You might say that Overland Park fits Joe Randa like a glove.
Former Major League Baseball player Joe Randa, who split his career between the Kansas City Royals and three other franchises, is in a fraternity of professional athletes that came here to play their sport and still call this town home, sweet home. Randa was drafted to the Royals in 1991 and following a season at Kauffman Stadium was traded to the Pirates. The competitive third baseman also played for the Tigers, Reds and Padres but was reunited with the Royals from 1999 to 2004, much to the fans—and Randa’s—delight. The affable athlete purchased his first house in Overland Park in 1996 and decided not to put a “for sale” sign in the front yard when he left for Pittsburgh. Four years following his retirement from the major leagues, Randa lives in a different house but enjoys everything that southern Johnson County and Kansas City offers for an active family.
I still remember driving through Kansas City one day in 1994, on my way to Omaha. I was on I-70 and drove past Kauffman Stadium and was totally blown away by the presence of that magnificent facility, even from the interstate. One of my most memorable times in major league sports was my first opening day at the K. It was electric. You could feel the pure excitement of the fans.
My favorite year playing pro baseball was in 2003, when the Royals were in first place. I had heard George Brett and Frank White talk about the high of playing for the team during the World Series season and following that and how hungry the fans were. I experienced the fans’ unflappable energy that year and got to see exactly what the greats were talking about.
It wasn’t until I was an eighth grader that I really started working on my baseball skills. I lettered in football, basketball, tennis and baseball at Kettle Moraine High School in Wales, Wis. [a suburb of Milwaukee] but realized that if I wanted to play a sport at the college level my body size and speed were conducive to baseball.
I met Bethany, my wife of 15 years, when I was playing the minor leagues in Memphis in 1993. We both decided Johnson County was a good fit for us when we moved here in the mid-1990s. I’m not a big-city guy, and Overland Park was similar to where I grew up. For an athlete, it’s really important to have a solid home base because there’s not a lot of continuity in the job—you’re on the road, training, playing and bouncing around a lot. It was essential to us that our two boys be raised in a stable environment.
My priority is my family, and living here allows me to focus on that. Jacob is 11, and Justin is 9. The boys are involved in the Blue Valley Football Club, the Blue Valley Youth Basketball League and the Mac-N-Seitz Baseball program. Although they’re both talented athletes, I don’t force sports on them and certainly will let them follow their passions as they grow up.
One of the striking qualities I like about living here is how caring and giving the people are, both to their community and to those less fortunate. We both do charitable work—Bethany volunteers with CASA, and I’ve done some work with Harvesters. For three years, I had the Joe Randa Grand Slam Celebrity Classic tennis tournament, which raised more than $500,000 for Hope House and Turning Point. Tennis is one of my athletic pursuits—along with golf—in retirement. I hit the courts weekly at the Overland Park Racquet Club.
I’m a simple jeans-and-T-shirt type of guy. During the spring and summer you’ll find me tending my 10 acres—when I was playing ball, I paid someone to do yard work. It’s therapeutic for me now. I hang out at Suburban Lawn and Garden and buy my grass seed and tools. And the boys and I like to spend a lazy afternoon fishing.
When it comes to technology I'm pretty old school. The boys just got me texting last year.
I love to eat, and when it’s not Bethany’s world-class Southern cuisine, you’ll find us out on the town. Meat and potatoes and steak are my favorites. We like J. Gilbert’s and Jack Stack Barbecue in Martin City. The kids and I go to Jersey Boyz Subs and Deli in Stanley where my pick is the Boyz Belly Buster sandwich and Talk of the Town Grill and Bar where I’m addicted to the Overlander sandwich. I can’t get enough of Lamar’s glazed donuts, and a Sheridan’s marshmallow malt is my usual.
Johnson County brings a lot to the plate for a growing family. We’re able to live a normal life here, surrounded by the best people and the best opportunities. Bethany and I could have settled on one of the coasts or a bigger city, but we opted for the relative calm of this area and have never looked back.
words: Kimberly Winter Stern
photos: Rachael Swetnam