In between Davey Collins and Mark Ellis, Kelvin Torve was also a Post 22 alumnus who reached the Majors. He spent 10 years battling through the Minors, finally earning shots with the Minnesota Twins (1988) and New York Mets (1989-1990)

LEGION
   Torve was a standout Legion player for Rapid City Post 22.

COLLEGE
   Torve played three years (1979-1981) for the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles.
   In his senior season, 1981, he earned second team all-American honors.

MINORS
   Following his all-American senior season at Oral Roberts, the San Francisco Giants selected Torve in the second round of the June amateur draft.
   Torve was sent to the Class A Midwest League, joining the Clinton Giants. Joining the team in mid-season, he appeared in 57 games.
   He hit .261 with 10 doubles and 28 RBIs during that rookie year - not phenomenal, but enough for the organization to promote him to AA the following year.
   In 1982, Torve found himself in Shreveport, with the Class AA Captains, as their everyday first baseman.
   The only Captain to hit above a .300 clip, Torve finished the year at .305, leading the team with 29 doubles, seven triples and 84 RBIs. He was second on the team with 15 homers, and scored a team best 66 runs.
   Another year meant another move up, as the Giants promoted Torve to AAA Phoenix for the 1983 season.
   He played in 115 games in the Pacific Coast League, hitting .260 with 21 doubles and 54 RBIs.
   Torve was moved back to AA Shreveport in '84, where his offense picked up again. he hit .297, leading the team with 21 doubles, 16 homers and 62 RBIs.
   Just before the start of the 1985 season, the 25-year-old was traded by the only organization he ever new. San Francisco sent Torve to the Baltimore Orioles, who in turn shipped Torve to AA Charlotte of the Southern League.
   The Charlotte O's reached the league's championship series thanks in large part to the first baseman, who hit at a .290 clip. He led the team with 34 doubles and 77 RBIs, going deep 15 times in 482 at bats.
   From there, it was back to AAA, this time with the International League's Rochester (N.Y.) Red Wings.
   Torve spent two full seasons with the Red Wings. He struggled to hit consistently, batting .242 with 16 doubles and only four homers in 1986, and .262 with 10 doubles and nine homers in 1987.
   Released by Baltimore, the Minnesota Twins franchise took a flyer on the now 28-year-old. For most lifetime Minor Leaguers, by the time you reach your late 20s, it's a now or never story.
   Torve made the best of what was possibly his last opportunity.
   With Portland of the Pacific Coast League, Torve hit .301 with 28 doubles, nine homers and 47 RBIs, earning a September call up to the big league.

MAJORS
   Torve played in 12 games for the Twins, going 3-for-16 with a homer and two RBIs. He didn't make the big league club in 1989, but the Twins kept him in AAA Portland for the year, turning him loose at the end of that season.
   The New York Mets became the fourth franchise to sign Torve, sending him to AAA Tidewater.
   Again a September call up, Torve cashed in on his second chance in the Majors. He hit .289 (11-for-38) with four doubles and two RBIs.
   Torve actually became quite famous in New York during those few weeks - and it had nothing to do with his play on the field. In fact, Torve is most well known to those outside of South Dakota because of his uniform.
   When Torve arrived in New York that season, he was given the number 24. He didn't think anything of it. No one in the Mets front office did either.
   Until fans started creating a storm. The number 24 had last been wore almost 20 years previously, by hall-of-famer Willie Mays.
   Upon Mays' retirement, then-owner Joan Payson promised the Say Hey Kid he wouldn't issue his jersey to anyone else - but the number was never officially retired either.
   Eventually new ownership took over, and the number 24 was just sort of lying in wait for a September call up, in this case Torve.
   Within a few days, public outcry became so intense that Torve was quietly given the number 39 to wear instead.
   Torve returned to Tidewater in 1991, and was called up for 10 September games, going 0-for-8.
   The Mets released him following that season, and his American professional baseball career came to an end.
   He did head overseas, playing two years for the Onix Blue Wave in Japan. In fact, one of Torve's teammates was a rookie outfielder by the name of Ichiro Suzuki.