Justin O’Conner is a man working toward a dream. Since he was two years old, O’Conner would’ve rather played baseball, than with any other sport. Now, 19 years later, Justin is fulfilling the dreams he set for himself long ago, playing for the Bowling Green Hot Rods, the “A” minor league team through the Tampa Bay Rays.



Kim O’Conner, Justin’s mother said, “When he [Justin] could walk, he and Jake, are just a year apart and when they were little he was interested in it. His first word was ball ⎯ it wasn’t mom or dad” she continued with “he really liked hitting the ball with the bat, and he liked to throw the ball⎯hard.”



Justin considers his best ability is throwing the ball hard. 



“I can throw hard, that probably is my best tool, but I’m working on everything else,” Justin O’Connor said during the Rays Spring Training.



Practice will always make perfect. Before Justin was drafted to the Rays, before playing for the Rays was even an idea, Justin would be practicing at his Cowan, Ind., home.



“We built a 50 x 80 pole barn that we actually built it to house the batting cage or at that time it could’ve been a basketball goal or a volleyball court for my daughter. But we knew they were very interested in sports and it was something that Kim and I enjoy watching them do” said Randy O’Conner, Justin’s father.



The total hours of practice that Justin put in the cage are unknown. Jake O’Conner, Justin’s older brother, estimated at least 2000 hours were put into the cage. With all those hours the balance between school and play was hard.



“I had trouble getting him to study for school. He’d rather be in the barn than study.” “If he was being honest with me, but a lot of times he wasn’t—‘oh I ‘ve done all my homework’ “said Kim O’Conner.



However with all those hours Justin put in practicing, scouts were sure to notice who he was. About 26 different scouts ended up coming to the O’Conner’s home to evaluate and get to know Justin.



“It was like trying to schedule them, so they weren’t there at the same time” said Kim O’Conner.



“I think he understood that, I mean, he’s always said that professional baseball is what he wanted to do. So I think he understood that was kind of like, the ultimate tryout. So there wasn’t any nerve—it was like all right, this is what I have to do “said Jake O’Conner.



The road to the minor leagues isn’t an easy shot. Just to be drafted is an obstacle in itself.



“The draft, you don’t just throw out there ‘I’m going to be drafted’ because you don’t know. We we’re pretty confident that yes he was going to be drafted. But  to start all the ball players they need to go secure where they are going to play college ball” said Randy O’Conner.



Justin signed a letter of intent to play for the University of Arkansas.



“Then you have a decision to make. Whether to go to college or whether to go professional” said Kim O'Conner.



On the night of the draft, the anticipation of where Justin would go was high. The O’Conner’s felt confident that Justin had at least three teams that were interested in him. The Oakland A’s, New York Mets and the Chicago Cubs.



“As we’re all sitting around watching as each one came up and his name wasn’t called over the TV, your expectations they start to drop and you start to get that sick feeling in your stomach like someone is not going to draft him” said Randy O’Conner.



After those three teams didn’t call his name and it started getting into the late teens and twenties, the O’Conner’s went out and started to play corn hole instead. While playing, Justin got a call from his manager asking him how he felt about going to the Rays.



“When it was announced that the Tampa Bay Rays drafted him—he was the 31st pick of the first round, everybody was excited. Jake was very excited” said Kim O’Conner.



“I might have been more excited,” said Jake O’Conner “The Tampa Bay Rays have been my favorite team for a little bit. They weren’t even on the radar at all. I just remember he gave me a look like, ‘yeah it’s going to happen’ so I ran upstairs and grabbed my Rays hat.”



Once Justin was drafted, it became a whirlwind.



“He was drafted on Monday and then they call on Tuesday saying they want him down there on Thursday. It was like ‘Wait a minute! Wait a minute! No!’ “ said Kim O’Conner.



The O’Conner’s had a week with Justin before he went down to Tampa.



After his 2012 season, Justin had felt some pain in his left hip, which was seemingly familiar to the pain he had in his right hip not too long ago.

“This is the second surgery he’s had. Same exact surgery, just different leg. So I think he knew what to expect, this time around” said Jake O’Conner.



Jake did an interview with Justin about his rehab.



“I think early on he took things for granted. Just being there in the minors, being a professional baseball player he took it for granted. Then he started getting hurt and it opened his eyes that he hadn’t quite prepared himself both mentally and his body physically to go through the rigors of catching” said Jake O’Conner. “His body is job, so that’s what’s going to ultimately is going to decide whether he can be successful and play for a long period of time. I think he’s realized that.

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Now that Justin is back and healthy again, he has the support of his teammates, friends and family, Justin says he will be working on strength and learning everything he needs to fulfill his dreams of making it to the majors.