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Listen to highlights from the Texas Minor League Baseball Panel with Tim Purpura, Rick …

Published

5 months ago

July 17, 2025

Listen to highlights from the Texas Minor League Baseball Panel with Tim Purpura, Rick ...

July 16, 2025/in Convention Highlights, Headlines /by wpadmin

SABR 53 Texas Minor League Baseball Panel included, from left, Bob Baillargeon, Rick Herrscher, Tim Purpura, and moderator Paul Rogers on June 28, 2025, in Irving, Texas.

On Saturday, June 28, 2025, the Texas Minor League Baseball Panel was held at SABR 53 at the Westin DFW Airport Hotel in Irving, Texas.

Panelists included Tim Purpura, former President and Treasurer of the Texas League from 2017 to 2021 and a former General Manager of the Houston Astros; Rick Herrscher, who spent seven seasons in professional baseball, including three years in the Texas League with the Milwaukee Braves organization and as an original New York Met in 1962; and Bob Baillargeon, a native of Montreal who spent seven seasons pitching in the minor leagues from 1959 to 1965. The moderator was C. Paul Rogers III, president of SABR’s local Banks-Bragan DFW Chapter.

Here are some highlights:

ON HIS TENURE AS THE FINAL PRESIDENT OF THE TEXAS LEAGUE

Purpura: “I did it in, I guess. No, it was a very interesting time. I had just come off a stint working for Minor League Baseball and also with the Texas Rangers. I knew there was a lot going on at the major league level that could affect the minor leagues. But it was an enjoyable time. I picked up on some of the tracks that Tom Kayser had set, most notably the starting of the Amarillo Sod Poodles. I didn’t know a Sod Poodle was something from Texas, I thought they were just making it up. … But I was able to get involved in the construction meetings and see how that evolved. There were some great people in Amarillo and it was really interesting to see how it moved and how it got going. … I knew a lot of people because I had been a farm director and we always had a team in the Texas League. The one thing that was very meaningful to me was the relationship I had with umpires. … When I was at Minor League Baseball, I was responsible for the umpire program and we put together an umpire school with the Florida Board of Education. I decided to take a player development approach to developing minor league umpires. They had to have the technical abilities, of course, but there were people skills and other things that they needed to develop. We got them better food quality in their dressing rooms, we dealt with family issues. It’s amazing the staying power the young (umpires) have to keep gutting things out. … Roland Hemond used to tell me, players come number one. Well, to me, umpires came 1-A, or maybe 1-B, because they were dedicated to the game and gave their all to the game.”

ON GETTING CALLED UP TO THE MAJOR LEAGUES

Herrscher: “I thought I was going to the Mets when I was traded (by the Milwaukee Braves in May 1962.) But they gave me the ticket and I looked at it. It said Syracuse. I thought, ‘Well, that’s not New York, New York.’ I had to go to the International League and play for a month or so. Then the day before I was going to the Mets, they put me in left field. I had always been an infielder. Bob Bailey hit a shot over my head and I raced into the fence to try to catch it. And my thumb got damaged. They took an X-ray of it. So I’m meeting with (Mets coach) Johnny Murphy when I get to New York and he said, ‘Whatever you do, don’t tell Casey Stengel about your thumb because all we’ve had are injuries around here!’ The trainer fixed up a roll and a rubber tube on my thumb, and I ended up hitting a little bit like Ty Cobb (with a split-handed grip). I ended up hitting like .220 that year, which was kind of a drop-off. I had been told to give it five years and if you can’t make it after five years, you better get something else going. So I applied to dental school. … But first I had to ask Casey Stengel what he thought. He kind of gave it to me straight, he didn’t give me the double-talk. He said, ‘Hershner … he didn’t get names right … go back to dental school.’ And that ended my career.”

Tim Purpura speaks during the SABR 53 Texas Minor League Baseball Panel on June 28, 2025, in Irving, Texas.

ON GOING TO LAW SCHOOL

Purpura: “I grew up in Chicago as a White Sox fan. It was basically the family religion for generations. I was really drawn into the game. I didn’t have any ability to play the game, but I loved it. When I got done with college … baseball was still ringing in my ear. I was watching batting practice at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego one day and I recognized a gentleman from my White Sox days, Roland Hemond. And so I went up to him and said, ‘I’ve followed your career and I’d love to have a chance to get into player development with a major league team.’ And he said, ‘Here’s my one piece of advice: Go to law school, because someday lawyers are going to run the game.’ So I went to law school at night and on weekends in San Diego while working at a university. My first internship was with the California Angels. I would go out to spring training in Mesa, Arizona, and do everything. I was around players and some of the scouts took me under their wing. So I did that for three springs. In 1994, an opportunity came up with the Houston Astros. … And this is where minor league baseball comes in. I’ve had a long love affair with minor league baseball. And it began in 1994 with my first job in baseball.”

ON THE 2024 WHITE SOX ‘BREAKING’ THE 1962 METS’ RECORD FOR MOST LOSSES IN A SEASON

Herrscher: “It’s tough to take, it really is. I used to talk once in a while with Marv Throneberry and we kind of basked in the glory of being that bad. Who knows, it’s the White Sox now and maybe another team will take it soon. We’re going to try to graciously relinquish our spot as the worst.”

For more coverage of SABR 53, visit SABR.org/convention.

Originally published: July 16, 2025. Last Updated: July 16, 2025.

Sports

Badgers news: Wisconsin starting outside hitter enters transfer portal

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6 minutes ago

December 23, 2025

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In a bit of a shocker, the Wisconsin Badgers are losing starting outside hitter Una Vajagic to the transfer portal.

Vajagic, a redshirt sophomore in 2025, stepped into a bigger role after the team lost incoming transfer Grace Lopez to a season-ending injury in the offseason. A Serbian native, Vajagic had redshirted the 2024 season and had really grown throughout her first season with playing time, regularly recording double-digit kills for the team.

Vajagic averaged 2.79 kills per set, while hitting .279 for the Badgers this past season.

She now becomes Wisconsin’s biggest departure to the transfer portal, as she is the first starter to choose to head elsewhere from the Badgers’ Final Four team.

The other players to enter the transfer portal include freshman setter Addy Horner, sophomore outside hitter Trinity Shadd-Ceres, redshirt freshman middle blocker Tosia Serafinowska, and liberos Aniya Warren and Maile Chan.

Wisconsin’s outside hitter room looks much different for the 2025 season, currently, as it includes redshirt sophomore Grace Egan, freshman Madison Quest, and incoming freshmen Halle Thompson and Audrey Flanagan. The Badgers did get a recent commitment from UC Santa Barbara transfer Eva Travis, which we’ll have more on soon.

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Jenkins Signs Two Power Four Transfers to 2026 Class

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21 minutes ago

December 23, 2025

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CHARLOTTE – Charlotte Volleyball Head Coach Benavia Jenkins has announced the signings of two power four conference transfers in Harper Hall (Setter) and Gia McGrew (Outside Hitter) on Tuesday (Dec. 23). Hall transfers to Charlotte from Oklahoma while McGrew comes by way of Iowa.

Hall is set to enter her third year of college volleyball, spending her freshman season at USCB where she registered seven double-doubles appearing in all 30 matches. She led the team with 649 assists, 245 digs, and averaged 5.74 assists per set. During her sophomore season at Oklahoma, Hall eclipsed the 1,000 career assist milestone with a season-high 31 assists coming in a win at Missouri.

A graduate of Highland Park High School in Texas, Hall was a three-year letter winner and three-time district champion. She was named Newcomer of the Year in her conference and earned First Team All-District honors. Throughout her high school career, she accumulated over 2,500 assists and was named the District Setter of the Year. Hall garnered Texas Girls Coaches Association All-State honors and played club volleyball for the nationally ranked TAV Black.

“I chose Charlotte because of the coaching staff, beautiful campus, and the great culture,” said Hall. “I’m excited to be a part of a team that is in a great position to pursue a championship.”

McGrew tallied 51 kills, 15 total blocks, and 12 digs in 13 matches played during her freshman season at Iowa. Her best performance came in a win over Maryland when she finished with five blocks. A graduate of Santa Fe High School, McGrew impressed as team MVP and first team all-conference in 2023, followed by serving as team captain in 2024 finishing her senior season with 322 kills. She helped lead her team to the Oklahoma 5A state championship in 2022.

On the AAU Circuit, McGrew was a 2024 Nationals Premier Division National Champion and MVP. In 2021, she was an invitee to the USA Volleyball National Team Development Program and was named to the USA Girls Junior National Championship All-Tournament Team.

“The family atmosphere within the program is special,” said McGrew. “Along with that, I chose Charlotte because of the amazing coaching staff and the beautiful location.”

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Penn State Women’s Volleyball Falls Out Of AVCA Polls

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38 minutes ago

December 23, 2025

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Penn State women’s volleyball has fallen out of the AVCA Polls for the first time since 1988, breaking a 565-week streak.

The Nittany Lions finished with 82 points in the poll, 25 behind No. 25 BYU. Their season ended with a record of 19-13, falling to Texas 0-3 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Penn State fell out of the polls for the first time since the final poll of 1988, breaking a streak of 565 straight weeks.

The Nittany Lions (19-13) finished with 82 points in the poll, 25 behind No. 25 BYU.

— Lincoln Arneal (@Lincoln_VB) December 22, 2025

Kennedy Martin led the Big Ten in points per set (6.22), kills per set (5.42), and tallied 634 kills and over 700 points. Her former Florida teammate, Alexis Stucky, will join her next season as the Nittany Lions’ setter.

Setter Addie Lyon, middle blockers Maggie Mendelson and Jordan Hopp, and libero Gillian Grimes graduate, and Coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley will look to fill their notable shoes in the upcoming season.

The program will look ahead toward its ninth national championship, hopeful to repeat its stellar 2024 season.

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Karlee is a freshman majoring in Broadcast Journalism. She is from Schuylkill Haven, PA. She loves all things sports and is a big Luka Doncic fan! You can follow her on Instagram and X @karleefeger or email her at [email protected]

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MEAC Announces Burgin as Bowler of the Week For Nov. 2-9

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54 minutes ago

December 23, 2025

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Women’s Bowling | 12/23/2025 11:52:00 AM

GREENSBORO – The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) announced this week that North Carolina A&T junior bowler Savannah Burgin was the winner of the MEAC Bowler of the Week award for competition held November 2-9.

The tournament Burgin won her first-ever weekly award for was MEAC Meet #1, where Burgin helped the Aggies finish the meet at 5-2, claiming a share of first place. The North Carolina A&T bowling team’s bounce-back performance on Sunday at the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Meet #1, hosted by Morgan State University at AMF Towson Lanes, should make February in Norfolk, Va., fascinating.

After going 2-2 on Saturday and falling behind the Delaware State and Coppin State teams, who went 4-0, the Aggies won all three of their Baker-format matches on Sunday to end the weekend at 5-2.

Now, the five-time defending MEAC champions will enter MEAC Meet #2, scheduled for February 21-22 in Norfolk, Va., tied for the conference lead with the Delaware State Hornets, the 23rd-ranked team in the nation. A&T will have the total pins advantage after a 6,564 total pinfall over the weekend, averaging 187.5 over 35 games played.

The UAB Blazers had the second-highest total pinfall at 6,276, followed by Morgan State at 6,084. A&T looked super impressive on Sunday, totaling 2,877 pins for an average of 191.8 over 15 games bowled.

Burgin finished first in average per frame (20.16) and Baker fill percentage, while also leading the field in overall fill percentage (80.6 percent). She ranked second in overall spare percentage at 74.2 percent. The Aggies will head into 2026, and the spring semester of the season ranked 13th in the latest National Tenpin Coaches Association (NTCA) poll released on December 9.

The Aggies received 895 points, falling from seventh to 13th. Jacksonville State is the No. 1 ranked team in the country, followed by Vanderbilt, Arkansas State, Nebraska, and Louisiana Tech in the top 5. Burgin and the Aggies open the second half of the season at the Northeastern Classic hosted by Sacred Heart in New Castle, Del. The Aggies are 29-17 overall.

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Volleyball Announces Addition of Reese Dunkle to Roster

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1 hour ago

December 23, 2025

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CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – Boston College volleyball head coach Jason Kennedy announced the addition of middle blocker Reese Dunkle, a transfer student from Stanford University, to the Eagles’ roster.

The Eagles previously announced a six-player recruiting class last month.

Reese Dunkle, Middle Blocker, Greenwood, Ind.

One year member of Stanford VB

A 2025 graduate of Center Grove High School in Greenwood, Ind.

Four-year letterwinner, captained her team as a junior and senior

Regional champions (2024)

Four-time Sectional champions (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)

Four-time County champions (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)

AVCA All-America honorable mention (2024)

AVCA All-Region (2024)

AVCA Best and Brightest (2024)

County Player of the Year (2024)

Indiana Girls Volleyball Player of the Year finalist (2024)

Two-time All-State (2023, 2024)

Three-time All-District (2022, 2023, 2024)

Three-time All-County (2022, 2023, 2024)

All-County honorable mention (2021)

Indiana Senior All-Star (2024)

Indiana Junior All-Star (2023)

Team MVP (2023)

First Team Academic All-State (2024)

Holds high school’s record for blocks (486)

Played club for Circle City

“Reese adds to a strong presence in the middle for us for the next several years,” says Kennedy. “She’s quick laterally and can close well to either pin and we’re excited to get her in the gym this spring and get to work.

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Kiki Granberry Signs with Volleyball Program

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2 hours ago

December 23, 2025

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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Veteran middle blocker Kiki Granberry, who has four years of college experience under her belt, will join the Indiana volleyball program for the 2026 season. Head coach Steve Aird made the signing official on Tuesday (Dec. 23) morning. Granberry will enroll for the spring semester in January.

“Our program is thrilled to add Kiki to the roster,” Aird said. “She brings a mix of experience and skill to the table, along with a personality that meshes so well with our team. Our goal is to continue to build on a fantastic season and adding a player of this caliber is a great step in that direction. We have a group that is physical, tough and proud to represent IU. I am positive that Kiki will have a tremendous impact on the group, compete like crazy and develop into a pro that will thrive at the next level.”

Granberry spent the last four seasons at Tennessee where she was one of the nation’s most efficient offensive forces. In her time on Rocky Top, Granberry was a career .376 hitter (509-134-997). During her junior campaign in 2024, she hit .455 with 189 kills and just 36 attacking errors and finished second in the country in hitting percentage.

The 6-foot-3 native of Florida will join a deep and talented collection of middle blockers in Bloomington. Current freshman middle blocker Victoria Gray hit .378 with 152 kills and 106 blocks in her debut season. Sophomore middle blocker Ella Boersema was the conference’s leading blocker (1.40 per set) before a season-ending injury in October. Collectively, IU’s four middle blockers for next year have a career hitting percentage of .366.

Granberry was one of Tennessee’s best blockers during her career in Knoxville. She recorded 314 blocks in four seasons including over 100 in each of her first two years. She had a career-high 11 blocks in a contest against Western Kentucky in 2024. Her career high in kills (14) came against Elon in 2022.

She will have one year of eligibility in 2026 after taking a medical redshirt last season. She played in just three matches in 2025 but finished her time in Knoxville as the second-most efficient hitter (.376) in program history. Granberry was a 2022 SEC All-Freshman Team member and a 2024 AVCA South All-Region Team selection.

Granberry will wear the 77 jersey for the Hoosiers, becoming the first player in program history to wear the number. She graduated from Tennessee with an undergraduate degree in Journalism and Electronic Media this December. She will join the Hoosiers for the beginning of spring practice in January.

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