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Titans Baseball Advisory Board CECIL FIELDER
Former major leaguer, Cecil Fielder was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 31st round of the 1981 amateur draft, but did not sign that year. He was later drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the 4th round of the 1982 amateur draft and did sign that year. In 1983, Cecil was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays for Leon Roberts. Cecil played four years in Toronto before a brief stint playing with the Hanshin Tigers in the Japan Central League where he was nicknamed “wild bear” (wild, in Japan, is the image of power; bear, for his hulking presence). After his time in Japan, Fielder signed with the Detroit Tigers in 1990 becoming the biggest story in Major League Baseball with a 51 homer, 132 RBI year. Fielder became only the 11th player in MLB history to reach to 50 HR plateau. During his time in Detroit, Cecil was a three time All-Star in the 1990, 1991 and 1993 seasons as well as being name”Tiger of the Year” by the Detroit chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America in 1990, 1991 and 1992. Fielder was later traded to the New York Yankees in 1996 for Ruben Sierra and Matt Drews. Fielder played an intricate role for the Yankees in winning the 1996 World Series. Fielder later retired after the 1998 season and has since been a minor league manager and expert clinician. Cecil has managed minor league teams including the Charlotte County Redfish in the former South Coast League and the Atlantic City Surf in the Can Am League. PETE INCAVIGLIA
A California native, Incaviglia is widely regarded as the best collegiate player of all time, due to his record-setting career at Oklahoma State University. In three seasons with the Cowboys, Incaviglia slammed 100 home runs in 213 games, and had a career slugging percentage of .915. He still holds the NCAA records for career home runs and for home runs and RBIs in a season. In 1985, Incaviglia was selected Baseball America's NCAA Player of the Year, establishing NCAA single-season records in homers (48), RBIs (143), slugging percentage and total bases all in just 75 games. In January of 1999, he was named the College Baseball Player of the Century by an assortment of fans and a panel of baseball experts that included George Will, Bob Costas, and Steve Wulf. In 2007, he was inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame and in August 2010, he will be inducted into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame. Incaviglia was the eighth overall pick in the 1986 Major League Baseball draft, but was immediately traded to the Texas Rangers where he became only the 15th player in draft history to debut in the majors without playing minor league ball. Pete hit at least 20 home runs in each of his first five seasons in the big leagues and made stops in several places including Philadelphia, Houston, Detroit, Baltimore, New York and Japan. Incaviglia played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball from 1986 through 1998. He helped lead the Philadelphia Phillies to the World Series in 1993 before retiring in 1998 with lifetime totals of 206 home runs, 655 RBIs and a .246 average. Following his playing career, Incaviglia spent three seasons coaching in the Detroit Tigers minor league system. 2011 will be Incaviglia’s fourth season as the fielder manager for the Grand Prairie Airhogs (American Association). KASH BEAUCHAMP
Kash Beauchamp was born in baseball. His father Jim Beauchamp spent 50 years in professional baseball, playing 10 in the Major Leagues for five different teams, was Bobby Cox's bench coach for 9 years where the Atlanta Braves won 9 division titles, a world championship, and three pennants. Jim spent the remainder of his career with the Braves as the supervisor for minor league field operations until his passing on Christmas day in 2008. The experience of growing up in the game obviously impacted Kash Beauchamp's career. After a stellar high school career as a three sport athlete, Kash accepted a scholarship to Bacone College in Muskogee, Oklahoma where he was immediately drafted as the first overall pick in the January, 1982 Major League Baseball Draft ahead of such future stars as Kirby Puckett and Randy Meyers. Beauchamp began his pro career in Medicine Hat where he was a member of the 1982 Pioneer League Champion Medicine Hat Blue Jays. Kash garnered all-star honors after hitting .320 and playing terrific defense in center field. Beauchamp was promoted to the South Atlantic League in 1983 where he played on a star studded team that included, Cecil Fielder, Jose Mesa, Pat Borders, Fred McGriff and David Wells. In 1984 Beauchamp was again promoted to the Carolina League where while playing for the Kinston Blue Jays, he was the MVP of the Carolina League All-Star game by going 5-6 with two triples and a HR with 5 RBI. The same year Beauchamp was voted by Baseball America as the Best Defensive Outfielder and Outfielder with the Best Arm. He was promoted to AA for the playoffs where he hit .400 in his short stint at the end of the season. He had a clutch 2 out bases clearing triple in game two of the playoffs. Beauchamp was added to Toronto's 40 man roster at the end of the season. Beauchamp then began the next season in Knoxville and spent the rest of his career between AA and AAA with the Blue Jays, Braves, Giants, Reds, and A's organizations. During this time Kash suffered numerous injuries that required 4 different surgeries. The most devastating coming when he was in AAA with the Blue Jays where he was having an All-Star season. In a collision at home plate Beauchamp fractured his scapula. He was due to get called up to the Major Leagues the next day. Another highlight in that time period was playing for his father Jim, for the 1989 International League Champion Richmond Braves, a team that formed the foundation of the unbelievable success for the Atlanta run of 13 straight division titles. Another highlight was playing for the 1990 Shreveport Captains where Beauchamp was the MVP of the Texas League Championship Series in helping Shreveport win it's first title in of 30 years. Beauchamp was released on the last day of spring training in 1991, and then went on to begin his coaching career as the assistant basketball and baseball at Chattahoochie Valley Community College in for two years. During that time Beauchamp coached Major All-Star Tim Hudson. He also worked as the scouting coordinator for Omni Sports Management out of Cleveland, Ohio for well respected sports agent George Kalafatis, where he signed such players as Mark Lemke, Ricky Botallico, and Tony Graffanino. In 1993 Independent League Baseball was starting it's first season with the advent of the Northern League. Beauchamp at 29 still had the desire and ability to play and after sitting out two seasons, signed with the Rochester Ace's where he dominated the league by hitting .367 and leading the league in RBI and was second in HR while being named MVP of the Northern League. The Cincinnati Reds signed Beauchamp towards the end of the making him the first independent league player ever signed to a MLB organization. Beauchamp didn't disappoint. In only 60 ab's for the AA Chattanooga Lookouts, Kash hit .400 with 6 HR and earned an invitation to the prestigious Puerto Rican Winter League where until the time of another injury, that required surgery, he lead the PRWL in hitting. Beauchamp was traded to the Dodgers organization the next spring and played at the AA and AAA level in San Antonio and Albuquerque where Beauchamp collected his 1,000 career hit and also got another ring in helping the Albuquerque Dukes win the Pacific Coast League Championship. Beauchamp finished his playing career in 1994 and began his coaching career as a hitting coach for the Montreal Expos. During that time Beauchamp worked closely with such future superstars as Vladimir Guerrero, Jose Vidro, Jose Cabrera, and Brad Fullmer. Beauchamp coached at the A Ball and AA Levels with the Expos. Beauchamp then began his managing career with the Independent League New Jersey Jackals in 1998 winning a Northeast League Title in his first year. Beauchamp since has managed in Lincoln, Adirondack, Bangor, Anderson SC, and Wichita. He was also the Director of Player Procurement for the Golden League and Vice President and Director of Baseball Operations for the South Coast League. Beauchamp was also named hitting coach for Team USA for the Intercontinental Cup played in Sydney, Australia prior to the Sydney Olympics. Beauchamp also is the founder of the renowned Wood Bat Mechanics for the Aspiring Professional, and works as a lead instructor for International Performance Baseball, and the Arizona Winter League. Gregg Hunt
Greg is known as one of the greatest teachers of the game of baseball. He was a player/manager for the Bethlehem Plowboys from 1981 to 1999, leading the club to back-to-back Tri-State League championships in 1998 and 1999. A graduate of Nonnewaug High School, he then attended UConn where he dabbled in boxing as a hobby. Greg has worn many hats over the years. On the high school level, he has coached baseball at Thomaston and Terryville High Schools, leading the Bears to the 1985 Class ‘S’ state title game and the Kangaroos to the 1992 ‘S’ final, as well as being an accomplished basketball coach with 1 state championship final game appearance under his belt. He is currently the varsity head coach at Wamogo High School for both the boys baseball and basketball programs, where in 2011 they won the school's 1st baseball championship in 49 years and made it to the State Championship. Greg is perhaps best known in the Torrington area for managing the Torrington Twisters of the NECBL. He led the Twisters to five first-place finishes and four appearances in the NECBL championship series. This season Greg moved on to coach for the Manchester Silkworms in the NECBL when the Twisters left Torrington. He is the winningest manager in NECBL history. Gregg became the head coach of the new Titans on 2010 and led them to the finals, as well as in 2011. His legacy will always be remembered as how he taught numerous boys and men the game of baseball and how to play it the right way. He has always earned immense respect and undying loyalty from his players. Coach Hunt has always been, and continues to be, a great ambassador for the Tri-State League, as well as an ambassador for good old-fashioned, country baseball. Gregg has two children David and Katie. Bob Wirz
Bob Wirz was chief spokesman for Major League Baseball Commissioners Bowie Kuhn and Peter Ueberroth for 10 years prior to starting Wirz & Associates in 1985.
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