‘Tis the season for baseball! With the weather finally starting to cooperate, it really FEELS it. With our entire family being huge fans of the game, we were very excited to get a sneak peek of what’s in store this season for our locally-based Texas Rangers’ AA affiliate team.
My husband Matt and I had the pleasure of attending the Frisco RoughRiders Media Day representing The Frisco Community Newsletter. Media Day is an annual event for most major sports teams – it allows the local media to hear about staff changes and meet the team’s newest players and coaches. What’s cool about the RoughRiders is that any event one attends at Dr. Pepper Ballpark is always first-class and extraordinary. No matter where you sit in the ballpark you’re always guaranteed a time whose value far exceeds the conservative ticket price.
Media Day was held in the JC Penney Founders’ Club overlooking the spectacular view of the park and true to our previous visits there, this was no exception – a first-class event put on by the RoughRiders staff brimming with excitement for the season, complete with a catered lunch. It doesn’t get better than that!
One of the changes announced by RoughRiders Senior Vice President Michael Byrnes, who has been with the team for almost 8 years, was that Aaron Goldsmith, the team’s Manager of Broadcasting and Media Development, is also going to be the new voice of the team – literally. No stranger to the sports mic, Aaron was a Broadcaster/Studio Host with the Portland Sea Dogs, the AA affiliate of the Boston Red Sox last year; he even hosted his own pre and post game shows. Aaron’s an affable guy and we enjoyed our conversation about how he got to Frisco via way of Boston. (Matt found that particularly interesting being from the Boston area and a lifelong Sox fan – although we LOVE our Rangers too!)
Another notable new face on staff is Team Manager Steve Buechele. In 2009, Steve was with the High-A Bakersfield (California) Blaze where he led the team to the playoffs, which is impressive and worth noting that it was his debut as a Manager. Steve was drafted in 1982 by the Texas Rangers, so his addition to the RoughRiders feels very natural. In addition to the Rangers, his professional career included playing time with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs over the span of 11 MLB seasons. Steve retired with a .245 average and 137 home runs. A very down-to-earth person, he told Matt and me that he was thrilled to not have to be so far from home now – he resides in Arlington and has five children and won’t have to make that west coast trip anymore. From the few minutes we spent with him we both got the feeling that great things are in store for the team this year!
Those of you who read our e-publication, The Frisco Community Newsletter, know we aren’t a traditional news media in the sense that we don’t cover late-breaking news. Our Thursday night email blast started in 2001 as a way for my husband, then-Frisco City Council Member Matt Lafata, to keep citizens informed of what was going on in the city during his 6 year tenure on the Frisco City Council. Incidentally, his years included being a part of the building of the $300 million dollar Frisco Entertainment and Sports Complex which included Dr. Pepper Ballpark. People would email Matt with events taking place in the community, including civic organizations, schools, Homeowners’ Associations and places of worship who wanted to get the word out about their events/meetings to others in Frisco. Matt began compiling the information into a weekly email blast for those who wanted to be “in the know about all things Frisco.” Since 2001, our email list has grown to over 41,000 subscribers who get the newsletter every week!
I explained our type of “media” to the 3 ballplayers and said that my interview questions probably wouldn’t be as they expected. I didn’t want to talk about their stats or what they will do different this year or how they feel about their new Manager. I had no microphone or high dollar camera equipment with on-camera talent in tow – just a pen and paper and tiny digital camera.
The burning questions I had were about WHO they were, not necessarily about WHAT they do – although it’s tough to argue that at this level, it does go hand-in-hand. They opened up to me about their families, growing up, childhood dreams of baseball stardom and what they think of Frisco. The way these 3 young men handled themselves in an interview situation would have made you think they’d been doing this for a long time at this level. It dawned on me that the RoughRiders organization has the recruiting game nailed in terms of not only finding talent with exceptional on-field skills, but kids with good-old fashioned manners and a natural knack at playing the “media game” as well.
Because our Frisco youth population is just busting at the seams with kids who have the same dream of becoming a professional baseball player, I asked the 3 players to share what they did growing up to get to where they are now and also what advice they would give to aspiring ball players.
Marcus Devon Lemon of Lakeland, FL, said that growing up the son of former MLB player Chet Lemon wasn’t what one might expect. The 21 year-old, who originally signed a letter of intent with the University of Texas said that his parents provided a lot of balance for him – Mom made sure he was succeeding in his school work while Dad provided support and motivation with baseball. I asked him if (as some parents might do) Dad pressured him into his line of work. He didn’t miss a beat with his response. “My parents wanted me to be happy. The best advice my Dad ever gave me was to have fun playing the game. Once it isn’t, it would be time to move on. That’s also the best advice I could give younger players. Just have fun.” Approaching his 2nd season with the team, Marcus said he was looking forward to being one of the team’s leaders.
When we met Tanner Scheppers, the 6’4” pitcher from Noblesville, IN, he’d only been in Frisco for 2 days. After giving him some great restaurant recommendations and noting how much he physically resembles my 17 year-old son Carl, also 6’4” and a pitcher, I asked him what his best advice would be for younger players. “You know, when you’re 17 or 18 years old, you feel great all the time. You go to practice, play your games, and don’t worry about your health. My best advice to those wanting to get to this level is to take care of your body now. Eat right and work out to stay strong and healthy.” This, coming from a 23 year-old was music to this Mama’s ears!
Finally, I sat with 6’7” pitcher Blake Beavan, slated to take the mound opening night (tonight). The youngest of 3 boys, the 21 year-old said his was a very competitive family and that his brothers were huge influencers on the future star’s baseball career. After trying various sports growing up, it was clear that he excelled at football and baseball and eventually had to choose one to take to the next level. His love of the game of baseball won over and it became very clear to him that he wanted to be a professional player. “I remember giving my Dad a Father’s Day card one year telling him I was going to be a big league ball player someday,” he told me. Blake, who’s from right down the road in Irving, is a die-hard Texas sports fan. “The Cowboys, Mavs, Stars and of course my Texas Rangers- I love ‘em all! Blake was the Rangers’ #1 overall selection in the 2007 First-Year Player Draft. “My advice to younger players to have a chance to get to this level is to get very clear in your mind what you want to do. Set goals, work hard. I always saw myself playing in the big leagues.” I asked him if he thought select teams helped put him ahead of the pack. “I was fortunate that my parents had the means to be able to allow me to play select, and yes, there is definitely an advantage. But I don’t think you have to necessarily go that route. If you have talent and are playing at the high school level, you will be seen. The right people will notice if they think you have what it takes.”
Players Blake Beavan, Marcus Lemon and Tanner Scheppers at Frisco RoughRiders Media Day
So there you go – advice for young ballplayers in Frisco, right from the mouths of those who know and are “there” achieving their dreams now.
It’s very possible that these 3 young players will join notable Frisco RoughRiders alumni such Ian Kinsler, Chris Davis, Taylor Teagarden and Craig Gentry at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington in the very near future. What is certain is that there will be some great baseball at Dr. Pepper Ballpark and we hope to see you out there this season!
The Blessed Life 
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