Area Prospects Bring Ex-Players Back To Roots

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Area prospects bring ex-players back to roots

Dave Rogers column for Thursday, March 9, 2006

They were as ever-present as the ping of the bats at last week's area baseball tournaments and Bobby Straface and Stephen Westbrook are staying on the move.

"Stephen and I have seen over 45 games in the last week, and that's a lot," Straface said Wednesday afternoon from Houston, where he was watching San Jacinto College play.

"We're looking for the next group of studs and making sure we're watching the group we have."

Straface, 35, a former baseball and basketball standout at Port Neches-Groves who played college basketball at McNeese before switching to baseball at Lamar, is the head of SSE Group, a pro sports management agency out of Dallas.

Lumberton grad Clay Buchholz, a first-round draft pick by the Boston Red Sox who signed for an $800,000 bonus last June, was the first of Straface's 15 agency clients to sign a pro contract.

He says he expects eight to 10 clients will sign this summer.

Westbrook, a Nederland native and former LU teammate of Straface, left his job last summer as West Orange-Stark baseball coach to work with SSE.

He has started a related venture called Big Timers Baseball Club, a select college and pro development program designed to help young players develop their baseball skills so they can advance to the next level.

And when they get there, if they need somebody to represent them in financial negotions, SSE is well-positioned.

"It's really no different than the IMG business model," Straface says.

IMG, the world-famous sports agency that got its start with Arnold Palmer, runs youth academies in Florida for teenagers interested in careers in sports like tennis, soccer and baseball. It advertises that 85 percent of its graduates earn college scholarships.

Straface's efforts have three significant steps.

Big Timers Baseball will have two 16-and-under select teams, one in Dallas, the other based in the Golden Triangle. Tryouts for this summer's teams were held in December and January.

He says what makes them different from most "select ball" teams that gather area all-stars to play in weekend travel tournaments is that Westbrook's program will include both individual and group workouts and required participation in a nutrition and strength and fitness program.

"Some kids just want a summer of playing select baseball, but we're looking for kids that have a little bit more want-to," Straface said. "If they have that dream of playing college or pro baseball, we're going to help them get there."

Ryan Robertson, a PN-G grad and another of Straface's old classmates, was a pro player for eight seasons, rising to Triple A before a shoulder injury ended his career. He's helping Straface by coaching an 18-and-under "prospect team" that helps prepare the players for college scholarships.

"If you make it through the 16-and-under, the following summer you play 18-and-under," Straface says. "That's when we take you to college campuses, regional places where our kids need to be seen."

Straface's list of clients includes his brother-in-law, former PN-G catcher Josh Stinson, who should be a high draft choice this year out of Texas A&M; and pitchers Jordan Thibodeaux and Derek Blacksher from West Orange-Stark and Bridge City, respectively.

Of course, until they decide to turn pro, Straface is technically their adviser and there are no binding contracts or money changing hands. Once the players make that decision, he'll be their agent, if that's their choice.

A former sales boss for compter software companies who got tired of "making millions for billionaires," Straface says he wants to do all he can to help high school players in Southeast Texas.

"I was in Corporate America for 12 years and in Corporate America we don't make decisions with money unless data backs it up. Look at last year's baseball draft: including the first round and the compensation round, two kids from Southeast Texas were taken (including West Brook's Jay Bruce).

"In the Dallas Metroplex where I live, there are over 3 million people and there was only one player picked in the first round. So good business sense says we better get our tail down there and protect the home area.

"We're from Southeast Texas and those kids are pretty dang good there. The whole nation knows about it. We could not be happier to have a big part of our business back at home."

Players from Port Arthur Lincoln's 1981 state championship team are looking forward to a reunion in Austin at this weekend's state basketball tournament, but maybe none moreso than Barron Prevost.

A three-varsity player for the Bumblebees who was one of 12 seniors on what was the first of four James Gamble-coached state championship clubs, Prevost has been living in Oklahoma since Hurricane Rita destroyed his home in Port Acres.

"I'm going to try my best to be there," he said Wednesday. "I need something to cheer me up."

The Lincoln players are being recognized at halftime of Saturday night's Class 5A state championship. Earlier Saturday, Beaumont Hebert's 1981 Class 4A state champs will earn a similar 25th anniversary salute. That team, the second of three straight state champs under coach Fred Williams, included Andre Boutte, who would later lead Lincoln to state titles in 1991 and 1995.

Boutte didn't go to last year's reunion of the 1980 Hebert state champs (he played on that team, too) and says he doesn't usually go to the state tourney unless it's as part of a participating team. That's been twice as a player and eight times as a coach (five at Lincoln, three at Beaumont Ozen).

"A lot of guys go for vacation, but normally whoever beat me is down there playing and I'm trying to put that out of my memory and get back to work," he said.

Brenham, which knocked Ozen out of the playoffs last Tuesday, won't be in Austin, so Boutte probably will be.

"Coach Gamble and coach Fred pretty much have the same things to say: You have to look back and see how blessed you've been. That's what I do."

Brian Sanches got off to a hot start in his first major league spring training camp. The right-handed setup man from Nederland has appeared in two games for a total of 2 2/3 innings and hasn't allowed a run. He retired all four batters he faced in Monday's spring training game against Cincinnati, three on strikeouts.

Groves native Ben Weber had a rough first outing in an exhibition game against the Canadian national team that beat Team USA Wednesday. Then he pitched a scoreless inning against the Yankees Monday and gave up one earned run to Cleveland Wednesday. His ERA is 4.50 after two one-inning official outings.

Beaumont's Jason Tyner was hitting .400 (4 for 10 in six games) in his bid to make the Twins' roster and PN-G ex Lew Ford is hitting .333 (3 for 9 in four games) for the Twins.

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Looks like some former local guys doing some good things.