Bethesda Big Train
| Bethesda Big Train | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Information | |
| League |
Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League (2005–present) Clark Griffith League (1999–2004) (CRCBL South) |
| Location | Bethesda, Maryland |
| Ballpark | Shirley Povich Field |
| Year founded | 1999 |
| League championships | 2004 (CGL); 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2016, 2017, 2018 (CRCBL) |
| Post-Season Tournament championships | 2005 (co-champions), 2009, 2010, 2011, 2016, 2017, 2018 |
| Colors | Green, White, Black |
| Mascot | Homer, Bunt |
| 2018 | 34–6[1] |
| Ownership | Jean Kurtz, Denise Gorham |
| Manager | Sal Colangelo |
| General Manager | David Schneider |
The Bethesda Big Train is a collegiate summer baseball team based in Bethesda, Maryland. Most of its players are drawn from the college ranks. The team is a member of the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League (CRCBL), and derives its name from the nickname of Hall of Fame pitcher Walter Johnson,[2] who was a Bethesda resident for ten years.[3] The Big Train plays its home games at Shirley Povich Field. Big Train is owned and operated by the non-profit The Bethesda Community Base Ball Club, Inc., and is funded through merchandise sales, sponsorship donations, ticket sales and other fundraising efforts at games. As of August 2018, 168 Big Train alumni have played professional baseball, including 14 in the major leagues.[4]
History
The Bethesda Community Baseball Club, Inc. was founded in 1998 "to raise funds to improve the quality of youth baseball and softball fields in Montgomery County and the District of Columbia." Proceeds from the operations of the Bethesda Big Train are used to further this mission. As of March 2008 the Club reports they have raised $300,000 in support of this mission.[5]
The Big Train commenced play in 1999 as part of the Clark Griffith League (CGL). In 2004, they won the CGL championship.[6]
In 2005 the Big Train joined the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League (CRCBL).[7] That first year, the team won the regular season championship and shared the league championship with the Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts. In 2006 the Big Train were the regular season champions.[8] In 2009, the Big Train won both the regular season and league championships. In 2010, the Big Train captured their 2nd straight league championship after placing 3rd in the regular season, and in 2011 rolled to their 3rd consecutive league championship with a 36–9 overall record and were ranked the #1 summer collegiate baseball league team in the nation by Perfect Game USA.
In early 2012, BCBBC announced its merger with one of its longtime partners, BCC Baseball. Both organizations now operate as a single non-profit entity under the banner of the Bethesda Big Train. To this day, all proceeds from the Bethesda Big Train continue to enrich the ballfields of Montgomery County, MD and the District of Columbia. Starting in the summer of 2012, the summer camp programs of the BCBBC and BCC Baseball also became one. The Bethesda Big Train summer baseball camp will allow for an even wider range of young people to take advantage of what the Big Train players and coaches have to offer.[9]
In 2016, after a four-year title drought, Big Train captured the Cal Ripken League championship with a victory over the Baltimore Redbirds. The next year, Big Train again defeated the Redbirds in the finals to win back-to-back league championships. That season, Big Train outfielder James Outman was named the 2017 National Summer Collegiate Player of the Year by Perfect Game after hitting .341 with 18 stolen bases and a league-best nine homers and 36 RBIs.[10]
Team records
Individual (single-season)[11]
- Batting average: .417, Justin Wylie (2018)
- Home runs: 16, Hunter Renfroe (2012)
- Runs batted in: 53, Hunter Renfroe (2012)
- Runs scored: 47, Hunter Renfroe (2012)
- Stolen bases: 26, Stephen Alemais (2014)
- On-base percentage: .526, Jarrod Parks (2009)
- Slugging percentage: .866, Hunter Renfroe (2012)
Notable alumni
Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League
- Logan Gilbert, 2016 Big Train – Seattle Mariners prospect; 14th overall pick in 2018 MLB Draft
- Brandon Lowe, 2014 Big Train – Tampa Bay Rays second baseman; 2017 Florida State League MVP
- Hunter Renfroe, 2011–12 Big Train – San Diego Padres right fielder; 13th overall pick in 2013 MLB Draft; first player to have his number retired by Big Train in the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League; owns several single-season franchise records, including home runs, RBI and slugging percentage[12]
- Matt Bowman, 2010-12 Big Train - right-handed pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals
- Cody Allen, 2008, 2010 Big Train – right-handed pitcher for the Cleveland Indians; all-time Indians saves leader
- Joe Mantiply, 2010 Big Train – left-handed pitcher for the Detroit Tigers[13]
- Brian Dozier, 2006 Big Train – Los Angeles Dodgers and Minnesota Twins second baseman; 2015 American League All-Star; 2017 AL Gold Glove[14]
Clark Griffith Collegiate Baseball League
- Michael McKenry,[15] 2004 Big Train – Pittsburgh Pirates, Colorado Rockies and St. Louis Cardinals catcher.[16]
- Mike Costanzo, 2003 Big Train – Cincinnati Reds third baseman
- Bobby Livingston,[17] 2001 Big Train – left-handed pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds and Seattle Mariners.[18]
- Dirk Hayhurst,[19] 2001 Big Train – right-handed pitcher for the San Diego Padres and Toronto Blue Jays.[20]
- Steve Schmoll,[21] 2000 Big Train – right-handed pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers.[22]
- John Maine,[23] 2000 Big Train – right-handed pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles, New York Mets and Miami Marlins.[24]
- Charlton Jimerson,[25] 1999 Big Train, was an MLB player from 2005 to 2008.[26]
References
- ↑ "Standings". Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
- ↑ "Walter Johnson" at Bethesda Big Train official site. Retrieved 2015-06-02.
- ↑ Walter Johnson: Baseball's Big Train, by Henry W. Thomas, Published by U of Nebraska Press, 1998, page 288. On Google Books.
- ↑ "Big Train official web site". Retrieved 2018-08-09.
- ↑ "Big Train official web site – Mission". Archived from the original on 2008-09-08. Retrieved 2008-03-29.
- ↑ "Clark Griffith League History". Retrieved 2008-03-29.
- ↑ "Big Train CRSCBL Announcement". Archived from the original on 2008-09-08. Retrieved 2008-03-29.
- ↑ "CRSCBL Archives". Retrieved 2008-03-29.
- ↑ "Through the Years". Bethesda Big Train. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
- ↑ "OUTMAN NAMED SUMMER COLLEGIATE PLAYER OF THE YEAR BY PERFECT GAME". Sacramento State Athletics. 2017-08-22. Retrieved 2018-08-09.
- ↑ "The Official Site of Bethesda Big Train Summer Collegiate Baseball: Records". www.bigtrain.org. Retrieved 2018-08-09.
- ↑ "The Official Site of Bethesda Big Train Summer Collegiate Baseball: Records". www.bigtrain.org. Retrieved 2018-08-09.
- ↑ "The Official Site of Bethesda Big Train Summer Collegiate Baseball: Major Leaguers". www.bigtrain.org. Retrieved 2018-08-09.
- ↑ "The Official Site of Bethesda Big Train Summer Collegiate Baseball: Major Leaguers". www.bigtrain.org. Retrieved 2018-08-09.
- ↑ "MLB Player Profile". Retrieved 2011-08-22.
- ↑ "Baseball-Reference web site". Retrieved 2017-01-03.
- ↑ "Cincinnati Reds Player Profile". Retrieved 2008-04-16.
- ↑ "Baseball-Reference web site". Retrieved 2017-01-03.
- ↑ "MLB Player Profile". Retrieved 2009-03-21.
- ↑ "Baseball-Reference web site". Retrieved 2017-01-03.
- ↑ "MLB Player Profile". Retrieved 2009-03-21.
- ↑ "Baseball-Reference web site". Retrieved 2017-01-03.
- ↑ "MLB Player Profile". Retrieved 2009-03-21.
- ↑ "Baseball-Reference web site". Retrieved 2017-01-03.
- ↑ "MLB Player Profile". Retrieved 2009-03-21.
- ↑ "Baseball-Reference web site". Retrieved 2017-01-03.