Rainiers’ multi-lingual reggae fan Law might be the PCL’s most interesting player

Adam Law may very well be the only Ndebele-speaking player in the history of professional baseball, and he’s always down to show it off. So midway through an interview, he picks up the recorder and launches into a Zimbabwean tongue-twister about an old man going to a hill to cut grass.

Trust me, it sounds a lot more impressive in Ndebele.

And it’s just one of the facets of Law — the man with baseball in his blood, who walks up to the plate to reggae, who speaks three languages, and carries a metal spoon with him wherever he goes on the road — that make him the most interesting player in the PCL.

Adam Law was born in 1990, and though he says baseball was never forced on him, his upbringing at least guided him on the path.

Law’s grandfather, Vern, had a 16-year career with the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1950s and ’60s. In 1960, he went 20-9 with 18 complete games, and started Games 1, 4, and 7 of the Pirates’ improbable World Series win over the Yankees, en route to winning the Cy Young Award.

“A favorite (story) of my grandfather’s was that he pitched 18 innings of a 19-inning game, and was taken out,” Law said. “The Pirates took the lead, and a new pitcher came in, so my grandfather took a no-decision in an 18-inning game.”

That game, against the Milwaukee Braves in 1955, was actually 2-2 when Vern Law was taken out going to the top of the 19th. Milwaukee’s clean-up hitter, a second-year second baseman named Hank Aaron, went 0-for-7 against Law with a strikeout. Law struck out 12, and yes, had to take the no-decision.

Vern’s son, Vance, played for five different teams in an 11-year career as an infielder, being named an all-star for the Chicago Cubs in 1989. After his playing days were over, Vance turned to coaching, taking up the head job at his alma mater, BYU. He coached his two eldest sons — Tim and Andrew — in Provo before Adam’s time came.

So yeah, if there was ever a man with baseball in his blood, it’s Adam Charles Law.

“There’s definitely a difference in the guys who have been around it their whole lives, as opposed to guys who haven’t,” Rainiers manager Pat Listach said. “They learn how to play the game the right way from the day they’re born. They’re a different breed.”

Law followed his father and brothers to BYU, but after a freshman season with limited playing time, just a handful of at-bats, and no hits, baseball had to be put on pause. While other college ballplayers his age were playing their sophomore and junior seasons, Law traveled to Zimbabwe to serve his LDS mission.

Living in a third world country, Law spent two years immersed in a community without electricity or running water, learned two local languages, and had to mature fast — physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

“I was able to grow up a lot and experience a lot,” Law said. “I think the most important thing is that it put things into perspective for me.

“Whether I go 0-for-4, there are people who are fighting meal-to-meal in a different part of the world. So I learned to step back and appreciate the things we have.”

When Law came back to BYU, he resettled into baseball. In his junior season, he hit .363 with 46 RBIs and 14 stolen bases, good enough to be drafted. Law was drafted in the 12th round of the 2013 draft by the Dodgers, and spent the next three and a half seasons working his way through the Los Angeles farm system, getting as far as Double-A Tulsa.

Even with Law’s background in baseball, joining a clubhouse of his own provided another culture shock.

“The baseball lifestyle, you can hear so much about it… but you really don’t know until you experience it,” Law said. “I had a lot of eye-opening experiences when I first signed and continued to play.”

In July of 2016, the Dodgers traded Law to the Mariners for cash considerations, and he was assigned to Double-A Jackson.

In his first game with the Generals, Law hit his first professional home run. Call it fate.

When Seattle moved its Double-A team to Arkansas, Law made the trip too, but missed nearly all of the 2017 season with injuries. After hitting .272 to start 2018, Law earned his first call up to Triple-A. Despite a short stint back in Arkansas when the Travelers desperately needed middle infielders, has become a mainstay in the Tacoma lineup, hitting .309 with 10 doubles and 15 RBIs in 32 games.

Now, the second baseman who walks up to the sounds of San Diego-based reggae band Tribal seeds, and whose Twitter bio is Bob Marley lyrics, is one step away from become a third-generation major leaguer.

If Adam gets the call-up to the big leagues, the Laws will become just the sixth family ever to have three generations of major league players.

“It’s never easy; it’s a different brand of baseball,” Law said. “It’s more clean, the bullpens have been more consistent in Triple-A. The guys are a little bit older and more experienced. It’s been a great learning experience, on and off the field.”