Blake Treinen, the A’s new closer, had perhaps the best possible training for his high-stress job, one that requires the ability to remain unaffected by inevitable failures.
Treinen, 29, never got a break as an amateur, overcoming obstacle after obstacle to make a Division 1 baseball team.
The big leagues? A crazy notion.
“If someone wanted to grab hold of it, it’s a Disney story in the making,” said former minor-leaguer Don Czyz, who helped Treinen finally find a college landing spot.
As a youth, Treinen had juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, which causes joint inflammation and stiffness.