The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

MORE than a dozen scouts from 10 Major League teams were in town to look at a number of players in the Maximum Development Sports Academy’s MaxD Pro Day at Her Majesty’s Prison baseball field yesterday.

Greg Burrows Jr, one of the founders of MaxD, said they brought in the scouts to take a look at the talent available in their programme.

“We had our first showcase displaying speed, batting practice, defensive skills and so I think we had a really good day today,” Burrows Jr said. “The boys did very well and there was a lot of interest from the teams in our boys. I think we’ve come a long way in baseball over the past few years.

“The ground work was kind of done by the little leagues - Freedom Farm, JBLN and the other baseball leagues in the country, including Grand Bahama and the other community leagues. We have players in the programme from Grand Bahama and just about all of the leagues. They are all trying to attain one goal and that is to become a professional baseball player.”

Burrows said all they are doing is trying to facilitate the process through MaxD and the showcase that they held yesterday.

“We’re on the path to doing something great here at MaxD,” he said. “This is the first one for the year here in Nassau, but the last one. We went to a number of camps in different countries in South America and Florida, so our players have gotten the international exposure. The scouts just came to get a closer look at them here.”

Geron Sands said the list of scouts included MLB’s assistant general managers, scouting directors and national cross checkers, who had a chance to look at the top five players here in the Bahamas and some of the others who they will be keeping an eye on for the future.

“We had some pretty big scouts here today watching these guys,” Sands said. “From what I’ve heard so far, everything went well. They were extremely pleased with our talent and our players. They saw some of the kids move around and they are really excited about it.

“They want us to conitune doing what we are doing and they say they will definitely be back in the near future. But we are just waiting to see who will have an interest in who and if they are willing to pick them up. July 2 is the final signing day, so hopefully everything will be official by then.”

Albert Cartwright, who is preparing to head to Arizona next month for the Los Angeles Dodgers’ spring training camp, said the event was a game changer.

“I always heard from the older guys who said baseball was always at the forefront of sport in the Bahamas,” Cartwright said. “A lot of scouts used to come down and it was so amazing. So to see all these scouts here and watching these younger guys perform for them is an eye opener.”

Chris Kemp of the San Diego Padres jokingly said he heard that he may have some family in the Bahamas. But in any event, he was just thrilled to be back here looking at the talent that is available.

“I’ve seen a lot of quality baseball players here,” he said. “The most important thing is this programme that Geron (Sands), Greg (Burrows Jr), Albert (Cartwright) and Antoan (Richardson), who has also been working with them, they have a lot of kids who love the game of baseball and play with a lot of energy.

“You have a lot of great athletes down here,” said Kemp, who had an opportunity a couple months ago to take a closer look at some of the potential players who are ready to head off to the United States. “I really like what they are doing here with their structure, the way they practice. You can tell that they love the game.”

Kemp, who has been on an international scouting mission for the past five months, said he was very impressed with what he saw here and they have some guys on their radar who they hope to scout aggressively in the future. However, he declined to reveal whether or not they are ready to sign any of the players.

Jim Stoeckel, of the Cincinnati Reds, said MaxD is definitely doing all the right things to get the Bahamian players ready to play in the United States.

“I think the MaxD guys are doing a tremendous job. The idea of an academy where the kids are going to school and playing baseball is what they are doing all over the world,” said Stoeckel, who lives in Vero Beach, Florida. He said he previously scouted for the Los Angeles Dodgers base in the 1990s.

“That is only going to help the players here because you have a lot of talented athletes. They are in school, so all they have to do is play more baseball. I think the idea they had of bringing some of the players to the Dominican Republic was a good idea. But we are really interested in those who are eligible this year.”

Like Kemp, Stoeckel said he will decline to reveal who, if any players, they are ready to sign in their programme until they have completed all of the formalities.

“I think when you have the international baseball stadium finished, that will be fantastic. But Major League also needs to come on board,” he said. “For us as clubs to come here is one thing, but Major League baseball as an industry needs to take a look at what is going on here and help us to get more of the players off. But MaxD is doing a great job. We saw about six kids who they showcased and they were all very impressive.”

Two of the players who got a whole lot of attention at the camp were Tahnaj Thomas and Larry Alcime Jr.

Thomas, a 15-year-old who stands at 6-feet, 4-inches and plays shortstop, has been in MaxD from its inception two years ago after he moved from Grand Bahama where he attended St Mary High.

“It’s a good programme. We practice every day. The coaches really push us very hard, just to get to the major league,” Thomas said. “All of the guys here have a purpose in life and that is to get to the major league and to try and help out their family by playing baseball.

“I think I had a good showing today. Batting practice was nice, defence was nice. I just wanted to show the guys that I’m the guy that they need to have in their organisation.”

Alcime Jr, a 16-year-old former student of St Augustine’s College, is six foot two and-a-half and he plays outfield. He too said he was pleased with his effort.

“I really like it because we have more people coming down to see us so it’s nice to showcase our skills and continue to put the Bahamas on a bigger scale,” Alcime said. “We hope that we can get all of the Major League teams to come down every year to look at the players here so that we can get the opportunity to go off.

“I felt I did good. I want to thank my coaches for pushing us and getting us ready for these types of showcases on the mental and physical sides so you won’t be so nervous. You will always be nervous, but you won’t be so nervous and timid. You can just go out there and play ball baseball with God’s help.”

And like Thomas, Alcime said his ulitimate goal is to become a major league baseball player.

A number of persons were in attendance watching the showcase, including Senator Greg Burrows Sr, who heads the Freedom Farm Baseball League, Craig ‘Salty’ Kemp, president of the Bahamas Baseball Federation, Teran Rodgers of the Junior Baseball League of Nassau, Brian ‘Ambi’ Armbrister, former minor league player and Cincinnati Reds scout and Jeff ‘Sangy’ Francis, veteran baseball player and coach.