When Kevin Graber, a graduate of CBA and College of Saint Rose, was hired by the Chicago Cubs last fall, he had expected to work out of their spring-training complex in Mesa, Arizona.
However, plans changed.
“Greetings from Kodak, Tennessee,” said Graber when he answered his phone on Friday.
Graber, an Albany native, is now the manager of the Tennessee Smokies, the Cubs’ Double-A affiliate in the Southern League. They are based in Kodak, a suburb of Knoxville, Tennessee.
Graber took over as manager on June 4, replacing Michael Ryan. While Graber is unsure of the reasons for Ryan’s departure, he has taken the opportunity and made the most of it. Under Graber’s leadership, the Smokies have a record of 15-13 since he took over, and their overall record stands at 42-36 entering Saturday’s night home game against Birmingham.
“I could see myself staying with the team for the rest of the season,” Graber said. “I’ve been with them for about a month now, guiding the team. Whatever the organization needs, I am willing to do. I am always ready to seize an opportunity, regardless of the change in address or travel involved.”
Graber originally joined the Cubs last year to oversee their complex in Mesa and manage their rookie-league affiliate. However, he was promoted to field coordinator when Dustin Kelly became Chicago’s hitting coach. As field coordinator, Graber was responsible for running spring training and ensuring that everything went smoothly.
In addition to his field coordinator role, Graber also served as a roving instructor, traveling to each of the Cubs’ minor-league affiliates to work with players on various aspects of their game. He happened to be in Tennessee when the opportunity to manage the Smokies came up.
Prior to joining the Cubs, Graber had experience as a manager in independent ball. He led the Adirondack Lumberjacks, a Glens Falls franchise, in 1998. However, for the past 14 years, Graber has worked as a coach and academic advisor at Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts.
“Life is very different now because last year at this time, I was a high school coach,” he reflected. “As a high school coach, I had to juggle multiple responsibilities, from being the hitting coach to managing the team. Here, I am focused on piloting the culture forward as the Cubs want.”
Graber noted that unlike his previous coaching experiences, where he had more control during games, his role as manager of the Smokies involves less in-game decision-making and more emphasis on building relationships with players. He mentioned that two of his players, outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong and infielder B.J. Murray Jr., were selected to play in the All-Star Futures Game in Seattle.
During the Smokies’ road trip to Birmingham, Graber had the opportunity to see banners honoring Hall of Famer Frank Thomas and basketball legend Michael Jordan, who briefly played baseball there in 1994 during his temporary retirement from the NBA.
“Being part of these historic cities with a long baseball tradition is incredibly cool,” Graber said.
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