When the Chicago Cubs hired CBA and College of Saint Rose graduate Kevin Graber last fall, he thought he’d be working out of their spring-training complex in Mesa, Ariz.
How plans change.
“Greetings from Kodak, Tennessee,” Graber said Friday when he answered his phone.
Now the Albany native is the manager of the Tennessee Smokies, the Cubs’ Double-A affiliate in the Southern League. They play in Kodak, a suburb of Knoxville, Tenn.
Graber took over on June 4 for Smokies manager Michael Ryan, who left the team. Graber said he didn’t know the reason for Ryan’s departure.
The Smokies were 42-36 entering Saturday’s night home game against Birmingham, 15-13 since Graber took over.
“I could see a scenario where I’m with the team for the rest of the season,” Graber said. “I mean, I’ve been with them for about a month now, skippering the ship here. Basically, my stance is, whatever the organization needs, I will sprint to the scene and I will do it. I’ve never been shy about going to where the opportunity is. I know that some people, the change in address, the travel and stuff like that might be a deterrent, but for me, it’s like, ‘Hey, let’s go.’”
Graber started with the Cubs Nov. 1 to oversee their complex in Mesa and manage their rookie-league affiliate that plays there. Before spring training began, however, Graber became the field coordinator when Dustin Kelly, who filled that role, was promoted to Chicago’s hitting coach.
“That’s much more responsibility,” Graber said. “The field coordinator’s job is to run spring training. It was my job to set the schedule every day and make sure everything happened the way it was supposed to happen.”
Along with that, Graber was assigned as a roving instructor, traveling to each of the Cubs’ minor-league affiliates to work with players on baserunning and other facets. He was already in Tennessee when the…
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