Travis Baptist facts for kids

Travis Steven Baptist was born on December 30, 1971. He is a retired Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher. A pitcher is a player who throws the baseball from the mound to the batter. Travis played for the Minnesota Twins during his time in the major leagues.

Travis Baptist's Baseball Journey

Travis Baptist started his professional baseball career after being chosen by a team. This process is called being "drafted."

Starting His Career

Travis was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in 1990. He began playing professionally in 1991. His first team was the Medicine Hat Blue Jays. This team was part of a "Rookie league," which is where new players start.

In 1996, the Minnesota Twins chose Travis from the Blue Jays organization. This happened during a special draft for minor league players.

Playing in the Major Leagues

In 1998, Travis was playing for the Salt Lake Buzz. This team was in "Triple-A," which is a high level of minor league baseball. He was picked to be a starting pitcher for the Triple-A All-Star game. This shows he was a top player at that level.

Later that same year, Travis got to play in Major League Baseball. He played his only season in the MLB with the Minnesota Twins.

After the Major Leagues

After his time in the MLB, Travis continued to play baseball. He played for teams like the Birmingham Barons and the Charlotte Knights until 2001. These teams were part of the Chicago White Sox system.

His last professional season was in 2003. He played for the Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings. This team was in an "independent league," which means it was not connected to a Major League Baseball team.