Kansas City Royals Rookie John Rave Pays Tribute To Parents, Calls Late Father Mike Rave His ‘Biggest Fan’

John Rave, an American professional baseball outfielder for the Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball (MLB), often expresses his love and respect for his parents.

The Royals’ Rookie, John Michael Rave, was born on December 30, 1997, in Canton, Illinois, United States, as the youngest child to parents Michael ‘Mike’ Rave and Sue Irving Rave.

John Rave often credits his parents, Mike and Sue, for being his constant supporters. It was his parents who instilled in him the love and passion for sports from a very young age and guided him in his baseball journey.

Sue and Mike never missed his games from T-ball to Little League to Central Catholic High School in Bloomington, Illinois, to his collegiate career at Illinois State.

They were also there when he was selected in the fifth round of the 2019 draft by the Royals.

Furthermore, John Rave followed in the footsteps of his late father, Mike Rave, and his elder brother, Matthew, in sports.

His father, Mike Rave, played basketball at Illinois Wesleyan University, from which he graduated in 1990.

Mike Rave was also the first coach for John and his siblings during their childhood.

Although John Rave’s late father, Mike Rave, couldn’t witness his MLB debut on May 26, 2025, John Rave never fails to honor his late father before every game.

The recent Father’s Day was a bit emotional for John Rave, as it was his first Father’s Day as an MLB player and also the first without his father.

John Rave Lost His Father, Michael ‘Mike’ Rave, In 2020

A few months after celebrating his achievement of being selected in the 2019 MLB draft, John Rave and his family faced a tragedy when he lost his beloved father, Michael John Rave.

Michael John Rave passed away at 11:45 a.m., Tuesday, February 18, 2020, at his home in Bloomington at the age of 51.

According to reports, Mike Rave was feeling ill at work, went home, fell down a flight of stairs, and passed away from internal bleeding.

John Rave never got a chance to say goodbye.

"It still hurts, it always will. We would talk after all every game. He always believed I could make it. He always gave me that confidence. Now, not to share this with him, it hurts," said John Rave.

After the sudden passing of his father, John Rave considered quitting his baseball career; however, his family urged him to continue because his father would have wanted him to persevere.

Furthermore, late Mike Rave was born on April 30, 1968, in Bloomington to father Ronald L. and mother Jane Sanderson Rave.

A 1986 graduate of Central Catholic High School, Mike Rave worked his entire career with State Farm Insurance Co., serving his internship at State Farm Corporate and working his way up through the company to eventually owning his own agency.

Similarly, John Rave’s parents, Mike Rave and Sue Irving, met at Central Catholic High School and were married for over 23 years, raising three successful kids.

While very little information about Sue Irving Rave’s professional journey is available, her Facebook displays that she graduated from Illinois State University and works at Carmody-Flynn.

In Case You Didn’t Know

• John Rave played college baseball at Illinois State University, his mother’s alma mater.
• He played collegiate summer baseball with the Chatham Anglers of the Cape Cod Baseball League and was named a league all-star.
• His elder brother, Matthew ‘Matt’ Rave, played baseball at Carthage College.
• John is married to Amy Rave, his college sweetheart.