Many are patiently awaiting a return to normalcy, and that includes the resumption of professional sports.
Kevan Smith, a catcher for the Tampa Bay Rays, is among those eager to get back to work and back to baseball. He admits that it has been a weird transition to life at home, but also clarified that the time does have its benefits.
"Certainly a weird feeling being home in April since I've spent the past 10 years far away from home playing baseball. I do love that I am able to spend quality time with my wife and son and enjoy some of these beautiful spring days," Smith told me.
The 31-year old, a Cranberry Township native and Seneca Valley High School alumni, signed a minor-league contract with Tampa Bay on January 13. Due to the ongoing pandemic, Smith has had to find other ways to fill his sudden abundance of free time.
"I've spent a lot of time in the woods since one of my passions is the outdoors. Hiking, biking, fishing, and hunting are things I've been able to do while still maintaining efficient social distancing," Smith said.
After graduating from Seneca Valley, Smith attended the University of Pittsburgh, where he pursued a career in football and redshirted during the 2006 season.
In his redshirt freshman season of 2007, the quarterback threw for 415 yards and a touchdown. The touchdown and 202 of those yards came in Smith's first career start on September 8, a 34-10 win over Grambling State at Heinz Field.
After a 2008 redshirt sophomore season in which Smith only played in one game, he was approached by then-Panther head coach Dave Wannstedt about changing positions, perhaps possibly becoming a tight end or offensive lineman.
Smith took a different route by leaving the football program and joining the school's baseball team prior to the 2009 season. For someone who had come to the school to play football, his baseball numbers were even more impressive.
By 2011, Smith had shown that he was capable of success at the next level. He led the team in batting average at an eye-opening .397 mark, while adding on 11 home runs and 56 runs batted in. Smith played in 54 of Pitt's 56 games, as the Panthers played to a 33-23 record.
In the seventh round of the 2011 MLB Draft, Smith was selected by the Chicago White Sox with the 231st overall pick. The catcher split the remainder of his 2011 season between the rookie-level Bristol White Sox and Great Falls Voyagers, where he combined for a .355 batting average, in addition to nine home runs and 48 runs batted in.
By 2014, Smith was entering his fourth minor-league season, but had made the jump to the Birmingham Barons (AA). In 389 at-bats, Smith once again batted near the .300 mark (.290), while adding another 10 home runs and 48 runs batted in.
2015 saw Smith rise once again, but not yet to the Major League level. He spent the campaign with the Charlotte Knights (AAA), where his numbers dipped a bit, but were still respectable. In 319 trips to the plate, he hit .260 with six home runs and 36 runs batted in.
In 2016, Smith's time finally came. He was promoted to the White Sox' roster on April 24, but the promotion was halted before he even recorded his first Major League at-bat. On April 26, he was placed on the disabled list with sacroiliac joint dysfunction.
After spending time in the minors rehabbing and regaining strength, Smith was once again promoted on September 1. That same day, he made his Major League debut at Target Field against the Minnesota Twins. Smith recorded his first-major league hit on September 17, a single at Kauffman Stadium against the Kansas City Royals.
Smith hit his first Major League homerun on June 12, 2017, when the White Sox were hosting the Baltimore Orioles at then-U.S. Cellular Field. He finished his first full season in the big-leagues with a very respectable .283 batting average, four home runs and 30 runs batted in across 276 at-bats.
In 2018, Smith put up another very solid season, hitting to a .292 mark with three home runs and 21 runs batted in. However, Smith's time in Chicago had run out. He was placed on waivers, where he was claimed by the Los Angeles Angels on October 26.
In one season in Anaheim, Smith's time was very limited. These injuries, including a concussion, a metacarpal sprain in his left hand and a lumbar strain, limited the catcher to 191 at-bats. He hit five home runs and drove in 20 runs, while recording his lowest professional batting average at .251.
Following the 2019 season, Smith became a free-agent when he was non-tendered by the Angels on December 2. Just over a month later, Smith landed himself in St. Petersburg.
Smith was a likely choice to make the Rays' Opening Day roster before the coronavirus pandemic forced Major League Baseball to delay the beginning of their season. Commissioner Rob Manfred recently expressed much optimism that the league will resume, and that the league should have a plan in place by the end of May, if not earlier.
Smith, like many around the league, is all in on having baseball in 2020, albeit with a few exceptions.
"I am okay with any plan as long as I can see my family. I will play anywhere the MLB suggests as long as they can guarantee safety through testing and monitoring who is coming in and out," Smith affirmed.
Playing without fans in attendance has become a commonplace reality in the resumption of baseball in both Taiwan and South Korea. Smith told me, however, that it will be drastically different without those fans in the seats.
"Playing without fans will be a challenge because we are fueled off of crowd energy. This will be one of the many adjustments that will need to be made in order to get baseball going," Smith indicated.
In 19 spring training at-bats, Smith drove in four runs and recorded a .263 batting average. When the season resumes, Mike Zunino will presumably be the starting catcher for Tampa Bay. Smith, along with Michael Perez and Chris Herrmann, will be battling it out for the backup role.
Despite all of his professional success, Smith has not forgotten his roots. Smith recalled memories of the time he spent in this area during his younger days.
"Some of my favorite memories include waking up early Saturday morning and heading to the ball field with my buddy Zach Duggan. He and I would stop at the Kountry Kitchen for breakfast, then head to the field to play our Saturday game," Smith said.
Like many others, Kevan Smith is eager for the return of baseball. When that time comes, Smith will get another shot to make the community that raised him very proud.
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