There aren鈥檛 too many baseball players who can say they played in the California state high school championship game at Dodger Stadium. Or that actors and comedians Jamie Foxx and George Lopez were in the stands cheering him on as family friends.
Reno Rankin, who had a hit in his Victoria HarbourCats debut Sunday at Royal Athletic Park in an 8-3 West Coast League loss to the Kelowna Falcons, brings an interesting backstory to the HarbourCats.
But make no mistake: Rankin is a player with serious skill sets.
Amiable, yet composed and focused, he had a .311 batting average with a .452 on-base percentage and was second-team all-conference as a freshman this season at Los Angeles Mission College. He was recommended to the HarbourCats by former Cincinnati Reds great Eric Davis.
鈥淚 want to spend this summer in Victoria working on getting better,鈥� he said.
A switch-hitter, and fluid both at the plate and in the field, Rankin is what is known in the trade as a full-toolbox player.
鈥淕od willing, the major leagues are my goal,鈥� he said after Sunday鈥檚 game, which followed a late arrival from Los Angeles via Seattle into Victoria the night before.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think too much at the plate. I see the ball, I hit the ball. I try to go hard to the gaps.鈥�
With his father, Reno Rankin Sr., a music manager and also actor in the entertainment industry, famous family friends were never far from hand.
The younger Rankin considers actor-comedian-singer Foxx, the 2004 Academy Award winner for best actor in Ray, an uncle. And with that relationship always comes words of advice.
鈥淸Foxx] told me to work hard and always keep at it,鈥� said Rankin, who will patrol centre field this season at Royal Athletic.
That counsel has been taken to heart.
When asked about his best attributes as a player, the soft-spoken Rankin replied: 鈥淗ard work and dedication.鈥�
Rankin said hanging around with his family, when off diamond duty, is very important to him.
The question everybody will be asking Rankin this season, of course, is whether his dad will be coming to watch him at Royal Athletic and will he be bringing along Foxx?
鈥淚鈥檓 not sure 鈥� maybe my dad will have a talk with him,鈥� said Rankin, with a smile.
Meanwhile, Kelowna unloaded four home runs in a 17-hit onslaught in Sunday鈥檚 8-3 victory. Winner Evan Bedolia gave up only two hits over six innings, as the Falcons won the WCL season-opening series 2-1 against Victoria.
The HarbourCats begin a three-game set tonight at Royal Athletic Park against the Kitsap Blue Jackets (1-2).
