Kravec Still Helping Ashland Baseball 50 Years Later

Fifty years and more than 1,100 miles removed from Ashland University, Ken Kravec still makes time to come back and help the Eagle baseball team.
 
Kravec, the first former Ashland College/University baseball player to play in Major League Baseball, played in the program's annual golf outing on Saturday (Sept. 16) at the Ashland Golf Club – coming back to town from his home in Sarasota, Fla.
 
"It means a lot," said Kravec, who also came back to watch the Eagles play in the 2019 NCAA Division II Super Regional at home. "I wish I could have done it more, but with my travel, it always coincided with the (Major League) baseball season, so I didn't get to spend as much time as I could up here.
 
"Now that I have much more flexibility, this is something I really look forward to. And I am glad that they reached out and gave me a chance."
 
An Eagle left-handed pitcher from 1970-73, Kravec owns program records which quite possibly won't ever be broken – a career earned-run average of 1.39, 450 career strikeouts, a season ERA of 0.42 and 160 strikeouts in one season (both in 1971), 23 strikeouts in a nine-inning game, and 19 whiffs in a seven-inning contest.
 
Kravec also was Ashland baseball's first All-American, earning first-team honors in both 1971 and 1973.
 
He was drafted by his hometown Cleveland Indians in the 29^th round in 1969 out of Midpark High School, but opted to play at Ashland. Kravec then was selected by the Chicago White Sox in the third round in 1973, leading to an MLB career which spanned from 1975-82 with the White Sox and cross-town Cubs.
 
At the time Kravec played in college, Ashland's national affiliation was NCAA College Division. However, in 1973 as in 2023, if you are good enough to play professional ball in any sport, teams will find you.
 
"Cleveland had a really good summer league," noted Kravec about his pre-college days. "Many players came through the leagues in the Cleveland area, like Steve Stone, Sal Bando, Mike Easler…there were quite a few. Although I had chances to play in other leagues, it was just too convenient to stay at home and play in your back yard.
 
"It has to do with performance and how you can project the player, no matter what level you're at, whether it's Division I or NAIA. It's all projection. When you look at younger players…you try to see what they bring to the game."
 
Kravec's best Major League season was 1979, as, in his age-27 season, he went 15-13 with a 3.74 ERA and a save in 36 games (35 starts), and struck out 132 in 250 innings.
 
"When you get into the game, you find out there's a lot of other players from small schools," Kravec said.
 
Following his MLB career, he came back to the field in the short-lived Senior Professional Baseball Association, a league which played in Florida in 1989-90 and part of the scheduled 1990-91 season, and which was patterned after the senior golf tour.
 
It was a league Kravec enjoyed, and one which prematurely ended for the reason most all alterative professional sports league do – a lack of money.
 
"It was at home. I didn't want to travel or go anywhere," Kravec said. "I played with Bradenton one year and Fort Myers another year. It was easy. And the pay was pretty good, so it was a no-brainer. It was like a summer league team – you try out...and if you made it, you were on the roster.
 
"It wasn't like senior golf. When you watched a Senior League game, there was a big difference between a Major League game and a Senior League game."
 
Kravec is a long-time MLB scout, having started in 1989 following a stint as a minor-league pitching coach, and continues to be part-time pro scout for the Tampa Bay Rays organization.
 
"It's kept me busy," he said. "I've been in the game 50 years, and I still enjoy it."