Josh Rabe
Encyclopedia
Joshua Wayne Rabe is a former Major League Baseball
outfielder
with the Minnesota Twins
and current head baseball coach for Quincy University
in Quincy, Illinois
.
, basketball
and football at Unity High School in Mendon, Illinois
. He'd received multiple college offers to play football and basketball, but the only school interested in him as a baseball player was Division II Quincy University
, where he earned Great Lakes Valley Conference
Freshman of the Year honors in , and in , was named to the All-Great Lakes Valley Conference team and was the GLVC Player of the Year. He’s the school’s all-time leader in hits
(212), doubles
(48) and runs
(170). He’s second all-time in home runs (32) and third in batting average
(.377) and runs batted in (147). With Rabe, the Hawks were 104-54, made the NCAA Tournament in 1999 and won the GLVC title in .
. In his first professional season, Rabe batted .221 with a .977 fielding percentage
for the Elizabethton Twins
. A year later, with the Quad Cities River Bandits, he improved in both departments, batting .282 with six home runs and a .981 fielding percentage while playing all three outfield positions.
Rabe broke through in with the Fort Myers Miracle
. In half a season in Fort Myers, he batted .340 with five home runs and 40 RBIs to be named to the Florida State League
Western division All-Star team, and was promoted to the double A New Britain Rock Cats
. In , with the Rochester Red Wings
, Rabe earned his third minor league All-Star nod, and a promotion up to the Twins. While with Rochester, he also volunteered his time at a clinics at Penfield Little League.
for Jason Kubel
in the eighth inning at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
. He recorded his first Major League hit the following day against Edwin Jackson
of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
Rabe recorded a three hit game July 27, 2006, against the Chicago White Sox
, going 3-for-5 with three singles
. Perhaps the finest game of his brief major league career occurred against the Detroit Tigers
two days later, when Rabe went 2-for-3, hitting his first major league home run (a two run shot off Nate Robertson
), and recorded four put outs in left field.
For the season, Rabe batted .286 with three home runs and seven RBIs. He started the season with the Twins, but a shoulder injury limited Rabe to only fourteen games, in which he batted .194 with no home runs and only two RBIs. He was released at the end of the season.
and Yomiuri Giants
of the Japanese Baseball League
both showed interest in Rabe, but he eventually ended up signing with the Camden Riversharks
of the independent Atlantic League
on March 31, . He batted .361 with six home runs and thirty RBIs during his time with Camden before back injuries forced him into early retirement on June 24, 2008.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
with the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
and current head baseball coach for Quincy University
Quincy University
Quincy University a private liberal arts Catholic university in the Franciscan tradition. It is located in Quincy, Illinois and currently enrolls around 1,300 students.-History:...
in Quincy, Illinois
Quincy, Illinois
Quincy, known as Illinois' "Gem City," is a river city along the Mississippi River and the county seat of Adams County. As of the 2010 census the city held a population of 40,633. The city anchors its own micropolitan area and is the economic and regional hub of West-central Illinois, catering a...
.
Quincy University
Rabe played baseballBaseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
and football at Unity High School in Mendon, Illinois
Mendon, Illinois
Mendon is a village in Adams County, Illinois, United States. The population was 883 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Quincy, IL–MO Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Mendon is located at ....
. He'd received multiple college offers to play football and basketball, but the only school interested in him as a baseball player was Division II Quincy University
Quincy University
Quincy University a private liberal arts Catholic university in the Franciscan tradition. It is located in Quincy, Illinois and currently enrolls around 1,300 students.-History:...
, where he earned Great Lakes Valley Conference
Great Lakes Valley Conference
The Great Lakes Valley Conference is an intercollegiate athletic conference which competes at the NCAA's Division II level. Member institutions are located in the states of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, and Wisconsin....
Freshman of the Year honors in , and in , was named to the All-Great Lakes Valley Conference team and was the GLVC Player of the Year. He’s the school’s all-time leader in hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
(212), doubles
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
(48) and runs
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
(170). He’s second all-time in home runs (32) and third in batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
(.377) and runs batted in (147). With Rabe, the Hawks were 104-54, made the NCAA Tournament in 1999 and won the GLVC title in .
Minor leagues
Rabe was drafted by the Twins in the eleventh round of the 2000 Major League Baseball Draft2000 Major League Baseball Draft
-First Round Selections:-Compensation picks:- Background :The Florida Marlins made Adrian Gonzalez of Eastlake High School in Chula Vista, CA the first overall selection in the 2000 First-Year Player Draft...
. In his first professional season, Rabe batted .221 with a .977 fielding percentage
Fielding percentage
In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball...
for the Elizabethton Twins
Elizabethton Twins
The Elizabethton Twins are a minor league baseball team in Elizabethton, Tennessee, USA. They are a Rookie-level team in the Appalachian League, and have been a farm team of the Minnesota Twins since 1974. The Twins play home games at Joe O'Brien Field...
. A year later, with the Quad Cities River Bandits, he improved in both departments, batting .282 with six home runs and a .981 fielding percentage while playing all three outfield positions.
Rabe broke through in with the Fort Myers Miracle
Fort Myers Miracle
The Fort Myers Miracle is the Class A Advanced minor league baseball affiliate of the Minnesota Twins Major League Baseball club, currently managed by Jake Mauer. Home games are played at the Lee County Sports Complex in Hammond Stadium, which has a capacity of 7,500, and opened in...
. In half a season in Fort Myers, he batted .340 with five home runs and 40 RBIs to be named to the Florida State League
Florida State League
The Florida State League is a Class A-Advanced minor league baseball league operating in the state of Florida. They are one of three leagues currently operating in Class A-Advanced, the third highest of six classifications of minor leagues...
Western division All-Star team, and was promoted to the double A New Britain Rock Cats
New Britain Rock Cats
The New Britain Rock Cats are the Double-A minor league baseball affiliate of the Minnesota Twins Major League Baseball club. They compete in the Eastern League and play their home games at New Britain Stadium in New Britain, Connecticut.-History:...
. In , with the Rochester Red Wings
Rochester Red Wings
The Rochester Red Wings are a minor league baseball team based in Rochester, New York. The team plays in the International League and is the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins major-league club. The Red Wings play in Frontier Field, located in downtown Rochester.The Red Wings were an...
, Rabe earned his third minor league All-Star nod, and a promotion up to the Twins. While with Rochester, he also volunteered his time at a clinics at Penfield Little League.
Minnesota Twins
Rabe made his major league debut for the Twins on July 17, , as a pinch runnerPinch runner
A pinch runner is a baseball player substituted for the specific purpose of replacing a player on base. In the typical case, the pinch runner is faster or otherwise more skilled at base-running than the player for whom the pinch runner has been substituted...
for Jason Kubel
Jason Kubel
Jason James Kubel is an American professional baseball player. A Belle Fourche, South Dakota native, Kubel was drafted by the Twins in the 12th round of the 2000 Draft after playing high school ball at Highland High School.-Early life:...
in the eighth inning at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, commonly called the Metrodome, is a domed sports stadium in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Opened in 1982, it replaced Metropolitan Stadium, which was on the current site of the Mall of America in Bloomington and Memorial Stadium on the University...
. He recorded his first Major League hit the following day against Edwin Jackson
Edwin Jackson
Edwin Jackson is an American professional baseball pitcher.-Early life:Jackson's father, Edwin Jackson, Sr., a military cook, was stationed in Germany at the time of his birth. Jackson is one of 27 major league players who were born in Germany...
of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
Rabe recorded a three hit game July 27, 2006, against the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
, going 3-for-5 with three singles
Single (baseball)
In baseball, a single is the most common type of base hit, accomplished through the act of a batter safely reaching first base by hitting a fair ball and getting to first base before a fielder puts him out...
. Perhaps the finest game of his brief major league career occurred against the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
two days later, when Rabe went 2-for-3, hitting his first major league home run (a two run shot off Nate Robertson
Nate Robertson
Nathan Daniel "Nate" Robertson, is a Major League Baseball pitcher who currently pitches in the Seattle Mariners organization.-Florida Marlins:...
), and recorded four put outs in left field.
For the season, Rabe batted .286 with three home runs and seven RBIs. He started the season with the Twins, but a shoulder injury limited Rabe to only fourteen games, in which he batted .194 with no home runs and only two RBIs. He was released at the end of the season.
Camden Riversharks
The Baltimore OriolesBaltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
and Yomiuri Giants
Yomiuri Giants
The are a professional baseball team based in Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan. The team competes in the Central League in Nippon Professional Baseball, the top level of professional play in Japan. They play their home games in the Tokyo Dome, opened in 1988. The English-language press occasionally calls the...
of the Japanese Baseball League
Japanese Baseball League
For the current Japanese Professional League, see Nippon Professional Baseball. was a professional baseball league in Japan.It was established on February 5, 1936 as "Japan Occupational Baseball League". Then it was renamed "Japanese Baseball League" in 1939. It was run until 1949. There was no...
both showed interest in Rabe, but he eventually ended up signing with the Camden Riversharks
Camden Riversharks
The Camden Riversharks is an American professional baseball team based in Camden, New Jersey. They are a member of the Liberty Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball...
of the independent Atlantic League
Atlantic League of Professional Baseball
The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball is a professional, independent baseball organization located primarily in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, especially the greater metropolitan areas of the Northeast megalopolis. It operates in cities not served by Major or Minor League...
on March 31, . He batted .361 with six home runs and thirty RBIs during his time with Camden before back injuries forced him into early retirement on June 24, 2008.