Published: Friday, July 9, 2010
Exciting times for Rodland
Snohomish’s Kevin Rodland is having fun as he begins his pro baseball career with the Spokane Indians
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Sarah Weiser / The Herald
The Spokane Indians’ Kevin Rodland has a big grin on his face as he works out prior to Thursday night’s game against the AquaSox at Everett Memorial Stadium.
EVERETT — Kevin Rodland was mentally preparing himself for the possibility of life after baseball.
The Snohomish High School graduate had just finished his senior season at the University of Nevada. He knew there was a chance he’d be picked in the amateur draft, but had no guarantees. Also an accomplished student, Rodland was even taking a summer class at Nevada just in case the time had arrived to enter the real world.
So there was a hint of irony about how Rodland found out he’d been selected by the Texas Rangers.
“I was walking to my summer class in the morning when I got the phone call from the Rangers,” recalled Rodland, who returned to the area Thursday as a member of the Northwest League’s Spokane Indians. “So that was exciting, I was pretty pumped to get another chance to play.”
And the real world is going to have to wait for Rodland as he embarks on his professional baseball career.
So far Rodland’s pro career is off to a slow start. Going into Thursday night’s game against the Everett AquaSox at Everett Memorial Stadium — a field where he played countless games during high school and as a member of the Everett Merchants — he was batting just .133 through his first 12 games. But he’s thoroughly enjoying his professional experience.
“I think it’s been a lot better than I expected,” Rodland said prior to Thursday’s game. “You hear that minor-league baseball is such a grind and some people don’t like it. I’m loving it. I’m having a great time. I’m learning a ton and it’s been fun. The development stages and the working out, all the things you do with pro ball, I really enjoy.”
But five weeks ago there was no certainty Rodland would get his chance.
Rodland’s had a decorated baseball career. The 22-year-old, who is the youngest of a four brothers who created an athletic dynasty at Snohomish, was a four-time all-Wesco selection for the Panthers, and he still holds school records.
He spent one season at the University of Arizona before transferring to Nevada for his final three. This spring as a senior for the Wolf Pack he batted .256 with eight home runs, 41 RBI and 16 stolen bases in 56 games. He also drew 33 walks and was hit by pitches an astounding 21 times, giving him an impressive .404 on-base percentage.
Yet when Nevada’s season ended on May 28, Rodland was left wondering what his future held.
“There was definitely a week there after our season was over and before the draft where I wasn’t sure of things,” Rodland said. “I had heard good things about the draft, but you never know until draft day comes. I didn’t want to set all my goals and aspirations to this if it didn’t work out. So there were a few days where I had time to sit back and wonder if this was it.”
Rodland had to wait until the third day of the draft before finding out his baseball career was going to continue, being picked in the 34th round by Texas. The Rangers assigned Rodland to Spokane, giving him a chance to play in Everett again, though this time as a visiting player.
“I never imagined I’d be playing against the AquaSox,” said Rodland, who grew up attending both Everett Giants and AquaSox games during the summer. “It’s definitely a blessing. I played on this field the last few summers with the Merchants, but it’s not the same as pro ball. It’s real exciting and it’s going to be fun.”
Throughout the draft process Rodland had an excellent resource to draw upon. His oldest brother, Eric, was drafted in the ninth round of the 2003 draft by the Detroit Tigers and spent four seasons in the minors. Therefore, the elder Rodland was able to provide insight and wisdom.
“We just kind of talked about what getting picked in which round means, how to handle the draft, whether or not to get an agent and the pluses and minuses of that,” Rodland said. “He was just there to answer questions and be supportive, be a big brother.
“To have someone so close to me who went through (the draft) and was successful in it, it was great for me because he kind of relaxed me,” Rodland added. “He said, ‘Hey, this is what’s going to happen, this is how you handle it.’ So it was a good thing for me, for sure.”
Rodland was a standout student in both high school, where he was class Valedictorian, and in college, where he was a member of the Nevada Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and twice attended the NCAA Leadership Conference. Therefore, his future appeared bright regardless of whether or not it involved baseball.
But now that he’s got a shot at pro baseball, he’s going to give it his all.
“It’s the first time in my life where I’ve been able to completely dedicate myself to baseball,” said Rodland, who’s expecting crowds of up to 60 supporters during the series with the Sox. “Before that it’s always been baseball, school and something else. Now it’s just baseball, so it’s fun. I just want to be the best baseball player I can be.”
The Snohomish High School graduate had just finished his senior season at the University of Nevada. He knew there was a chance he’d be picked in the amateur draft, but had no guarantees. Also an accomplished student, Rodland was even taking a summer class at Nevada just in case the time had arrived to enter the real world.
So there was a hint of irony about how Rodland found out he’d been selected by the Texas Rangers.
“I was walking to my summer class in the morning when I got the phone call from the Rangers,” recalled Rodland, who returned to the area Thursday as a member of the Northwest League’s Spokane Indians. “So that was exciting, I was pretty pumped to get another chance to play.”
And the real world is going to have to wait for Rodland as he embarks on his professional baseball career.
So far Rodland’s pro career is off to a slow start. Going into Thursday night’s game against the Everett AquaSox at Everett Memorial Stadium — a field where he played countless games during high school and as a member of the Everett Merchants — he was batting just .133 through his first 12 games. But he’s thoroughly enjoying his professional experience.
“I think it’s been a lot better than I expected,” Rodland said prior to Thursday’s game. “You hear that minor-league baseball is such a grind and some people don’t like it. I’m loving it. I’m having a great time. I’m learning a ton and it’s been fun. The development stages and the working out, all the things you do with pro ball, I really enjoy.”
But five weeks ago there was no certainty Rodland would get his chance.
Rodland’s had a decorated baseball career. The 22-year-old, who is the youngest of a four brothers who created an athletic dynasty at Snohomish, was a four-time all-Wesco selection for the Panthers, and he still holds school records.
He spent one season at the University of Arizona before transferring to Nevada for his final three. This spring as a senior for the Wolf Pack he batted .256 with eight home runs, 41 RBI and 16 stolen bases in 56 games. He also drew 33 walks and was hit by pitches an astounding 21 times, giving him an impressive .404 on-base percentage.
Yet when Nevada’s season ended on May 28, Rodland was left wondering what his future held.
“There was definitely a week there after our season was over and before the draft where I wasn’t sure of things,” Rodland said. “I had heard good things about the draft, but you never know until draft day comes. I didn’t want to set all my goals and aspirations to this if it didn’t work out. So there were a few days where I had time to sit back and wonder if this was it.”
Rodland had to wait until the third day of the draft before finding out his baseball career was going to continue, being picked in the 34th round by Texas. The Rangers assigned Rodland to Spokane, giving him a chance to play in Everett again, though this time as a visiting player.
“I never imagined I’d be playing against the AquaSox,” said Rodland, who grew up attending both Everett Giants and AquaSox games during the summer. “It’s definitely a blessing. I played on this field the last few summers with the Merchants, but it’s not the same as pro ball. It’s real exciting and it’s going to be fun.”
Throughout the draft process Rodland had an excellent resource to draw upon. His oldest brother, Eric, was drafted in the ninth round of the 2003 draft by the Detroit Tigers and spent four seasons in the minors. Therefore, the elder Rodland was able to provide insight and wisdom.
“We just kind of talked about what getting picked in which round means, how to handle the draft, whether or not to get an agent and the pluses and minuses of that,” Rodland said. “He was just there to answer questions and be supportive, be a big brother.
“To have someone so close to me who went through (the draft) and was successful in it, it was great for me because he kind of relaxed me,” Rodland added. “He said, ‘Hey, this is what’s going to happen, this is how you handle it.’ So it was a good thing for me, for sure.”
Rodland was a standout student in both high school, where he was class Valedictorian, and in college, where he was a member of the Nevada Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and twice attended the NCAA Leadership Conference. Therefore, his future appeared bright regardless of whether or not it involved baseball.
But now that he’s got a shot at pro baseball, he’s going to give it his all.
“It’s the first time in my life where I’ve been able to completely dedicate myself to baseball,” said Rodland, who’s expecting crowds of up to 60 supporters during the series with the Sox. “Before that it’s always been baseball, school and something else. Now it’s just baseball, so it’s fun. I just want to be the best baseball player I can be.”
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