Vavra graduated in 1978 from Chippewa Falls High School, where he was a captain and MVP baseball player his senior season.

Vavra was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the eighth round (203rd overall) of the 1982 Major League Baseball draft.

The second setback was when Vavra fell ill with desert fever (Coccidioidomycosis), a disease that eats at the lungs.

Vavra coached for ten years in the minors before moving to the Dodgers' major league staff.

[2] Vavra attended the 2008 MLB Home Run Derby at Yankee Stadium to pitch for Justin Morneau.

[3] During Vavra's tenure in Minnesota, the Twins consistently ranked among the best in the league for both individual and team hitting stats.