Dan Raley was known at Wichita State to get a little upset during games, taking it out on batting helmets or benches, The Wichita Eagle wrote in 1988.
That April, though, Raley told The Eagle he worked to remain focused on hitting.
"I'm not tearing myself apart," Raley told The Eagle. "I'm not taking myself too seriously. I'm just more relaxed."
Raley eventually relaxed enough to turn pro. His pro career lasted three seasons, but he has gone on to a career as a youth coach.
Raley's career began that year in 1988, signed by the Tigers as an undrafted free agent out of Wichita State.
With Wichita State in April 1988, Raley hit a late three-run, inside-the-park home run to lead his team to the win, The Eagle wrote.
"It took a funny kick and ended up in right-center. No one was there," Raley told The Eagle of his game-winner. "I didn't know if I would make it or not."
With the Tigers, Raley started at single-A Fayetteville. He hit .259 over 55 games, with three home runs.
He returned to Fayetteville for most of 1989 and also got a brief look at single-A Lakeland. He hit .265 over 121 games.
He then played in 1990 at Fayetteville and Lakeland again, but his season proved brief, just 12 total games, his last as a player.
Raley then turned coach. He served as hitting coach at AA London in 1991, then Lakeland in 1992 and London again in 1993. He's last credited as managing at Lakeland in 1994.
He's since gone on to coach youth. In 2021, he's listed as a head coach and hitting instructor with Metro Senators Baseball in Virginia and an assistant high school baseball coach.
- Wichita Eagle, April 15, 1988: Shocks make believers out of Oral Roberts
- Wichita Eagle, April 20, 1988: Shocker psycho no more
Made the Majors:1,263-33.9%
Never Made Majors:2,465-66.1%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors:522
10+ Seasons in the Minors:309
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