Fall Select Baseball

[cleanup13]

Big Timers win the Greater Houston Area Tournament this past weekend. Local standout players include PNG's Jon Carnahan (batting close to .500 for the past three weekends (9-20, with a monster HR out of Alvin Community College, 4 doubles, 4 singles and 12 RBI's); strong pitching and hitting by Eric Harrington and Shawn Flores; good showing by Nederland's Beau Helmke and sophomore Jordin Pitts, Beaumont's Spanky Ferguson, Westbrook's Austin Huff and Ozen's DD Lott.

The Big Timers will be playing in the Brenham tournament coming up this weekend. Good luck to all!

[cleanup13]

And how could I forget out great SS, VJ Bunner from Vidor - he is doing an awesome job!

Lookout 4A - it is going to be an interesting race this year with all of the new talent!

[baseball4fun]

Congratultions Big Timers. Sounds like they have gotten some good local talent. I recently took my son to the Big Timers 13U team try-out at PNG and was very impressed with this organization and with the local talent at the 13U level. My son was offered and accepted their invitation to play. We had a couple of other options and strongly considered one local team but chose not to after their coaches actions at the Big Timers try-out. The head coach of this team came to the Big Timers try-out and came to me and several other parents and promoted his team and degraded the Big Timers. I could not believe they would show up at another teams try-out and do what they did. To me this was very unprofessional and unethical. I personally do not want my 13 year old son playing for somebody like this.

[BOSS]

i would have liked to see them put those kind of numbers when they play the Houston Heat cause i guarantee they wouldnt my son and aolt of ball players i kow play for them and the " Big Timers " would have gotten owned and told to go home is all im sayin but good confidence booster i quess

[adminbaberuth]

" Big Timers " would have gotten owned and told to go home

Nothing like a friendly challenge when frost will be on the ground tomorrow. Spring can't get here soon enough.

Oh, I love the game of baseball.

[JSINGLE22]

I have been asking friends about the Big timers and it seems that the team would probally fit me but i missed the tryout, I dont no what to do my friend Josh Garza plays for them but he never called me the weekend of the tryout i was very excited and ready to step on the field and show them who i really am. If anyone knows anything on how i could possible get on the team or get with someone elce i wold really love that. For those that have missed me you can say Sinlgetons Back and ready to play haha Cant wait to get on the field with you guys.

John

[MIF04]

Congratultions Big Timers. Sounds like they have gotten some good local talent. I recently took my son to the Big Timers 13U team try-out at PNG and was very impressed with this organization and with the local talent at the 13U level. My son was offered and accepted their invitation to play. We had a couple of other options and strongly considered one local team but chose not to after their coaches actions at the Big Timers try-out. The head coach of this team came to the Big Timers try-out and came to me and several other parents and promoted his team and degraded the Big Timers. I could not believe they would show up at another teams try-out and do what they did. To me this was very unprofessional and unethical. I personally do not want my 13 year old son playing for somebody like this.

While I really do not want to be drawn into this debate, this post is so full of half truths, non truths and misinformation that I cannot let it sit without reply:

1. Our coaches were invited to the tryout. The tryout was, by the way, open to the public).

2. The only parents that were directly talked to are all the parents of players who chose to join our team. I would expect our coaches to speak positively about our organization and have no knowledge of any ‘degrading’ comments made about the other organization. If those were made, I would like to know what ‘degrading’ comments were made (and this really doesn’t require a public post – I’ll take a PM).

3. Obviously, this poster is unaware of The Big Timers past history and prior course of conduct, much of which has been directed against us.

a.They have sat outside our dugout at our games and tried to recruit our players (and parents) during our games.

b. I have also had their coaches call my players and parents and outright lie about our coaches, their background and their qualifications. At best, that shows a lack of knowledge (“It s better to be quiet and let people think you know nothing rather than opening your mouth and removing all doubtâ€). At worst, it is an intentional attempt to mislead people. By the way, I have actually heard some of these conversations.

c. Their coaches have called college coaches and outright misrepresent that they ‘represented’ a player who could be “had†with the “right word†from them.

d. I have had their coaches misrepresent things about me and threaten me.

e. I think these things speak volumes about their ‘professionalism†and “ethicsâ€.

4. Our organization has never been ‘run out of town’ – theirs has. Our organization doesn’t try to make money off our players – theirs does. We don’t make ‘idle’ promises to induce our players/parents to ‘purchase hope’. We deliver for all our players, at no cost. Our only motivation is (a) to make our players better and ( provide them with the opportunity to play at the next level. No strings, no money…just young men getting better at the greatest game ever…

5. And, as far as “Baseball4fan†not wanting his 13 year old son playing for us, that is unfortunate for him and his son. We started our program with 13 year olds. To date, every player that has stayed thru graduation has received a scholarship to the next level. Our upcoming graduating class already has 7 players who have received D-1 scholarships in the early signing period. I anticipate more during the Spring. These results speak for themselves. We deliver on our promises.

I really didn’t want this to happen but I could not let silence be construed as some tacit agreement with the prior post. As far as a rivalry, we’re not the organization who needs to establish a record of success…we already have one.

[Bears]

WOW!!!!!!!

This is fixin' to get good...........

Select was once a chance for the top players from the different local baseball leagues, now it is a watered down version. Don't get me wrong you still have some excellent organizations that compete at the highest levels and win National tourneys....such as the SETX Sundevils did at the Jr. Olympics, and the Houston Heat @ the World Wood Bat, there is also the Columbia Angels, Dallas Mustangs, so on and so on.

You as a parent have to put your kid in the best situation to grow as a player and as a person, it is a tremendous amount of pressure applied to these kids when they play on a stage against a team like the Canadian Bluejays(all College Freshman) and 30 to 40 scouts from allover the country are watching.

The new game in select as referred to by MIF04 is the practice of stealing other top players from top organizations.......it is by the way getting out of hand, I have seen it first hand being lucky enough to help with the Heat for 2 years, players are called all the time and feed all kind of BS about there current team.

The only thing I would say is look at the organization or team that you would like your son to be a part of, see if there is a list of commiments from their players and were they are going, how many were drafted, what kind of tourneys do they go to? Coaches? are they Daddy's are real coaches that don't have a dog in the race, they just want to play the best players. and of course cost.........

Remember it has become very watered down, some "SELECT" teams around Houston and the GT could not finish 5th in district 224A.

This is just the views of a local sports freak and a baseball loving Dad.

[hfaninthestands]

Im just trying to get my nephew on a tee 8)

[Guest K-911]

I agree with several of the things said here. Select has become so watered down because it has become big business. There is a lot of money to be made and some organizations are in it for the money. They prey on parent's hope that they can make their son into a superstar. The way things are now if you can afford it you can find a team that will allow your son to play whether they have the talent or not. The bottom line is if your son has talent he will be noticed even if you don't fork out tons of money to play select baseball. These select teams by no means have all the best players on them. It has turned into who you know and if you can afford it.

[Bobby Straface]

To the Board and our friends in SE TX,

I am not going to respond to all of Chip Ferguson's propaganda and mostly pontification other then to say none of it is true. I don't know why Chip feels the need to constantly bash Big Timers, myself and my staff on this board on a regular basis. As you can tell I am not a regular though I do visit to check up on my hometown and the many great players from the area. And also when people send me links of Chip posting yet another untruth about us in a negative way. I am here today to tell you what we do and nothing more and certainly not to speak negatively of any other team.

We have two groups: SSE Group which represents professional baseball players and Big Timers Baseball Club which has many teams of young kids wanting to play select baseball. Just from SE TX SSE Group professionally represents Clay Buchholz, Tyler Reves, Casey and Chad Beck, and CJ Ebarb. We are very proud these young men and thankful they have chosen SSE Group to represent them and manage their pro careers. We also advise many others from the area that are still in college and have not yet begun their professional careers. We are thrilled with our group of young guys who are getting ready to start their professional careers and we look forward to yet another successful draft this coming June. We recruit from all select, high school and college programs. Therefore it is a good possibility that you will see us at many games looking for the next draft pick from SE TX. We work on a daily basis with college programs and I can assure you we have not been successful because we "lie to kids and lie to college coaches and promise things we cannot deliver" and I think that is harshly unfair of Chip to say. We are professional baseball agents and we desire to continue to maintain the positive relationships we have built throughout the college and pro baseball community.

We started BTBC in SETX for the simple reason to give more kids an opportunity to learn the game and develop so that they too might have an opportunity to play at the next level. Stephen Westbrook and Sam Moore head up that organization and they do a great job with the kids. Not everyone can play for one team. All we want to do is give kids another option. We now have 6 teams there and although some are sponsored some are not. I wish I had Chips money and all of them could play for free. But I can tell you with 100% truth we do not make a single dollar from BTBC. We simply cover our cost, pay the coaches, and try and help kids get better. We are all from there and played there and we love SE TX. I simply want to give back to the area that was so good to me and my staff.

This is why I don't understand all of the negativity. It's not good for the young kids to see this. It doesn't make anyone better. I can assure all of you; you will not read this stuff from our group. If you do please contact me directly. There is no need to negatively recruit; in fact there is no need to recruit at all. There are plenty of talented young men from our area and they all cannot play on one team. The reality is this is all very silly. The chances of being drafted high enough to get any real money are extremely difficult and to make it to the big leagues those chances become ridiculous. That is the only way SSE can ever make money on your kid. Obviously with our contacts from college and pro ball we can assist in helping a young man get to the next level. It's what we do everyday, it's our job. We have many high school kids we advise that don't play with BTBC. However, this coming summer will be our first full 18 and under team and I would expect many of them to sign to go on to the next level. And hopefully some of them will be advised by SSE Group. But no promises are ever made. Chip should be proud of his organization and all of the players that signed. I know our staff has equally as high hopes for our first all 18 and under team. I just don't see the need to bash others to pump up your own program.

Frankly, I hope this ends. We all need to get along and help the young people that do choose to play for us, regardless of what organization they play for. If you want to know what BTBC is about come to our tryouts and hear it directly from us and then go to other tryouts and hear it directly from them and then make your own decision. And either way we wish you and your son the very best kind of success. And maybe, someday we will get to meet your son from a SSE Group standpoint and represent your son in professional baseball if you'll have us. And guess what, by then it won't matter what select team you played for.

Chip, you run good teams, and I enjoy watching you play and I wish you guys the very best as you continue to impact the lives of your young people.

Sincerely,

Bobby Straface

President

SSE Group

[adminbaberuth]

One good thing about this healthy competition for talent in our area is the names being thrown out who are involved. All know the game, and the kids that play will benefit more than the adults running it.

As a side note, there is another league in Mid County that is open to all kids in the summer which will not interfere with select ball, as Mid County Babe Ruth plays Monday thru Thursday. We have already reached an agreement with some of the Select teams to play with us during the week and return on weekends with their select team.

So if a kid wants to play baseball, it's here in Southeast Texas.

[Txfootball07]

I have never met a select baseball coach that could or would keep all of his promises. Also, please dont be mislead, whether you or the organization pays the bills - there is a "cost" to play select ball.

Seek out the organization that truely covets your son for the right reasons. The coaches and staff that talk about work ethic and character development and a staff that builds confidence in its players. With most of these coaches player development for some players ends when a player from another organization becomes "available".

This practice in itself I wouldnt say is bad - except that very few organizations will tell you up front that they will not stop seeking the best avaliable talent and eventually this may diminish some players playing time and opportunities. It takes integrity to declare these things and most simply wont be honest with parents and recruits up front.

There is a difference between organizations that fill roster spots versus organizations that actually develop potential and talent. Every select coach I have ever met talks the talk - very few walk the walk.

I am a believer in select baseball and its rewards for players that continue to work towards their goals and dreams. Hard honest work never goes unrewarded. Find the organization that will develop work ethic and will build confidence in your son.

[cleanup13]

Can anyone help me - I have misplaced a number for Curtis, an umpire who also coaches the Red Sox out of Houston/Corpus Christi. Thanks

[The Voice]

Select ball is a great thing for young men trying to get to that next level. The biggest thing select ball did for my son was to make him mentaly tough. It's sweet and sour, a young man that is at the top of his game at one level, gets to another team (select) that everyone is at the top of their game, they step up or step out. It's not for everyone. When they get in college it's the same way. Parents, your son may get some splinters in his butt, and thats when you get involved and show him how to pull them out. AkA- hard work, encouragement.... Don't pull the splinters out for him! Parent's, don't just drop your kid off and assume that he is in good hands. Be involved. You are the CEO of your son. A select program and a high school program are not the same. When your son get's in high school he should conform to that program. Bringing the skills from select and blending them into your high school program. Select ball is great for SETX. Let's not throw the baby out with the bath water! Just my opinion.

[JSINGLE22]

I cant find a team to play with or just practice with i need all the help i can get. I plan to move back to Bc but i guess ill just have to wait until i talk to there coachs. I hope it works out between me and Bc ive hurd Billy Bryant has a lot of good things for his baseballers thats why i hope to be with his team next year. So what would anyone recomend about me finding a team to get with before or after the season.

Singleton

[MIF04]

I have ready Bobby Straface’s ‘reply’ and am reminded of the line from the song that “the handshake hides the snakeâ€. I remind him (and everyone else) that I did not come looking for this ‘debate’. One of his ‘people’ made a post that required my response and, as the saying goes, we’re off to the races.

As usual, Bobby is a good salesman …nothing more, nothing less. If just anyone were to comment about my prior post that “none of it was trueâ€, I would be offended. When Bobby says it, I get downright angry…Bobby knows it is true, and damn well knows that I know it is true.

First, Bobby Straface has “started†his select organization in SE Texas because it flopped in North Texas. It ended when his ‘Director of Baseball Operations’ quit because he did not like how the program was taking advantage/misleading the players. Then, after ‘enjoying’ the “Big Timers Experienceâ€, all but 1 of their players chose not to return.

We have talked to that ‘Director of Baseball Operations’. We have found a wealth of information about this on other public sites. I would not make any such statements about an organization without first doing so. Here are what some of those public comments were, mainly from 'satisfied customers' (a/k/a parents):

‘After the experience [with Bobby Straface], “all but 1 decided not to return.â€

‘Bobby made a lot of “pretty tall claims that he could get kids recruited and scholarships. That pretty much did not happen…Bobby is a real good salesman however…I would be very skeptical.â€

‘Bobby was “overhyping what he could do and would do for the playersâ€. He just never delivered on any of it.’

These are not my words. These are not the words of anyone affiliated with me. These are the words of parents who trusted Bobby Straface and the Big Timers organization only to find out he does not deliver on what he promises. When Bobby claimed that it was harshly unfair for me to say that he “promised things we cannot deliverâ€, I respond with what other parents have experienced. Those are not my claims. Those are the facts from people who had the 'benefit' of his organization.

Second, I know for a “gospel fact†that Bobby Straface has made significant misrepresentations to players and college coaches about his relationship to those players and coaches (By the way, Bobby…today’s cell phones do allow people to record their conversations with you). At the sake of (some) brevity, here are just two examples:

(1) Player (one of our select players) gets a telephone call from Bobby Straface, indicating that he is having lunch with the coaches from [a Big 12 university], and that he can ‘guarantee’ a scholarship. Bobby then hands the phone to a person that he claims is a coach at that university so the two of them can talk. The supposed coach tells the player he will get the scholarship if he listens to Bobby and uses him as his advisor. Player calls us. We advise player that this phone call occurred during a ‘dead period’ for recruiting and would be an NCAA violation. Since we know the school and coaches allegedly involved, we call them to question the conduct. To our surprise (and relief), the conversation never took place as these college coaches were literally hundreds of miles away when the alleged phone call took place. We call the player and question him. The phone call was recorded and we verify the player’s version. Bottom line? Either Bobby Straface (a) engaged in an NCAA violation or ( blatantly lied to a player in an effort to ‘sign him up’.

(2) I received a telephone call from the recruiting coordinator at a major D-1 university (‘major’ enough to have recently won the National Championship) that I had met in East Cobb, Georgia. He had received a telephone call from Bobby Straface claiming to represent one of our players that he would ‘deliver’. The player was very interested in the school, and the recruiting coordinator was interested in the player; hence the call to me. I talked to the player’s family. They had no relationship whatsoever (representation, advisor, etc.) with Bobby. Bottom line? School got cold feet on recruiting the player and the player went elsewhere.

Third, Bobby Straface has lied about my organization and my coaches in an effort to “recruit†our players (which, interestingly, required him to ‘sign up’ with his management/agency organization). I happened to be with the parent(s) when he called them and the call was put on ‘speaker phone’. During that conversation, he claimed that our head coach (Matt Thompson) had only had 1 coaching job in his entire life (hitting coach at Lamar) and got ‘run off’ from that job. The rest of our coaches were ‘less qualified’ than that.

Here are some facts about Matt Thompson. Matt started working with us while he was still a coach at Lamar University. He chose to leave Lamar, quite frankly, because our program offered him (and his family) a better opportunity personally and financially. He did not get ‘run off’ as Bobby claimed. Moreover, Matt Thompson’s background (of which Bobby is obviously ignorant) is a quality background:

· Prior to Lamar, Matt was the Head Coach at Broward CC that plays in JUCO Division 8 (toughest division nationally in JUCO ball). His 2003 recruiting class included 8 players that were drafted by MLB.

· Previous, he was the Head Coach at South West CC where they were ranked in the Top 25 nationally each year in hitting (including 4th nationally in 2001).

· All in all, as a Head Coach Matt has coached 17 players drafted by MLB, 2 All Americans and 18 All Region selections.

· As Jim Gilligan said, “Matt has an extensive understanding of hitting and has the communicative skills to relate it to the hitters.â€

In addition to that, Matt has been (on multiple occasions) helped select our country’s national teams for USA Baseball (the same guys who run our Olympics team) and has been asked to serve as a coach for them.

Clearly, Matt Thompson is a quality coach and, just as clearly, Bobby Straface made blatant misstatements about him…all to ‘recruit’ a high school player and attempt to sign him on the proverbial dotted line.

Fourth, we do have a solid record of developing players from a young age (13) and obtaining college scholarships for them. Bobby cannot make that claim…because he (and his organization) has never done it (here or in the Dallas area before they ‘left town’). He claims that they work on a ‘daily basis’ with college coaches (hopefully, not like the examples listed above) but I have yet to meet the player that got a Div. 1 scholarship because of Bobby Straface or his organization. I’m not saying he hasn’t…maybe he has (but I haven’t met that player). I am aware that he ‘represents’ several players as their ‘agent’ or ‘advisor’. He signed those players after they were developed, and after they were already good. Do not mistake the claims of SSE Group with those of Big Timers baseball. They are not the same.

I am proud of our record (not wins/losses, but success in building players and sending them to a higher level). I am proud of our organization. Bobby ‘wishes’ he had our financial resources but he (again) missed the point. The point (from our perspective) is that we do not have a financial stake in this debate, nor do we have a financial motive. Our ‘stake’ is in the betterment of baseball in this area, and betterment of the baseball players in this area.

Bobby complains that we ‘constantly bash’ Big Timers, etc. on this board. That, sadly, is another mistruth. I did reply when his folks opened this ‘can of worms’ but I doubt (like everything else) that he can support that statement. I don’t want this to continue…but if Bobby thinks he can (in essence) call me a ‘liar’ and expect me to sit silently then he is as mistaken about that as he is about nearly everything else. I do note, however, that not once has Bobby Straface ever called me to discuss my concerns (nor even sent me a PM). I’m not that hard to find…

Lastly, I am a ‘baseball guy’. Too much energy has been taken up on this issue. Don’t take my word for it…take the word of those who have been through the Big Timers’ program and be wary. These people will tell you about “pretty tall claims†that “pretty much did not happenâ€, about “overhyping†and warning others to be “very skepticalâ€. Again, I didn't create those statements -- I am just reporting them.

I just want what is best for the players. I do not want their money, or to take the credit for their success (I agree with “The Voiceâ€â€¦credit to the players who work hard and parents as the “CEO†of their kids). The simple fact is that Bobby Straface and the Big Timers is not a ‘threat’ to our organization. Never has been, never will be…but I will not stand idly by while his organization, volunteers, etc. take shots at mine. We have done too much, too well, for too long to deserve that. And I will not let him mislead any parent or any player about me.

I hope this is my last word on the subject. My hatchet’s buried...

Chip Ferguson

SE Texas Sun Devils

Beaumont, Texas

“And proud of itâ€

[Bobby Straface]

To All,

If any of you want references on SSE Group or Big Timers Baseball please feel free to get with Sam Moore or Stephen Westbrook and we will be happy to supply you with a lengthy list of happy families. I wish we could have pleased everyone but sadly that is never the case. And I am sure Chip will admit there have been kids leave his program less than thrilled as well. I will not take the time to refute all of the above, it would take too much time but I will respond to our former Director "quitting". He was fired when Stephen Westbrook became available to take over and we have sinced added Sam Moore. Everyone who has been assoicated with us knows the truth. And frankly the addition of Stephen and Sam is the best thing that could have happened to us. I am proud of both of them and would not change a single decision I made in that regard.

Chip I promise to try and contact you the next time I am in town as you offered and maybe we can sit down and discuss this as gentlemen and leave the good people of this board alone. I am sure they don't care about our obvious issues. If you are serious about that I would be happy to meet with you. I am glad that you feel you have said your peace and have buried the hatchet so to speak. I am certain we both have better things to do.

Bobby Straface

SSE Group