THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,631 MLB PLAYERS | 16,401 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,631 MLB PLAYERS | 16,401 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Sign in Create Account
Sign in Create Account
General  | Blog | 3/21/2010

Brenham, The Baseball Capital of Texas

David Rawnsley
BASEBALL IN THE HEART OF TEXAS

About halfway between the unbelievably spread out and enormous city of Houston and the bustling state capital of Austin lies the quiet town of Brenham, home to about 28,000 people, the Blue Bell ice cream factory and the county seat of Washington County.

In the rolling hills around Brenham are some of the most historic ranches in the state of Texas, along with the origin of much of the state’s rich heritage and history.

Needless to say, there are also far more cattle than there are people, although the land used to be covered with cotton plantations before the soil gave out and the cattle and ranchers moved in.

Washington County was the capital of the Republic of Texas back in the 1840’s. The vote among the state’s leaders to secede from Mexico in 1839 happened just down the road from where I’m writing this piece. The vote to secede from the Union in 1861 was taken on the very ranch that has hosted me for the past five days, with Sam Houston casting only one of two negative votes.

You know that the people of Brenham are well aware of their heritage when you pull into Fireman’s Park, the home of the Brenham High School Cubs (I have no idea how they chose the name “Cubs” for a school out here, forgot to ask). The big sign over the clubhouse and concession stand reads in big letters “Welcome to Brenham Baseball Country, The Baseball Capital of Texas.”

The sign also lists just some of baseball team’s accomplishments over the past 60 or so years, except that they’ve run out of space. Playing in the 4-A classification, the second largest in Texas, Brenham has won 25 consecutive district titles and six state championships. The town’s baseball fans, who seem to be everywhere we went in town, are a bit nervous though. They’ve been to the state finals five times since they won their last state title in 1988, including last year when they lost to Texarkana HS and their star OF/LHP, Yankees first round draft pick Slade Heathcott. They think that this year’s team has maybe the best chance to go all the way in many years, thus the increased burden of expectations.

(For more background on Brenham Baseball, check out this website: http://brenhamcub.tripod.com/)

A total of 26 Brenham Cubs have played professional baseball since 1967, the most well known being former Milwaukee Brewers 1B and Houston Astros Manager Cecil Cooper. However, the most famous player from the high school, at least at that time, never played professionally. He’s the answer to what is a great trivia question for fans and followers of top level high school baseball.

Who was the last high school baseball player before Bryce Harper (aka “The Chosen One”) to be featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated?

The answer to that would be Brenham High School RHP Jon Peters (Class of 1989).

The entire story, complete with cover picture, is at this link (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1068357/1/index.htm) and is very much worth the read.

To make a long story short, Peters broke the national record for most consecutive victories by a high school pitcher, winning the first 51 straight decisions of his career. He later lost in the state playoffs, costing Brenham a chance at a fourth straight state title, but the story of the small town pitcher was a national sensation.

I saw Peters pitch for Brenham early in the 1989 season while scouting with the Astros. He was a 6-2, 190 lb right hander with a deceptive delivery and a fastball in the mid to upper 80’s that he could spot with precision. Peters’ curveball and change up were solid pitches as well but there really wasn’t ever a point where he was a pro prospect. He eventually signed with Texas A&M but blew out his elbow early in his college career. I was told that he still lives and works in Brenham and man’s the ticket booth before games on occasion.

I had the opportunity to go by Fireman’s Park at 3:30 earlier in the week before a 7 pm game to watch batting practice and infield before hustling off to another game. I’ve been to Fireman’s Park probably 20 times over the years, including last June when it was one of the fields, along with nearby Blinn JC, used for the Perfect Game Sunshine South Showcase.

Two things left immediate impressions with me.

The first was the sight driving into the parking lot. Lined up on the far side away from the field and potential foul ball damage were 14 pickup trucks. These were the player’s vehicles. 14 pickup trucks and not a single regular car among them. This is Brenham, Texas after all, the middle of ranch country. Any self respecting young man is not going to be seen driving an old hand me down Buick around town.

The second was the precision that coach Jim Long’s (15 years as the Brenham head coach) team worked out over three hours before game time, with exactly two people in the stands watching. Every player had the exact same uniform on, shirts tucked tightly into baseball pants, socks all worn old style with pants at the exact same level just below the knee, hats worn straight with the same bend in the bill. A Marine master sergeant couldn’t have found fault in these uniforms. It was flat impressive. The players went through two hours of various multi-station drills, including an infield routine that brought back memories of the elaborate Ron Polk choreographed workouts at Mississippi State years ago.

You could see the pride that was inherent in the program and the tradition of the Brenham Cubs.
Give us your feedback
General | Blog | 9/21/2026

Wolforth Throwing Mentorship: Article 68
Ron Wolforth
Article Image
Are You Fixated on the Wrong Variable? Why Pitch Count Alone Was Never Going to Prevent Arm Injuries   You know a family this happened to. You might be one. They did everything right. They followed the pitch count. They honored the rest days. They tracked innings. They sat him when the chart said sit. They were the parents who spoke up when a coach wanted one more inning in a bracket game. And he got hurt anyway. I've been working with throwers for a long time, and that conversation is the one I have quite often… A parent sitting across from me genuinely bewildered because they followed the rules and the rules did not work. They usually assume they missed something. Most of the time they didn't. They managed exactly what they were told to manage. The problem is that what they were told to manage is one variable out of four.   The Uncomfortable Part First   Throwing...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 10/1/2026

MW Champions Cup Scout Notes: Part 2

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
Midwest Champions Cup Scout Notes: Part 1 Alexander Kakach (‘27, MN) high level stuff with athleticism on the mound. 89-94 with the FB today. Two distinct breaking balls with a SL at 80-83 & over 3000 RPM at times. Another vertical depth breaking ball in the upper 70’s. Real developing arm talent. #Creighton commit.… pic.twitter.com/EUS21vI7o0 — Perfect Game Illinois (@PG_Illinois) September 27, 2026 Alexander Kakach (2027, Plymouth, Minn.) for pitchers from cold weather states in the fall, scouts look for who can potentially make the jump next spring and who has big stuff. And I think this one proved that he is in that category while in Chicago last weekend. He’s athletic, he moves well on the mound and rolled out throwing 90-94 for 3+ innings. Spun sharp breaking balls with distinct shapes including a couple sliders north of 3000 RPM. There’s a...
Read More
Press Release | Press Release | 10/1/2026

PG Introduces New Event Classification System

Article Image
  667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923 www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   PERFECT GAME INTRODUCES NEW EVENT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM   Sanford, Florida (Thursday, October 1, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced a reorganization of its events into five distinct classes in order to provide more clarity to families and teams across the country. PG’s event offerings – from onsite experience to DiamondKast to social media coverage – will evolve based on each event class. The five event classes are: Flagship, Premier, Signature, Classic and All-Star. All include both team and individual events except for All-Star, which are invitation-only individual events that operate at a Flagship level. The...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 9/30/2026

MW Champions Cup Scout Notes: Part 1

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
Jake Michel (‘27, MN) 2 swings on base hits from today. 1st an impressive swing in a 2-strike count left on left matchup. Swinging the bat well this fall. Made a couple nice plays at 3B too. #Oregon commit. #MWChampionsCup @RedsScoutTeam pic.twitter.com/LQW7e7sGHO — Perfect Game Illinois (@PG_Illinois) September 26, 2026 Jake Michel (2027, Rosemount, MN) the MVP of this year’s 18u Midwest Champions Cup. Went 6-for-11 with a double, a home run and 8 RBI in 4 games. A left-handed hitting corner infielder that is swinging the bat at a high level this fall. This was back-to-back tournaments with a home run, one to the pull side and one to the opposite field. Has hit LHP’s and RHP’s equally well and really uses the whole field. One to really watch in Jupiter in about a week. Committed to Oregon.    Cole Chambers (‘27, MO) 3 hit game with a double...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 9/29/2026

Florida Fall World Series Scout Notes

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
2029 RHP/SS Kevin Rodriguez Marrero (FL) Physical two-way prospect who continues to show intriguing upside on both sides of the ball. At the plate, shows a whippy barrel with present pop and the ability to drive the ball up the middle. Off the mound, works in the high-80s with life through the zone and a sharp 12-6 CB. Size, arm strength, and two-way ability make him an interesting young prospect to follow throughout the weekend. 2030 2B Daniel Alvarez (FL) Athletic middle infielder with a direct swing and strong barrel control. Stays on plane through the zone and works long through contact. Has shown the ability to turn on pitches and drive the ball to both gaps, including a double to left field and a line drive to right field. Consistent quality of contact has stood out throughout the tournament. 2028 C Andrew Gonzalez (FL) Physical right-handed bat with a violent swing and present...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 9/29/2026

18U WWBA National Invite Scout Notes

Quinton Hall
Article Image
Baylor Denny (‘27 | AZ) The #Oklahoma commit has a MONSTER day at the plate for GBG National 2027, going 3 for 4 w/ two 2Bs, a HR, & 5RBI, while scoring twice. Top-of-the-order stick w/ a quick trigger, strength in the frame, easy G2G ability 💣 #NBI pic.twitter.com/ZwhlwweLaL — Perfect Game Four Corners (@PG_FourCorners) September 25, 2026 Baylor Denny (2027, Queen Creek, AZ) The 6-foot-1, 185-pound, right-handed hitter and middle infielder earned #1 on the Top Performers list for the 2026 18U WWBA National Baseball Invitational. The Oklahoma commit finished 3-for-10 with two doubles, a home run, six RBI and two runs scored, showing a quick trigger and quality impact to the pull side. Denny's athleticism plays in the box, with strength in the frame and an efficient move into launch that allows him to consistently impact the baseball.   Ryan Sanchez (‘27 | AZ)...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 9/29/2026

WWBA Champ. Pool Preview & Release

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
It's the time of the year again when nearly every golf cart in the United States, or so it feels, flocks to Roger Dean and crowds the backstops, getting one last look at the top players in the country before the spring season. Below our staff breaks down every pool as we are set to release them in 10 minute increments, starting with Pool A and working all the way down to Pool DD. Once again laying claim as the champion of "Jupiter" will be no easy task as every pool game will be a battle just to advance to the bracket where the intensity of each pitch will multiple 10-fold.   Pool A Team Top Pos. Player RK Class Top Pitcher RK Class Location East Cobb/SD Padres ST Underclass Myles Tate 109 2028 Luke Crowder 174 2028 Marietta, GA Lonestar Baseball Club - National - 2027 Braylon Jones 309 2027 Owen Sieve 500 2027 Austin, TX Spects National 2027 Gominsky Charlie Sarsfield 99 2027...
Read More
Tournaments | Championship | 9/28/2026

ZT National Takes Down Sophomore

Hannah Jo Groves
Article Image
ZT National Prospects Hold Out to Win 2026 WWBA Sophomore Championship In a game that kept everyone guessing until the very end, the ZT National Prospects won the 2026 WWBA Sophomore Championship over Wow Factor/Toronto Blue Jays Scout Team 8-7. Over the past few days of the tournament, the usually cruel southwest Florida weather had been unusually kind - but the warmth of the sun had still taken energy out of both championship teams. They had finished hard-fought semifinal matches before walking from the backfields of JetBlue Park to the big-league stadium. Enzi-Yaw Otieku threw the first pitch for ZT National at 11:43 a.m. - and this highly anticipated championship match-up was underway. The first three outs came quickly for the ZT National Prospects with their defensive chemistry and strength on display right away. ZT’s head coach, Carlos Avila, expressed his happiness with his...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 9/28/2026

WWBA Sophomore Scout Notes: Day 4

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
WWBA Sophomore Scout Notes: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 Lukas Klipper (2029, Clearwater, Fla.) was electric at the plate, collecting six hits, highlighted by a monstrous home run off the batter's eye in his second game. High-level left-handed hitter with a really easy swing and functional actions. Klipper lived on the barrel throughout the game and showed off his run-producing ability in huge situations.  Lane Ayars (2029, Mount Juliet, TN) got the starting nod in round two and did not disappoint. The 6’4” left-handed pitcher tossed three scoreless innings, striking out four and allowing zero hits. Fastball up to 90 mph with some heavy arm-side run, with a slider that consistently was in the zone. Also collected two hits at the plate, showcasing a very simple approach.  Frankie Pagano (2029, Waukee, IA) was electric in relief, tossing three scoreless innings while...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 9/27/2026

WWBA Sophomore Scout Notes: Day 3

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
WWBA Sophomore Scout Notes: Day 1 | Day 2 Ronin McCrea (2029, San Diego, Calif.) had an all-around performance at the plate, going two-for-two with two singles, two runs scored, and three RBIs. The right-handed hitter displayed a short, compact swing with a direct and efficient path to the baseball. McCrea showed excellent barrel control throughout the game, consistently producing hard line-drive contact to all parts of the field. Jayson Blanco (2029, Homestead, Fla.) was dominant on the mound, tossing a five-inning no-hitter while striking out six. The right-handed pitcher worked down the mound efficiently with a smooth, fluid delivery that helped him consistently attack the strike zone. Blanco featured a fastball that sat in the low-80s with sneaky life to it at the top of the zone, while mixing in a slower slider that generated swing-and-miss. Parker Miller (2029, Burleson,...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 9/26/2026

WWBA Sophomore Scout Notes: Day 2

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
WWBA Sophomore Scout Notes: Day 1 Rhys Jones (2029, Mc Lean, Va.) was absolutely dominant on the bump to start off day 2 hanging an impressive 10 strikeouts in 5 innings. Running the heater up to 84 with arm side run and the breaking ball got swings and misses. The strike percentage stayed right over 55%, and he carried a no hitter into the 6th. Easy arm action with a high 3/4 slot and controls the move down the rubber.  Jevan McMenamy (2029, Fargo, N.D.) was all around solid today tallying two hits, an rbi, and a walk. In the box he works to the middle of the field in the approach and can elevate to all fields. Coils deep into the back hip and works through contact with strength. Quick feet around the bases and the barrel is fast.  Khian Escalana (2029, Ankeny, Iowa) was a heavy producer in this one collecting three hits, two of those being doubles. Also drove in three RBIs...
Read More
Loading more articles...
About Perfect Game :: Contact us :: Terms of Use :: Privacy Policy :: Testimonials :: Job Opportunities
Copyright 1994-2026 by Perfect Game. All rights reserved. No portion of this information may be reprinted or reproduced without the written consent of Perfect Game.