July 25, 2017

Canora’s Kody Rock fulfils dream, signs professional baseball contract

By Canora Courier
Kody Rock, son of Darryl and Donna Rock of Canora, has realized the first step in a life-long dream by signing a professional contract as a pitcher with the Milwaukee Brewers.

Rock, 23, said he’s been playing organized ball since the age of four, and has wanted to be a professional baseball player pretty much ever since he can remember.

“Honestly it is something I’ve always wanted to do,” Rock said last week. “I always kind of thought there would be no cooler job in the world than playing baseball. Playing pro baseball was something I dreamed of doing since I was a kid.”

Even though many Canadian youngsters aspire to be professional hockey players, Rock said baseball has always been his favourite sport.

He played his minor baseball in Canora. After graduating from Canora Composite School in 2012, he pursued his baseball dream with a number of teams.

Rock played college ball with Mayville State in North Dakota. He has played summer amateur baseball with the Yorkton Cardinals of the Western Major Baseball League and the Mankato (Minn.) Moondogs of the Northwoods League, which has most of its teams in the upper midwestern United States.

Pro scouts started showing up at his college games last season, so to Rock it wasn’t a complete surprise that the Brewers offered him a professional contract. But as he puts it, “it was a really cool experience.”

Rock said there have been a lot of special people who have played important roles in helping him reach this point in his baseball career.

“Just all of the coaches I have ever had have been a huge part of getting me to where i am at now. There are too many to name as I have been playing for 19 years now, but they have all been a big help.

 “My parents also played a huge role in helping me develop. Whether it was my dad coaching me when I was younger or them driving me all across the province to get to games or clinics, they had to make sacrifices to help me out and I could never thank them enough.”

Rock is currently playing in the Arizona Rookie League with AZL Brewers. He pitched in his first game on July 8.

Looking forward, his goals are to work hard each and every day, and keep climbing to higher levels in the minor leagues.

Of course Rock’s family is extremely proud and excited, according to his father Darryl.

“Not a lot of people get to live out their dream,” he said. “But Kody still has a lot of work to do, in order to reach his ultimate goal of playing in the major leagues.”

Now that he is a professional baseball player, Rock has some advice for any Canora youngsters who are hoping to follow in his footsteps.

“Its an unbelievable feeling when it finally happens but it takes a lot of hard work to get there.”