Plenty of major leaguers have grown up around the game. Some are the sons of high school or college coaches or of former pro athletes.
Orioles infielder/outfielder Terrin Vavra, though, was one of the truly lucky ones. His father, Joe, played in the minors and has spent more than two decades in pro ball, including a 12-year stint as hitting coach, third base coach and bench coach with the Minnesota Twins.
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Vavra’s two older brothers, Tanner and Trey, both played in the minor leagues, and helped cultivate the youngest Vavra’s love of the game. But nothing provided a more fertile training ground for Vavra’s baseball development than being around the Twins’ big leaguers as a pre-teen and teenager.
While his dad would be in the dugout coaching during games, Vavra often would be in the indoor batting cage putting balls on a tee for the game’s reserves or designated hitters, which included former MVPs Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau. So, a kid who wanted to be a ballplayer more than anything had a front-row seat watching the best hitters in the game take hacks and prepare to hit.
It was an invaluable experience for Vavra, and, in one sense, helped pave the way for last July 29, when he became the first member of his immediate family to debut in the big leagues.
Vavra, 25, talked with The Athletic about his upbringing, his other favorite sport and life as a new dad. Questions and answers have been edited for brevity and clarity.
What did it mean to you to grow up in a baseball family?
I think the thing that made it the most important was just watching my brothers go through it and watching my dad kind of have to work his way up. But really just understanding that nothing is a given and you have to work pretty hard to get here. And there are a lot of people that make it to pro ball but never make it to the big leagues and what an accomplishment that is. Getting to watch my brothers go through it and grind and lead the way. And they came up short, but ultimately that had a big influence on me to keep pushing forward.
What was it like to share that big-league-debut moment with your family?
It was really cool. I know my dad has spent his time in the big leagues, and he has watched a lot of baseball and he is a big part of who we are. So, I think that for him to get to see it come to fruition for one of his boys is pretty special.
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What was the conversation like when you told your brothers, both former minor leaguers, that you made it?
At the time I called them, we weren’t really sure what it was gonna look like because we didn’t know if I was going to get activated or not. But my brothers were actually with me the series before in Triple A. They had headed home, and I was calling them and saying they may need to book a flight back out because I was gonna be going to Baltimore. And they were able to come and be there for different parts of it. I was pretty grateful for that.
People enjoy your style of play: hard-nosed, gritty, versatile, selective. Does that come from being in a baseball family and being around the game so much?
I think so. I know that my skill set doesn’t allow me to do certain things. I’m not gonna hit the ball out of the ballpark all that often. I can, but it’s not a big part of my game. So, I’ve got to find different ways to impact the game. And I was fortunate to learn not only from my dad and my brothers, but also from some of the guys that were in the clubhouse with the Twins when I was growing up and just watching them play and how they grinded, no matter how talented they were. Each of them brought something different to the table.
One of the stories about you growing up is how you would put balls on the tee for players like Joe Mauer as he hit in batting cages. What was that like and is that something you’ll always remember?
Absolutely. In some of my dad’s early years (coaching the Twins), I was at probably almost half the home games, and I would just sit in the cage, help pick up baseballs and watch all of them hit. And I’d kind of stay out of their way. Then, during the games, they only had one hitting coach at the time, and so my dad had to be out in the dugout. So, I’d help out if I could, pick up balls for them, when (Mauer) was DH or help put the balls on the tee for him. That was something I definitely did. And all those guys were awesome to me when I was there. They treated me really well and were good role models to look up to. It was pretty special, looking back on it.
Do you still keep in touch with any of those guys?
Yeah. Actually, when we were playing the Twins (in spring training) I saw Justin Morneau. He came (to Sarasota), and I was talking to him a little bit before the game. And then Joe was at Fort Myers when we went down there, too. So, I got to see him and talk to him. And they’ll shoot me a text every now and then. They let me do my own thing. I know they’ve got their families and they’re enjoying their time away from the game now. But they’re definitely still in contact with my dad and check in with me. And I appreciate that.
When you see Colton Hyde, manager Brandon Hyde’s 15-year-old son, hanging around the clubhouse and the players, does that remind you of your time with the Twins?
Absolutely. Colton is gonna look back on these memories one day and he’s gonna be pretty grateful for them. You can see him taking shape as a player of his own and I think he has a bright future. And I think as long as he keeps soaking this in and not taking it for granted, it can be really helpful for him looking back.
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When you were growing up, was it all baseball all the time, or was there something else you enjoyed or wanted to be?
Hockey was big in our area, and I loved hockey. Probably loved it just as much as baseball if not more. Baseball was something that I sacrificed a lot of time for, but I never wanted to give up any hockey reps. So, I appreciated the hockey season and the grind of that. It’s a completely different sport. It’s very physical and something I really enjoyed.
How long did you stick with hockey? What position did you play?
I played it all the way through my senior year in high school. I played forward.
Were you a goal scorer?
Yeah, I scored a little bit. We had a tough conference for Wisconsin hockey. A smaller school (Menomonie High), so we had to tooth-and-nail everybody, scratch and claw to try to take down some of the bigger schools. But that was who we were, and it was pretty fun to be a part of.
I know college hockey is huge in that part of the country. Who did you root for?
I was a (University of Wisconsin) Badger fan growing up in Wisconsin. But then when I went (to the University of) Minnesota, obviously I got to meet a bunch of the Gopher players and now I’m a diehard Gopher fan. I’m cheering them on as they go through the tournament (Minnesota was defeated by Quinnipiac in overtime of the Frozen Four championship game Saturday). It’s pretty exciting.
How did that work your freshman year, a Badger fan at Minnesota?
I grew up so close to the Minnesota border that it was like 50-50 Badger-Gopher fans (in Menomonie). So, it was a pretty easy transition. I was about three and a half hours from Madison and only an hour from Minneapolis. I didn’t get too much crap. But it was something that when I committed to Minnesota that I had the talk with my family, like, “You know what? I’m gonna have to be a Gopher fan, I think.” And I made that transition pretty early in my time there. And I loved Minnesota. So, it made it pretty easy.
Did you go to a lot of UM hockey games when you were there?
Oh yeah. We created some pretty good relationships with some of those hockey guys, whether it was in the dorms or after. A pretty tight bond with them. A lot of them were former baseball players and so it was pretty fun.
These past few months have been crazy for you, debuting in the majors in July and becoming a first-time dad in August to a baby girl, Tatum. What has that been like?
It’s been great. It’s been really fun to be able to be at home and see her grow and just watch those transitional phases of her life shaping out. There’s been some challenges, no doubt, but overall, it’s an incredibly positive, unbelievable experience. I am so grateful for her and so grateful for all my wife does for her and I’m really excited to keep watching her grow and to achieve the next milestone. And for her to be along in this journey with me and my wife.
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Tell me a little bit about your wife, Carlie. How did you meet her? What does she do?
I met Carlie at college at the University of Minnesota towards the end of my freshman year and she graduated from the U of M. She was on the dance team there. She won a few national championships of her own. She had her own sports team in college, and I think that really helped us connect and understand our values and everything. Basically, when she graduated, she went into health insurance. Started working for Cigna and Evernorth Health, and now she is taking a leave and is a stay-at-home mom.
Tatum was born during last season. How tough was it being away from her almost immediately?
That was probably one of the trickiest parts of my career. Only getting to go home for three days and then having to come back. Especially with it being our first kid, and not really being able to be there for things to help my wife. It was a challenge. But thankfully we have a really great support system at home that helped her out and us out. Her family, my family were huge in the process. A huge thanks to them. But no doubt it was tough coming back and getting back into baseball mode. But at the same point we were at a pretty pivotal point of our season, so it was easy to kind of switch gears and focus back on the task at hand.
How often did you see Tatum for the rest of that season?
She came out to Baltimore when she was 3 weeks old for about four days. And then that was the only time I got to see her until the season ended.
So how much time did you spend with her when you got home?
Every day. As much as I could. (Laughs). The only time I was not with her was when she was sleeping or when I was working out, training.
OK, dance competitions. I’m sure you went to a lot of them. Did you ever figure out the scoring?
I went to every one I could. And no. No. It’s very subjective. It’s a different world. Something that is very intense, very competitive and definitely opened my eyes and made me have a huge appreciation for Carlie and her teammates and her coaches and all they had to go through.
You lived with Kyle Stowers, Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson in previous springs. Did they kick you out because you’re an old dad now?
No. (Laughs.) They have been great. They are very understanding of my family and them being (in Sarasota), but they made me feel just as included as ever. That’s why they are who they are and why they’re some of the most important people in my life. And I’m so grateful for them.
Obviously, baseball and your family are your two priorities now. But is there anything else you like to do with your spare time?
Out of season, I love golfing. Recently, this past offseason, we got into pickleball. My parents and my wife. Kind of everyone. My brothers got into it. My sisters-in-law. It’s been kind of our new thing. It’s been really fun.
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Anything else?
I like cooking.
So, if say Stowers comes over to the house, what meal are you making him?
I’m gonna try to make him my baked ziti. I think he would put a pretty good dent in it and a pretty good stamp of approval on it.
(Photo: Steven Senne / Associated Press)
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