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MACOMB COUNTY — In 2017, United Shore Professional Baseball League Westside Woolly Mammoths manager Taylor Grzelakowski, a Fraser high school graduate, received the news of a lifetime. The Minnesota Twins had signed Grzelakowski and Randy Dobnak, then his Utica Unicorns teammate, to the organization.
Nearly six years later, Grzelakowski received word from the same scout that signed him that Mammoths right-hander Kyle Bischoff was officially signed by the Twins.
Bischoff is the 48th player to be signed by an MLB organization from the USPBL.
Grzelakowski was able to deliver the same life-changing news he received years ago to not only the ace of his pitching staff, but his best friend.
“He (the scout) called me and was like, ‘I want you to tell him,’” Grzelakowski said. “I was in tears and at a loss of words. So I said screw it, I’m getting in my car and going to his house. I grabbed one of my old Twins hats and just literally opened the door, threw it at him and jumped on him. It was probably one of the coolest moments of my life.”
Bischoff, who served under Grzelakowski at Macomb Community College as the pitching coach last season and is currently the director of pitching development, was probably the happiest person to ever receive a Goldberg-style spear in their living room.
“He showed up at my front door and rang the doorbell a couple times and busted through the door and tackled me on the couch,” Bischoff said. “I didn’t even get the call first. I’m really close with him, so it was really cool to hear it from him.”
Bischoff, a Macomb Township native and a 2017 graduate of Utica Eisenhower, was officially signed by the Minnesota Twins on May 31 after entering his second season with the USPBL this year. Bischoff has reported to the Twins’ Florida Complex League in Fort Myers, Florida.
With only one appearance so far with the Twins, tallying a strikeout and one earned run in one inning of work, Bischoff said he’s still adjusting to the day-to-day operations.
“I’m waking up really early,” Bischoff said. “I’m waking up at 5:30 now to get out and do movement prep and we go through pitching staff warmups that they’ve tailored for each guy. After that, they have portable mounds, so some plyo balls, water bags and other stuff. Just some drill work before you get into your daily catch.”
After handling the closer role last season to the tune of five saves and 19 strikeouts in 18 appearances last season, Bischoff was electric out the gate this season for the Mammoths after transitioning to a starting pitching role.
Preparing for his new role, Bischoff spent a healthy amount of time at 2SP Sports Performance, located in Madison Heights, in the offseason with Nathan Sier, the baseball strength and conditioning coach at Macomb Community College and for the Washington Nationals’ Single-A Fredericksburg team.
Tallying 15 strikeouts in eight innings this season and earning Pitcher of the Week honors in his first start, it’s safe to say his conditioning transitioned to success on the baseball field.
“I got into a nice routine where I got into a lifting schedule, I planned out my throwing program every week, and I was able to do different mobility and strength testing each week to make sure I was 100% by the day of my start,” Bischoff said.
At Eisenhower, Bischoff was a two-year letter winner and second team all-state honoree his senior season, posting 87 strikeouts to compliment a 7-1 record with a 1.43 ERA.
Bischoff would attend the University of Toledo from 2018-2021 before joining Michigan State University in 2022 where he earned third team all-Big-Ten honors, leading the conference with 12 saves (second in Michigan State history).
Baseball has always been a staple in the Bischoff family; his older brother, Owen Bischoff, played baseball at Adrian College and Rochester University.
A three-year age difference never stopped the brothers from being competitive, but Owen would catch his younger brother’s bullpen sessions, and Bischoff eventually was able to wear his big brother’s number in high school.
“I definitely learned a lot from my brother because I obviously loved baseball my whole life, but watching him grow as a player really taught me a lot,” Bischoff said.
Like the support and encouragement his brother gave him, Bischoff’s family made sure to be at every game throughout his tenure in the USPBL.
Being a local kid in the league, Bischoff became an immediate crowd favorite, and with the packed fan section at each game — now with his wife, family and friends — Bischoff was well represented at each game.
“A lot of supporters all the time,” Bischoff said. “My fiancée was at every single game, my parents came to just about everything, and her family came to everything. That was very cool. Every time I came into a game, they’d announce Eisenhower grad, Macomb, Michigan and the local boy. I always got a little applause. That was pretty cool.”
Bischoff said he’ll always remember his time at Jimmy John’s Field. He said it was the perfect steppingstone.
“It was amazing,” Bischoff said. “It was a great introduction to pro ball. It was packed every single game and the fans were really into it. I had a little taste of it at Michigan State, but some of those big-league games nobody is in the stands. Every single game, the adrenaline was pumping and you’re in a clubhouse full of guys with affiliate experience and guys who are in the same shoes as you at 22, 23 years old.”
