MWL notes: Krebs makes unlikely climb

When Paul Krebs was notified that he was being promoted from Idaho Falls to Kane County in the Kansas City Royals' farm system, he was told he had three days to make the drive from Idaho to suburban Chicago. He made it in one day.

"It was a whole day of traveling, but it was the best day of traveling," Krebs said. "I was like, 'This is really happening.'

"The Royals told me I was crazy," Krebs continued. "They said, 'You have three days to make this trip.' But I wanted to get to Kane County as fast as I could. I didn't want them to change their mind."

Krebs' journey is unique in baseball circles. Two years ago, he was a groundskeeping intern with the Burlington Bees. Last summer, he was tending to cattle on his grandmother's farm and welding at a metal fabricating shop. This summer, he's a catcher with Kane County.

Krebs' journey started when he skipped his lunch break to shag balls during Burlington batting practice two seasons ago. The former University of Minnesota-Crookston baseball player hustled to the point that he caught the eye of Burlington manager Jim Gabella, who gave Krebs a tryout and then asked him to be the bullpen catcher, as long as he could work it in with his groundskeeping duties.

"Paul has a great energy level, and his love for the game is something that really stuck out," said Gabella, who is now with the Padres organization. "He did a great job for us as a bullpen catcher. I was so happy to hear that Kansas City is giving him a chance to play. He's a scrappy-type player who received the ball fine. He shows good arm strength, and he's got juice to his bat. With the energy level that he has and the make-up that he has, he has a chance to stay around the game."

After the 2009 season, Krebs headed back to Crookston and finished his degree. Unable to catch on with an independent league team, he settled for working the farm and welding until a groundskeeping job came along.

Encouraged by his grandmother, Krebs took a shot at a tryout the Kansas City Royals were conducting in Minnesota.

"I talked to Scott Melvin of the Royals afterward," Krebs recalled. "He said, 'We'll try to get you on a team, but we don't have a spot right now.' How many times have I heard that, 'We don't have a spot, we don't have a spot.' Six months went by. Scott Melvin called, and I said, 'There's no way this is happening.' I thought it was a joke."

Krebs headed to Arizona for Spring Training.

"I went down there, and I wasn't guaranteed anything," Krebs said. "I was catching bullpens, maybe get in a few games, but when I got in and had my few chances, I made the most out of them. I knew I made one of the squads when at the end of Spring Training, the Royals told the players they gathered for a meeting, 'You all have made it.' I went to them and said, 'Am I still here?' They said, 'Yes, you're still here. You're definitely here.'"

Krebs got a few incredulous stares at Spring Training.

"Some of the guys who were in Burlington recognized me when I came to camp," Krebs said. "They were like, 'You were the groundskeeper!' I said, 'Yes, I was the groundskeeper.'

"I know my journey is very unique," Krebs said. "I think the thing that kind of separates me from other guys, some of them have had things handed to them and had an easy path. I have had a very unique path to affiliated baseball, and I take a lot of pride in it. I've been through a lot, and I'm going to keep working for it. The decision whether I stay or not isn't in my hands. I control the things I can control, and that's attitude, character and effort.

"To have something you love so much taken away from you, it makes you so much better when you do get it again," Krebs said of returning to baseball. "I can't tell you how much I appreciate this."

Big turnaround: West Michigan's Kyle Ryan threw six no-hit innings when he was pulled due to a pitch count in the first game of a doubleheader with Lansing on July 28. The Lugnuts took advantage, turning a 4-0 deficit into an 8-4 victory in eight innings. Lansing ended the no-hitter with an infield single by Jake Marisnick to lead off the seventh against reliever Nathan Newman.

Chasing history: Quad Cities right-hander Boone Whiting is chasing franchise history. The River Bandits ace owns a 1.83 ERA and could become the first Quad Cities' starting pitcher in 30 years to finish the season with an ERA under 2.00.

Wonder-bat: Bowling Green's Phil Wunderlich drove in five runs in a 9-3 victory against Dayton on Saturday, giving him the single-season franchise RBI record with 71.