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Now let’s get to it. Here's what's coming:

Let’s dive in, shall we?

On this day in 1991, which AL home run leader was sent back to the minors for not running out a ground ball?

The answer is at the end of this email! Look for the ⭐ emoji.

Just a few games into his pro baseball career, Louie Varland was facing a potential career-ending injury.

As a late-round pick from a small D2 school, he understood the reality of his situation.

The clock was ticking, and he had to figure it out.

Fast.

Very few people outside of Minnesota have ever heard of Louie Varland.

That’s because the right-hander's improbable journey began and ended in The North Star State.

As a right-handed pitcher at North High School (North Saint Paul, MN), he struggled with command. On a good day, his velocity topped out at 85 mph.

“Me and my brother [Gus] were both late bloomers, so we didn’t get a bunch of attraction to play at the next level.”

Louie didn’t receive offers to Division I powerhouses.

In fact, he only had one offer above the Division 3 level, which came from Division II Concordia–St. Paul – the same school his older brother had just committed to.

As a private university of 5,600 students, the Concordia Golden Bears’ baseball program had never produced a big leaguer.

“When I first recruited him, he was small,” said Golden Bears coach Mark "Lunch" McKenzie.

“When I saw him that summer, he had added 20, 25 pounds. I said, 'Louie, what happened?' He said, 'I was a wrestler. I stopped cutting 20 pounds to get down to 160.’”

Louie started his college career as a reliever out of the bullpen, throwing 15 1⁄3 innings as a freshman with a 3.57 ERA.

“I came in a thrower, but I didn’t know how to really pitch.”

With a commitment to steady improvement, Varland made a massive leap as a sophomore, chucking 44 1⁄3 innings to the tune of a 1.41 ERA.

And after an All-American junior season, Varland popped onto the radar of major league scouts.

Still, when the 2019 MLB Draft rolled around in June, he had no expectations.

“I didn’t get one call…I didn’t hear anything, there was no rumor of when and where I should go,” he recalls. “So it was all pretty much a surprise and…just pure joy.”

448 players were selected before the Minnesota Twins took Varland in the 15th round of the 2019 MLB Draft – a year after his older brother, Gus, was selected by the Oakland A’s in the 14th round.

In his first year of rookie ball, Louie only recorded 8 2⁄3 innings before he experienced discomfort in his right elbow and forearm. Luckily, tests showed no signs of torn ligaments.

But the Twins spotted a flaw.

“I had elbow climb that took my arm above my shoulder plane,” Varland told Twins Daily, describing his then-inefficient delivery which was causing pain and hindering his velocity.

He’d have to work on lowering his arm slot to “throw cleaner and easier, and also harder.”

While baseball is a game of adjustments, it’s much easier said than done. Making the leap from D2 to pro ball is hard enough, but changing your entire pitching delivery? Not easy.

By the spring of 2020, with his second pro season around the corner, Varland was finally getting comfortable with his newer release point.

And then the minor league season was canceled due to the pandemic.

As a relatively unknown, late-round draft pick with less than 9 professional innings under his belt, Varland was in a tough spot. He wasn’t on any top prospect lists, and hundreds of minor leaguers were losing their jobs.

But Louie never lost hope.

“If a Varland tells you they can do something, they will do it,” said Cole Hutchens, one of Varland’s high school coaches. “If you tell them they can't do something, they'll still find a way to do it.”

And in 2021, Louie Varland did it.

With his refined delivery and mature approach, he went 10-4 with a stellar 2.10 ERA and 142 strikeouts across 103 innings, earning the Twins’ 2021 Minor League Pitcher of the Year honors.

He moved up to Double-A then Triple-A in 2022, posting an 8-5 record with a combined 3.06 ERA across both levels.

Then, on Labor Day 2022, Louie Varland got the call he spent his whole life dreaming about.

He’d make his MLB debut two days later at Yankee Stadium, becoming the first Concordia–St. Paul grad to reach the big leagues.

“It was a complete surprise,” Varland told KSTP Sports. “I was not expecting it at all.”

His first time wearing the Twins' uniform, Varland eased his jitters in a big way.

On the 13th pitch of his MLB debut, he struck out American League MVP Aaron Judge on a changeup at the bottom of the zone.

All in all, the righty fired 5 1⁄3 innings and struck out 7 Yankee hitters, allowing just 2 earned runs in his first major league start.

Since that day, Varland has worked his way into the Twins' future plans, cementing himself as a promising young arm with major potential.

It’s been a rapid ascent. In three and a half years, Louie went from Division II through the ranks of the minor leagues, all the way to an MLB mound.

But Varland doesn’t let the success go to his head. In his heart, he’ll always be the same humble, hometown kid from North Saint Paul.

Every offseason, Louie returns home to help his dad with their family business: Varland Drywall. He’s been doing it since middle school.

“Nothing’s changed,” said his dad, Wade Varland. “He’s not really big league around here. He’s still Louie around here.”

The rising MLB star doesn’t take it for granted, either.

“Having your dad as the boss is the best thing ever…I’m blessed to see my dad every day.”

When all is said and done, Louie Varland's journey didn't take him very far from home. It's only a 16.9-mile trek from North High School's Varsity baseball field to Target Field.

But it's been one heck of a ride. And the best part is, it's just getting started.

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Goosebumps guaranteed. Hendriks’ energy fires me up every time he pitches, and it’s amazing to see him back on the bump after overcoming what he has.

⚽️ After being purchased for just $7, Luton Town FC avoided bankruptcy twice. Now, in a stunning turn of events, they’ve played their way into a promotion to the Premier League. Here’s the story. [The Joe Pomp Show]

💰 He was undrafted, unrecruited, and “done with baseball.” Then $50 in birthday money saved his career. [Joker Mag]

🏈 “He had 10 tryouts with other teams during the 2019 season, but none worked out.” Linebacker Shane Ray is fighting to complete his 4-year comeback to the NFL after a long, humbling journey. [ESPN]

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From subscriber Kyle B. –

Adin Hill went from a 4th-string journeyman goalie to dominating the playoffs and leading his team all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals.

After struggling with injuries, the former 76th overall pick was shipped from San Jose to Vegas as a depth piece last summer.

With just 63 starts to his name and a losing record (29-32-5), the 6’6” netminder has transformed his game since landing with the Golden Knights.

Now he is a legitimate Conn Smythe Trophy contender and one of the best underdog stories that not enough people are talking about.

⭐ Trivia Answer:

B) Albert Belle – Four years after the incident, the Cleveland slugger led the AL with 50 home runs.

Wanna submit a trivia question or fun fact for the next edition? Reply to this email.

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Til next time,
Tyler

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