News
We are hosting tryouts for our fall 14U Fort Worth Cats (White) team. These tryouts are for incoming 8th graders only. Tryouts will be held July 19th at 6:00PM and August 10th at 6:00PM at Arlington Heights High School.
JULY 19TH - REQUEST TRYOUT INVITATION FROM BRAD MCINTIRE AT 817-938-2424
AUGUST 10TH - REQUEST TRYOUT INVITATION FROM BRAD KEEFER AT 817-991-8454
We are excited to announce the first of several tryout dates for our Fort Worth Cats teams. We will host tryouts for the 2017-2018 12u Majors and AAA teams on July 11 at 7:00 PM and July 17 at 7:00 PM.
This is a private location, so you need to send an e-mail to request a tryout spot. Tryouts are for two teams; one is a Majors team and the other will be a strong AAA team that might play Majors. As a member of Premier Baseball, we will play at least four Premier Baseball events in the spring.
To request a tryout spot for either date, email Bobby McIntire at coachmcintire@yahoo.com.
February 3, 2017
SAN FRANCISCO — This wasn't one of those history-making moments that came out of nowhere. Brandon Finnegan, the 21-year-old Kansas City Royals relief pitcher, has heard people talking about this for months.
Finnegan was the Royals' first-round draft pick in June. He also pitched in the College World Series in June for Texas Christian University. He arrived in the big leagues on Sept. 6 and not long after people were telling him he could be the first pitcher to appear in both the College World Series and MLB World Series. (Yes, some people in Royals world were thinking World Series as a possibility in early September).
Friday night, in the Royals' Game 3 World Series win, it happened. Finnegan marched out from the bullpen, he got two crucial outs in the seventh inning with a runner on base and the Royals up one. Now, he stands alone in history. And, after seven whole weeks as a big-league pitcher, his cap is Cooperstown.
"I'm very lucky," he said.
There's no question which World Series is more important, but Finnegan also noticed another big difference.
“This is insane," Finnegan said. "College World Series, there’s a lot of people there, but they’re not there to just cheer on your team. It’s nice and loud, but the crowds here are here for one team and one team only. They’re going to make sure you know it, too. The crowds in Omaha [Neb.] definitely don’t chirp at you the way they do here.”
A Giants fan yelled at him when he was in the bullpen: “You’re too short to ride this ride.”
“I thought that was pretty funny," said Finnegan, who is listed as 5-foot-11, but that might be a little generous. "That’s when I was warming up. I turned around and gave him a thumbs up because I thought that was pretty funny myself.”
He wasn't laughing after he got the third out of the seventh. That was pure relief.
"There was a lot of stress taken away after that," Finnegan said. "I was nervous but not too nervous. I was glad I got the job done so I could hand it off to Wade [Davis]. After that, I knew we were gonna win.”
And win they did, taking a 2-1 series advantage over the Giants. TCU didn't win the College World Series, so that's something he can do for the first time with the Royals. In fact, Finnegan says that's more on his mind after Game 3 than his unique place in baseball history.
"Nothing's hit me yet. When the season's over and I'm hanging around with my friends and they're blowing my ear up about it, then I think I'll realize what happened," Finnegan said. "Until then, it's still go time."
FORT WORTH - The Fort Worth ISD Board of Education has named the baseball complex and field at Trimble Tech High School the Yovani Gallardo Baseball Field.
Yovani Gallardo played baseball at Trimble Tech High School and graduated in 2004. He was selected as a second round draft pick and currently is a starting pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers. In addition to being selected to his first All Star appearance during the 2010 season, he concluded a multi-million dollar contract that will keep him with the Brewers through the 2014 season.
Gallardo and his wife Patricia, also a Trimble Tech grad, live in Fort Worth with their son Yovani, Jr., who is in kindergarten.
COLLEGE STATION - Named the Big 12 Player of the Year, Jose Duran is the younger brother of German Duran, who played for the RedHawks earlier this season and is now with the Texas Rangers.
Q: Is there pressure to reach the majors like your brother?
A: No, not really. Obviously they're big shoes to fill. Everybody kind of expects a lot. I don't look it like I have to do as good as him. You just go out and play hard. If you get there, it happens for you. If it doesn't, it wasn't my calling.
Have you always been a shortstop?
I played it all my life until I got to high school. My brother was a shortstop. He's just two years older than me. I played third base and a little second while he was there, then moved back when he went to TCU.
Which major league player did you grow up wanting to be?
Alex Rodriguez. He has everything you want. He has the swing, the size, the arm and the range.
Is the Big 12 everything you hoped it would be?
Definitely. The crowds. The atmosphere. It's more of an adrenaline rush after playing in junior college. Last week against Texas they were into every pitch.
You're the No. 1 seed but were swept by Texas. Any concerns there will be a carryover?
No. Last weekend is done. What we did during the regular season is over. From here on, this is what you look forward to. Every game is so important. You just have to bring your A game and work hard every single day. Our goal is to be the last team standing in Omaha, win the whole thing.
CORSICANA — If what occurred at Tuesday’s meeting of Region 14 East Zone baseball coaches has ever happened, Navarro coach Whoa Dill can’t remember it.
The Navarro Bulldogs swept the superlative voting awards announced Tuesday as ace Teddy Nowell was named the conference’s Pitcher of the Year and former Ft Worth Cat, Zach Voight, was named Hitter of the Year.
Voight (Denton Ryan HS) hit seven home runs in 28 conference games, which Dill said was the most since Ranger Chris Davis was slugging at Navarro in 2006.
“His numbers just skyrocketed above everyone else’s,”?Coach Dill said.
The Bulldogs finished as the No. 2 seed in the Region 14 East Zone, tied with Texarkana atop the standings.
