LIFE LESSONS, HARDSHIPS NOT ENOUGH TO DERAIL

In the 1992 biopic “A League Of Their Own,” Academy Award winning actor Tom Hanks’ drunken character, Jimmy Dugan, delivered one of the more prophetic lines of the 20th century when he bellowed five words that hit every baseball lover right between the eyes: “There’s no crying in baseball!” This is true for all of baseball, whether your snaggletooth, baggy-paints five-year-old face-plants himself running to first in t-ball, or for die hard fans whose team can’t seem to win a World Series. There are very few shortcuts in baseball. But the baseball Gods would probably give Southside senior Kinner Brasher a pass if he decided to shed a few tears. It’s been a hard, emotionally draining last couple of weeks for the Mavericks’ center fielder. Last week, Little Rock Trojans baseball coach Chris Curry called Brasher to tell him there wasn’t a roster spot for him in 2018. Brasher, who signed early with the Trojans, is no longer welcomed to play there. Related More high school baseball coverage. The very next day, Brasher’s mom, Michelle, was diagnosed with an illness. The day before that, Jason Brasher’s company announced they were downsizing. Then, on the eve of the biggest game of the season, Brasher — who had been told he was toeing the slab against Northside in the season finale — pulled his hamstring running out a ground ball on Senior Day against Bentonville. “It has been a rough time,” Brasher said. “(But) I’m trying to look at the best of it. One of the main things that keeps me going are the guys around me. A lot of them are my best friends, and they always will be.” Brasher said veteran coach Dale Harpenau was one of the first persons he heard from following Curry’s decision. “He called me right after it happened,” Brasher said. “He’s really helped prepare me, not only physically, but also mentally — especially right now with everything that’s happened.” “It’s a tough situation when someone doesn’t fit into their plans anymore,” Harpenau said. “College baseball is very competitive; it happens sometimes. (But) he’s got more opportunities ahead of him.” With his world collapsing around him, not to mention has hamstring yapping at him, Brasher struck out 11 Northside Grizzlies in the Mavericks’ season-clinching 11-3 win over Northside. For a day, Kinner Brasher was king of the world. “It’s difficult to keep driving yourself,” Brasher said. “(But) you have to keep trying and keep playing to win.” At 8-18, the Mavericks haven’t been world beaters. But they’re in post-season play. “It’s been a crazy year,” Brasher said. “In the fall, I think everyone thought we were going to be fairly good this year. But everyone seemed to have an off-year; they just didn’t perform like they should have.” Brasher would be the first to admit his flaws, too. The speedy center fielder hit .305 with a team-high three triples and 24 runs scored in Harpenau’s first season. Then came 2017. A prolonged drought for most players, including Brasher, saw the Mavericks struggle mightily. As a team, the Mavericks are hitting .222. Mac Moody and Brock Thibodeaux lead the team with nine RBIs apiece. Brasher finished the regular season with a .280 batting average, and he is one of four players — Moody, Mason Love and Jake Melton are the others — who have scored a team-high seven runs. But they’re in the playoffs. Southside plays Har-Ber on Thursday at 12:30 p.m. in the first round of the 7A state tournament. “We figured out the other day that we’ve scored more runs in our last two (conference games) than we scored in the first 12,” Brasher said. Prior to the 11-3 win over Northside, which was preceded with a 5-1 victory at Little Rock Central, the Mavericks had managed just 14 runs the first dozen games. With help from Harpenau, Brasher’s already fielded a few college offers. He visited Carl Albert State College (Poteau) this week. He’s also gotten emails from coaches at Allen Community College (Kansas) and Murray State (Oklahoma). Baseball players play. Kinner Brasher wants to play beyond high school. He wants to take his rightful spot in center field. “I’ve always felt most comfortable in center field,” he said. “I get pretty emotional when I play. Every now and then I like to be alone. “I feel comfortable out there; that’s my best fit.” “Hopefully he’ll look back in a couple of years and be grateful that it happened now,” Harpenau said. “It’s a bump in the road, and life is full of bumps in the road.” In addition to playing center field, Brasher has also compiled a respectable 4-5 record with a 3.81 earned run average in 49 1/3 innings this season. “Being the pitcher that I am, I’m more of a pitch-to-contact pitcher,” Brasher said. “Coming into the central, I knew there were a lot of good bats.” With or without a win over Har-Ber this week, the Brashers will celebrate Mother’s Day like everyone else this weekend. “I know my mom is strong,” Kinner Brasher said. “She’s doing alright.”

LIFE LESSONS, HARDSHIPS NOT ENOUGH TO DERAIL

KEVIN TAYLOR

Times Record | 5/10/2017

PHOTO CREDIT: Brian D. Sanderford