Two Former BJ’s Help Giants to World Series

Former Bee Jay Hunter Pence broke the hearts of many area Royals fans Tuesday night. Pence crushed a James Shields fastball over the center field wall for a three run home run in game one of the World Series in Kansas City. Eleven years ago, Pence was crushing pitched at Brent Gould Field. Pence played for the Liberal Bee Jays in 2003. Pence was the best BJ player in decades being named a Baseball America summer All American first team member. That’s after the Texas-Arlington outfielder hit .429 with seven homers, 39 RBI’s, 12 doubles, four triples, at .713 slugging percentage, and .481 on base percentage. Pence played for current Seward assistant Mike Davidson for the Bee Jays that summer for a Liberal team which went 22-18 and 1-2 in the NBC World Series. He was 7-14 with two triples and a double in the NBC. He played left field for that BJ team and plays right field for the National League champion Giants. Pence played college ball for former BJ and Seward player and coach Darin Thomas at UTA.

Tim Flannery is the third base coach for Bruce Bochy’s Giants and a former Liberal Bee Jay. Flannery is in his 16th year coaching after a 10 year MLB career for the Padres. He played for the 1976 Liberal BJ’s. That team won the first ever Jayhawk League season and placed 7th at the NBC World Series.