Washington County Enterprise-Leader
Prairie Grove Recognizes Beeks
MLB JERSEY MIGHT BE DISPLAYED
PRAIRIE GROVE — Plans are in the works to showcase the professional baseball pitcher Jalen Beeks at Prairie Grove High School.
Prairie Grove baseball coach Chris Mileham revealed the school plans to honor the heritage of Beeks prior to a July 25 trade involving the Boston Red Sox sending the left-handed pitcher to the Tampa Bay Rays.
Beeks was twice called up to Major League Baseball for outings with the Red Sox this season. Beeks, a 2012 Prairie Grove graduate, began the 2018 season as a starting pitcher among the Triple A Pawtucket, Mass., rotation (an affiliate of the Boston Red Sox).
“... you may get struck by lightning before you get pulled up to the major leagues so we’re very proud of Jalen, and what he’s accomplished, especially this year.”
Chris Mileham
Prairie Grove Baseball Coach
Beeks made his Major League debut on June 7 as a starter throwing 3.1 innings for Boston in a 7-2 loss to the Detroit Tigers.
Mileham disclosed the plans during a ceremony for All-Conference pitcher/ outfielder D.J. Pearson, who signed a national letter of intent to play college baseball for Central Baptist College of Conway at the Prairie Grove High School cafeteria on July 19.
“I talked to Jalen this week and we were talking about the (Prairie Grove Tiger baseball) program,” Mileham said, explaining someone once told him the odds of making it to the big leagues is like someone taking a stolen debit card and going to guess the personal identification number (PIN) on the very first time.
From Mileham’s perspective, the comparison serves as an eye-opener to what Beeks has done. Mileham said he plans to include Beeks’ name on the minor league scoreboard that Mileham procured and installed at Prairie Grove’s Rieff Park and to put Beeks’ professional gear including his Red Sox jersey in the Tiger trophy case during the 201819 school year.
“We’ve got big plans to honor his legacy,” Mileham said. “If anybody knows the odds, how hard it is to get there, it’s a baseball coach. The realistic part of it is you may get struck by lightning before you get pulled up to the major leagues so we’re very proud of Jalen, and what he’s accomplished, especially this year. Nothing but better things to come for him.”
Tampa Bay evidently is thinking along the same lines because they traded pitcher Nathan Eovaldi, 28, who was slated to start that afternoon’s game against the Yankees for Beeks. Instead, right-hander Ryne Stanek started for the Rays as Tampa Bay recorded a 3-2 win.
Fans of Beeks dared to dream of the possibilities as the trade generated a buzz with both Rays’ General Manager Erik Neander and Manager Kevin Cash expressing anticipation that Beeks will soon see Major League action in a Tampa Bay uniform.
The current 12.79 ERA Beeks accumulated in two appearances for Boston this year does not scare Tampa Bay. The Rays organization, which revealed it has been keeping tabs on Beeks, is looking at his potential, wanting to expose him to Major League competition, and develop the pitcher they believe he can become.
Coming into his stint with Tampa Bay, Beeks, who turned 25 this month, owns a 34-28 record with a 3.63 ERA in parts of five Minor League seasons, including a 5-5 mark with a 3.29 ERA for Boston’s Triple A affiliate, Pawtucket, this season.
Prairie Grove athletic director Joey Sorters said by phone Thursday the discussions have primarily been between Beeks and Mileham.
“Nothing’s been official or anything like that,” Sorters said, while indicating the school would welcome an opportunity to honor Beeks with a display.
“That summer session is when the development, it really happens,” Mileham said. “With football, and then basketball, we’re lucky to get D.J. at the beginning of our season. If our basketball team goes on a run, it runs (right into our season).”
Mileham is thrilled that players like Beeks, who predated his involvement with Prairie Grove High School baseball, and Pearson discovered places to continue their careers beyond high school.
“It’s one of the big reasons I came here and I will always use my resources to help young men get opportunities that are available to them,” Mileham said.
Mileham’s comments referring to Pearson’s signing almost echo what could be said of Beeks and his cousin, former Tiger star, Ty Tice, who is pitching in the Minor Leagues after being drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays.
“It’s well-deserved, they say you work for everything you get,” Mileham said. “This (Pearson’s signing) is a perfect example of a person that commits to doing the work and receiving the benefits from it. It’s a classic story, classic case, I never get tired of telling that story.”