Webmaster Thank You!

This is strictly personal. I hope you'll allow me that. [Of course you have little choice!]

I want to express my deep gratitude to Klein Oak Baseball - players, parents, and coaches - for the wonderful gift of a very special bat and, of course, a gift card. It certainly wasn't necessary, but it is greatly appreciated.

The bat is a trophy that I will treasure forever. So that everyone else can be properly jealous, especially B.J., you need to have a closer look at this magnificent gift.

What I, as a 23 year veteran of Klein Oak High School and a 13 year webmaster for Klein Oak Baseball, am even more thankful for - and proud of - is the tremendous quality of our baseball program.

• 52 (approximately) young men - not counting our great statistician and the wonderful trainers and the Diamond Girls - who are all amazing in every way. Talented, selfless, caring, considerate, coachable, dedicated, hard-working baseball players who are also exemplary students and model citizens. I was fortunate enough to see about 50 KO baseball games during the season and to feel the pride every time one of our teams took the field, and even more pride as they left. And for that, gentlemen, I cannot thank you enough!

• Let's count our statistician, the trainers, and the Diamond Girls! [And I was already counting Ian, our manager.] As a former high school basketball team manager I appreciate more than most the hours of dedicated effort of these essential support people. They make it possible to put on the season and ours this year were terrific!

• The Panther Baseball Club, the future Panthers organization (for our intermediate school players), and the efforts of many moms for organizing so many special opportunities, such as the Habitat for Humanity project, little league night, the future Panthers camp, etc.

• Coach Royce Kennedy and his staff - Coach Bo Hernandez, Coach R.D. Harwell, and Coach John Penn. The varsity is just the beginning of the story, taking a bunch of young guys picked to finish 4th or 5th in district and battling with them for a 2nd place finish. Coach Harwell amazes us again - "Worst to first" as the kids put it! (OK, they weren't really worst last year but the JV district championship was an amazing accomplishment. I know I never dreamed that that was coming.) What a treat it was to see the desire and dedication of that group! And despite having some of the best young players "playing up" our Sophomore team under Coach Penn was very impressive and great fun to watch throughout their impressive season.
  
  Check the history of Klein Oak Baseball, folks. It's a great one. And we've had some varsity seasons to brag about. But we have never had this much success in one year!
  
  The more I see of this group of coaches the more impressed I am. Our program is in the best possible hands.

• Finally, the tireless efforts of our Booster Club officers - B.J. Jackson, Chuck Barnett, Jayson Johnson, Jennifer Goodell and Lynn Arthur - and all those who helped them make this season so special! [No chance of getting fired this year, B.J.!]

s/ Gary Nelson