SOUTH PARK ALUM ON PATH TO MAJORS
It started out innocently enough for Randy Dobnak. In the midst of trimming his beard one morning, he decided to give himself a Fu Manchu- look.
For one day only.
Or, so he thought. Turns out, Dobnak is slightly superstitious. So, when he had the fortune of being called up from Class A Fort Myers to Class AA Pensacola later that day, the Fu Manchu went with him.
And it has remained with this South Park High grad during what can only be described as a Cinderella story.
A story of resolve and resiliency.
“I think hitters might look at me and think, ‘ This guy is a joke,’” Dobnak said, laughing. “But I’ve had this look for three months now, so I guess I’ll keep rolling with it.”
Dobnak is a pitching star in the Minnesota Twins’ organization, a sinker- throwing right- hander who could receive a call- up to the playoffcontending big club at any time. He is 10- 3 with a 2.04 ERA and 100 strikeouts in 21 games across three minorleague levels.
As recently as Monday, he was named the International League Pitcher of the Week for Class AAA Rochester. The reward came after he went 2- 0 in two starts with a 1.46 ERA, seven hits allowed and 10 strikeouts in 12⅓ innings. Against Norfolk on July 23, he threw six scoreless innings on four hits while striking out six. In his next start versus Indianapolis this past Sunday, he retired the first nine batters of the game, 16 of the first 17 and took a no- hitter into the sixth inning. He would allow two runs and three hits before leaving in the seventh.
Given his sheer dominance, one would never know that Dobnak, 1. Played Division II baseball in a remote location ( Alderson Broaddus in Philippi, W. Va.) ... 2. Was skipped over in the Major League Baseball draft ... 3. Was playing independent ball in 2017 with, seemingly, little hope of playing professionally.
Look at him now: He is 3- 1 in Class AAA with a 1.95 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 30 innings. Opponents are batting .179 against the 6- foot- 1, 230- pound hurler.
Dobnak, 24, called his journey both “awesome” and “humbling.”
“I got the call two years ago today,” Dobnak said July 26, referencing the day the Twins signed him from Utica ( Mich.) of the United Shore Professional Baseball League. “It was in the morning. I normally get up and cook eggs. I got a text from Jim Essian [ manager of Utica] and he asked for my birthday. I said, ‘ Whatever,’ and I gave it to him. Thirty minutes later, a random number shows up on my phone. I always have a habit of picking up for no reason. I think it was Brady Steil, the old farm director of the Twins. He said, ‘ Long story short, we want to sign you.’ I was like, ‘ Ahhhhhh ... absolutely.’ It all happened within 20 or 30 minutes. Next thing I know, I’m packing my bags.”
Dobnak was not zeroing in on an MLB career while in Utica. Few at that level are. He had recently graduated from Alderson Broaddus and, realistically, had to think about life beyond baseball.
That said, he never fully abandoned his big- league dreams, either.
“You have to trust yourself,” he said. “You have to know that you’re good enough to compete against whoever is in front of you. You have to be confident, be in control. I have confidence that I can compete with anybody. I’ll never give up. When I went to play [ independent] ball, I said I’ll try this for a year. If nothing happens, I’ll move on with my life. But now I’m here with the Twins organization. It’s been a wild ride, to say the least.”
This wild ride began in earnest after a solid career at South Park. Dobnak received three college offers — two from Division II schools and one from a Division III program. He would pitch well at Alderson Broaddus ( he went 26- 12 in four seasons), but no MLB teams came calling.
Then, the Twins uncovered what appears to be a diamond on the diamond. After competing in rookie ball and Class A in his first two seasons, Dobnak has surged through the Twins’ system this summer.
A big reason is his go- to pitch — the sinker. He refined it a year ago by switching from four seams to one. From a technical standpoint, the pitch moves downward with little fade. This induces ground balls — and confusion for hitters. Rochester catcher Tomas Telis called the pitch “nasty.”
“He’s taken it from a good pitch to a near- elite pitch,” said Rochester bullpen coach Mike McCarthy.
McCarthy pointed to Dobnak’s use of modern technology as another reason for his evolution. The talented pitcher relies heavily on analytics and out- of- the- box training techniques on his off days.
“He’s left no stone unturned in making himself the best pitcher he can be,” McCarthy said of Dobnak, who also expertly throws a changeup and slider. His fastball was clocked at 94 mph last Sunday. “He’s earned this, and he deserves everything that comes his way.”
Who knows? The next thing might be a spot on the Twins’ roster.
“Never let anybody say something is impossible,” Dobnak said. “When someone doubts you, in the end, it only matters what you think of yourself. If you’re trying to please or impress other people, you’re doing things for the wrong reason.”