo was signed in early August by the Twins out of independent baseball. He is pitching for Margarita. He has made four starts and is 0-1 with a 3.60 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP. In 20 innings, he has given up 23 hits, walked four and struck out nine.Brett Lee has pitched twice for Caracas. The lefty is 0-0 with a 5.68 ERA and a 1.58 WHIP. In 6.1 innings, he has given up eight hits, walked two and struck out two.Logan Darnell has pitched twice, making one start. In 9.1 innings, he has given up four hits, two walks and struck out eight. He is 0-0 with a 0.96 ERA and a 0.64 WHIP. Opponents are hitting just .121.Dominican Winter League Game has been played in the Dominican for the last two weeks as well. Carlos Paulino is playing for Gigantes. He has gone 9-28. He’s hitting .321/.457/.357 (.814) with a double. He has also walked seven times already.Jorge Polanco plays for Escogito. He is hitting .293/.396/.463 (.859). He is 12-41 with two triples and a home run. He has seven walks to go with just six strikeouts.Righty Adrian Salcedo pitched just once and went two innings. He gave up one hit, walked one and struck out three. He also got the Win in that game.Mexican Winter League The Mexican Winter League gets started pretty quickly following the major league regular season. To this point, two Twins minor leaguers have played. Reynaldo Rodriguez plays for Obregon. The first baseman is hitting .236/.313/.472 (.785). He has gone 17-72. He has three doubles, a triple and four home runs. He has also walked eight times.Mark Hamburger is also playing for Obregon. The reliever has pitched 10.1 innings in 13 appearances. He is 1-2 with a 6.97 ERA and a 1.94 WHIP. He’s given up 16 hits, walked four and struck out seven.Puerto Rico Winter League This is a short report. Games started in Puerto Rico this weekend and just one Twins player played so far. Danny Ortiz played for Mayaguez and went 0-5 on opening night. Australian Baseball League Teams is the ABL typically play Friday through Sunday. Often they play doubleheaders on Saturdays. The stats below are through Sunday afternoon’s games (even though it’s posted Sunday morning). Geography and time zone knowledge reminds us that they are 15-19 hours ahead of us in the United States. Here are the Twins minor leaguers who have played so far. There are several former Twins players who are also in the league including Luke Hughes who plays for Perth. Allan de San Miguel is the catcher and cleanup hitter for the Perth Heat. Through two weekends, he has hit .240/.296/.320 (.616). He has gone 6-25 with a walk and two doubles.Catcher Michael Quesada is playing for Sydney. He is hitting .235/.458/.294 (752) with a double. He is 4-17 with five walks. He has also been hit twice.Logan Wade played the first weekend, but not the second weekend, for Brisbane. He went 3-10 with a home run.Also playing for Brisbane is outfielder/second baseman Aaron Whitefield. He has not yet played in the States. He has started the season by going 8-26. He’s hitting .308/.308/.308 (.616).Tanner Vavra played for Melbourne. He has primarily played second base but also seen time at shortstop. He had a big game on Sunday afternoon. He is 5-18, hitting .278/.409/.500 (.909) with three walks, a double and a homer. He hit a home run on Sunday afternoon to tie the game at one. In his next at bat, with runners on second and third and two outs, he doubled in both runs.Trey Vavra also plays for Melbourne. He is playing first base and batting third. He is hitting .393/.414/.536 (.950) with a walk, a double and a home run. He is 11-28.As you recall, Joe Vavra – Tanner and Trey’s dad – became the first active MLB coach to also be a manager in the Australian Baseball League when he agreed to manage Melbourne. He had previously managed in the ABL back in the early 90s when he was a coach in the Dodgers farm system.Major League Baseball provides a lot of dollars for the ABL. The league is full of players from Australia, but it also includes players from minor league teams in the States and teams in Japan. We will post an update on the goings-on in the Winter Leagues from time to time. Please feel free to ask quest Click here to view the article

Trey Vavra got the day off on Monday. On Tuesday, he went 3-5 including a big three-run homer that jump-started a big offensive game for the Cedar Rapids Kernels. On Wednesday night in Wisconsin, Vavra went 4-4 in the Kernels win. As you’re reading this, he is hitting a robust .372 with seven extra base hits in his 11 games. Trey Vavra is the son of Minnesota Twins bench coach Joe Vavra and the younger brother of Ft. Myers infielder Tanner Vavra. You’ll find out below that his family support is very important to his development.It has been a long and winding road to professional baseball for Vavra. It’s been a good story to this point since he signed with the Twins after being their 33rd round draft pick in 2014. Treysen Vavra was born about a month before the Minnesota Twins won the World Series in 1991 and grew up in Menomonie, Wisconsin. He played baseball and hockey growing up. In fact, he was leaning toward playing hockey rather than baseball after high school. “All through the summer, I was deciding whether I was going to play hockey or baseball,” Trey said, “I decided I was going to play hockey. I had a whole bunch of Juniors teams that I had the opportunity to go play for. I had it all lined up to go to Alaska to play. That was kind of the route I was looking to go to. Then Tanner got red-shirted, so I decided I’d go play baseball. Tanner was playing at Madison Area Technical College. They had been teammates in hockey, but the two had not been teammates often in their youth baseball. So it was a good opportunity for both of them. “For hockey, we were teammates all the way up. Two years in a row, I got to play on varsity with him. For baseball, I was a sophomore. He was a senior. I just got called up for playoffs, so not much there. Obviously I was the little brother tagging along. If someone didn’t show up, I’d play outfield, but that’s when we were little.” Trey Vavra played in two NJCAA World Series at Madison, finishing third (with Tanner) and then fourth. Both years, he was named the Most Outstanding Defensive Player and to the All-Tournament team. Following his two years of junior college, Vavra accepted a full-ride scholarship to Division I Eastern Illinois. He played every game and hit well. In fact, he was named the team’s MVP. However, he wasn’t drafted. The school proved not to be a great situation for him on the baseball field. A straight-A student, there were also academic reasons that he decided to transfer following that school year. During his summers, he played in the Northwoods League, for the Duluth Huskies. “It was awesome. I got to stay at my aunt in Superior. That was incredible. Obviously she is a huge supporter of me.” Four of his teammates were playing at Florida Southern, a Division II school in Lakeland, Florida. That’s where Vavra decided to spend his final year of baseball eligibility. The school also gave him the opportunity to graduate with a degree that year. He explained, “I went to Eastern Illinois. I was under the impression that I could get out of school in two years because I was a straight-A student. First academic meeting, I learned that was not the case. I lost most of my credits when I transferred there,” He continued. “So then I went to Florida Southern and I got all those credits back. If you get A’s in all your credits, they transfer universally. I didn’t know that at the time.” Vavra graduated a year ago with a degree in Business Administration. The Florida Southern decision was also good for Vavra on the baseball field. The head coach for Florida Southern is former big leaguer Lance Niekro, the son of former Twins pitcher, Joe Niekro, and the nephew of Hall of Fame pitcher Phil Niekro. Lance Niekro spent parts of four seasons with the San Francisco Giants and is still just 36 years old. Vavra recalls, “Phil was at all of our games, all of our home games.” But it wasn’t just the Niekro family that sat in the stands of Florida Southern games. “One of the assistant coaches was Colin Kaline. Al Kaline is his grandpa. The Tigers are right there in Lakeland. He came to all of our games. Charley Manuel came out to scout most of us for the Phillies. We had all of those guys there. ” Vavra played well. He led the conference in most offensive categories including hits, doubles and home runs. He began to hear from a lot of scouts early in the season. When draft day came in June of 2014, he wasn’t sure where he would go or when. Was he expecting to still be there when the Twins picked in the 33rd round? “No! They projected me to go anywhere from 15 to 20, somewhere in there. As a senior, I kind of expected to go around the 20th round. It didn’t work out.” Though his dad and brother were in the Twins organization, he wasn’t necessarily expecting to be taken by the Twins. “I actually didn’t talk to the Twins nearly as much as the other teams. After those rounds passed, I was just looking to get picked so that I could keep playing and didn’t have the Indy ball route. I just wanted to keep playing and very thankful that the Twins picked me up.” Trey Vavra signed quickly and was assigned to the Elizabethton Twins. He adjusted well to pro ball and had a terrific season with the E-Twins. In 50 games, he hit .319/.392/.454 (.846) with 20 doubles and a home run. It was important for him to succeed right away and know that he belonged. He said, “Everyone is a top-tier player. For me, as a 33rd round pick, I was trying to just fit in, rather than be The Man at first. At this level, everyone is the same. Once you’re drafted, it’s what you do with your opportunity. That’s the biggest thing I had to overcome, just to go out there and play.” He was able to learn under the tutelage of the veteran coaching staff at Elizabethton. Manager Ray Smith was in his 28th season on the Elizabethton coaching staff, 21 of them as manager. Hitting Coach Jeff Reed was in his 13th season as the Elizabethton hitting coach. Vavra had not met either of the former big leaguers previously, but he said he learned a tremendous amount from each. “Those are two great coaches to start out with. Jeff was out there every day working with me. I couldn’t thank him enough. We got into a routine, and he helped me not just hit the ball the other way, or hit the ball pull side, but drive the ball. He told me to not get some complacent hitting singles, but drive the ball.” Vavra has played several positions defensively. In college, he mainly played first base and third base and also got some time in the outfield. With Elizabethton, he played first base and left field. He knows that being able to play different positions will be important to his playing career. Following the Elizabethton season, he was invited to the Twins Florida Instructional League where he added another position to his resume. “I played 3B and 1B in college, spotty outfielder once in a while. I’d never caught before, in a game, before Instructs. That’s kind of the new project. I don’t really care as long as I get to hit.” In fact, he believes that his defensive versatility helps him on the offensive side of the game, especially on the bases. “Playing out there, playing all the different positions, it helps me offensively too. What they’re doing. How they’re playing me. What’s a tough throw for the left fielder if he’s going to the gap? Be more aggressive on the base paths.” Hitting is what Trey Vavra likes to do the most. How does he describe himself as a hitter? “That’s my thing, is to stay in the gaps. I’ve been taught that all the way up. Work off the other side. If the guy comes up, you can pull the hands. I just try to stay the other way, drive the ball the other way, up the middle, left-center. If the guy tries to run one in on me, I can still react in.” THE VAVRA FAMILY Treysen Vavra is the middle child of Joe and Lesa Vavra. Tanner is the eldest son, currently an infielder with the Miracle. Terrin is the youngest, a senior in high school who, as one might expect, is quite a baseball player. As you know, Joe has held several jobs within the Twins organization including third base coach and hitting coach of the big league club before being named the team’s bench coach by manager Paul Molitor. Lesa Vavra has been a huge influence on her boys and their paths. She did it all for the family. According to Trey, “Mom was the taxi. She’s the rock, for sure. My dad’s gone pretty much nine months out of the year. She always keeps us positive. It’s crazy how much she’s done for us. She keeps all of our schedules straight. When I was in college, she had her iPad watching me in college, listening to Tanner’s game and watching Terrin’s game. Or vice versa. In high school, we all played three sports, so she led all of our stuff for that.” He continued, “My mom was our hitting coach when he’s (Dad) not there. It’s kind of funny. She’s the one getting all the phone calls and then he gets the fun ones. When we played well, we called him.” Joe was always a good ear for the boys, but he has also let them be themselves. “The one thing I would say, from him, is he always says ‘Hit the ball hard. Drive the ball.’ That always stuck with me. If you’re struggling, it’s real easy to just flip the balls and get your hits rather than drive the ball hitting line drives. Nothing mechanical with him. He doesn’t talk to us any about mechanics because he’s not here. It’s just ‘Be on time and go out there and drive the ball.’” It is also very clear that Trey really looks up to and admires his older brother, Tanner. “In terms of what he’s done for me, talk about a story of never letting anything get in your way. Talk about a worker. He set the tempo for how to act as a professional for me. Not even as a professional, but as a college player, and how you work. Like I said, I was going to play hockey so I went the route to go ‘play’ baseball. He was like ‘No, you don’t just play. You’ve got to work at it.’ That’s helped me a lot. I can’t say enough good things about him.” Likewise, Tanner is very proud of Trey. “Trey is a great kid, and a great brother. He's a good person and a good ball player. Off the field he is a simple guy. He will probably be fishing with Max Murphy and never has given anyone problems. On the field, he is simply going to give his best every play and going to try to find a way to win. He is a competitor and a good teammate. They don't come much better than him.” Regarding their youngest brother, Terrin, Trey beams with pride. “He’s the best of the three of us. What hurts him is he’s in the middle of nowhere in Wisconsin. Exposure-wise, it’s tough. He’s got a dozen-and-a-half D1 offers right now. He throws 90 off the mound in high school, plays short, bats left-handed. He’s going to find a spot somewhere.” LOOKING FORWARD Trey Vavra is off to a terrific start with the Cedar Rapids Kernels. Through his first 11 games, he has hit .372/.400/.698 (1.098) with three doubles, a triple, three home runs and 11 RBI. If there were a Player of the Half-Month of April, he would likely be the front-runner. His hitting coach this year with the Kernels, Tommy Watkins, is really impressed with Vavra and his approach at the plate. “Vavra has an idea. He’s a baseball guy, been around the game. He knows how to handle the bat. He’s very easy to work with. He has a plan. For him, it’s just fine-tuning.” Vavra doesn’t like to make statistical goals for his season. “I try not to put any numbers out there because you can either trap yourself getting to that number or if you pass that number. So I’m just trying to stay on the path that I was on last year and continue to drive the ball. Obviously we want to win the whole thing. It’s pretty early, but we’ve got a good group of guys. Hopefully we can keep winning.” On the current Cedar Rapids Kernels’ roster, you will find that 17 players were drafted in 2014. “A lot of these guys are from E-Town last year, and we played together in the playoffs with them. You know what guys can do and what guys can’t do. You start playing off that. You have guys from last year’s team like (Zach) Granite and (Zack) Larson. Larson is our middle of the lineup guy. Granite’s a guy that’s going to steal a lot of bags and get on base and create some havoc out there. I’m pretty excited about it.” He concluded by saying, “That’s what we have to do, just go out there and stay on the path, try not to get to up or too down.” It’s early, but there have already been a lot of “ups” in Trey Vavra’s professional career. Hopefully he’ll continue to take professional at-bats, drive the ball and then make adjustments. That’s the key for every ballplayer, whether a first round pick, or a 33rd round pick. He’s on a good team with close teammates and coaches who are very supportive and encouraging. As you read above, he also has some very strong family support. He’s certainly a player that Twins fans can cheer for. Click here to view the article