UALR baseball coach Chris Curry got a little help from two old friends Friday.
Curry's program held the inaugural First Pitch Banquet on campus Friday, serving as an outlet for fans to meet players and learn more about the 2016 season.
An added attraction was the presence of major-leaguers Cliff Lee and James McCann, two former Arkansas Razorbacks who were at the banquet to show their support for Trojans Coach Chris Curry, who befriended them earlier in their careers.
Curry, who played with Lee in junior college and coached McCann at Arkansas, is preparing for the Trojans' Feb. 19 season-opener. His first Trojans team went 16-33 overall, 12-17 in the Sun Belt.
Lee, 37, has pitched in the big leagues for 13 seasons, accumulating a 143-91 record and 3.52 ERA for four teams. He pitched for two runner-up World Series teams -- the Philadelphia Phillies in 2009 and Texas Rangers in 2010.
McCann, 25, is a catcher drafted in the second round of the 2011 Major League Baseball Draft by the Detroit Tigers. He made his major league debut in 2014, registering 12 at-bats. In 2015, he assumed part-time starting duties behind the plate, hitting .264 with 7 home runs and 41 RBI in 425 at-bats.
Lee pitched for Benton against Conway, for whom Curry was an all-state catcher, in high school, and the two became battery mates at Meridian (Miss.) Community College in 1998.
"He knew me from high school and talked to the coaches [at Meridian]," Lee said. "He convinced them to have me come out, and one thing led to another. We ended up being teammates and good friends. I've been helping him out ever since."
Lee said he and Curry had instant chemistry as teammates.
"That pitcher-catcher relationship is pretty important," Lee said. "He knew how to handle a pitching staff. He was a good teammate and a good person, so those are all good things as far as I'm concerned."
Lee did not address his recovery from a torn flexor tendon in his elbow, which cost him all of his 2015 season, or his plans for the upcoming Major League Baseball season, choosing instead to make Friday night about UALR.
"Being from Benton and living here in Little Rock, it's a local deal," Lee said. "UALR and baseball ... obviously, it makes sense to come and help these guys out."
Curry went to Mississippi State after leaving Meridian Community College, then competed in professional baseball for seven years, reaching the AAA level during four seasons in the Chicago Cubs organization and playing three AA seasons for the San Francisco Giants.
He turned to coaching at Arkansas Tech in 2008, then became an assistant at Arkansas in 2009, when McCann was a freshman.
"He and I had a special relationship," McCann said. "He knew exactly every button to push on me. He would get me to work harder, to get me to go the extra mile. I was a hard worker when I showed up to school, and he found a way to make me an even harder worker. I credit a lot, if not all, of my defensive success to him. He was an unbelievable mentor for me."
Curry worked with the catchers and assisted with hitting duties in his two seasons with the Razorbacks, including a College World Series appearance in 2009 and an NCAA Super Regional in 2010. Arkansas led the SEC in opposing runners caught stealing in 2009 under Curry's direction, after placing last in that category in the previous season. In 2010, the Razorbacks led the conference with just three passed balls.
"When he spoke, my ears perked up and I listened," McCann said. "He had a career in pro ball. He knew what it took to get through the minor leagues. He knew what it took to get through college and get drafted. I wanted to do everything I possibly could to get to the next level."
Curry said he was just doing his job.
"I felt it was my duty to make sure I did my part to give him all the information and motivation I could so when I gave him to his next coach, he was prepared," Curry said. "James was a big-leaguer way before he was a big-leaguer in the way he handled himself on and off the field. It's no surprise to see how well he's doing."
Not only did McCann learn from Curry on the field, but he said he also learned lessons from Curry off the field.
"He helped set me up for the success I have had to this point," McCann said. "The biggest thing is treating other people the way you want to be treated. Expectations and holding guys accountable for exactly what you want to be held accountable for and what you expect out of yourself. That's kind of the way Coach Curry was. He was accountable. There's no gray area, there's no questions marks, and that's what you want out of a coach."
McCann said structure was part of Curry's way to get the most out of his players.
"He knows what each player needs. He's not going to coach one way," McCann said. "He's going to find a way to coach each individual player and each individual person. I think that's why he has had so much success as a coach."
Curry was quick to deflect Lee and McCann's kind words.
"I get way too much credit for what those guys have done," Curry said. "They were going to be winners in life no matter what."
School officials expected 300 attendees at Friday's banquet at Ledbetter Hall inside the Donaghey Student Center. Curry said the program would begin tabulating proceeds from the event Monday.
"It was a grand slam for our program," Curry said. "There was a lot of energy and excitement. A lot of laughs and a lot of fun. The community supported us in a big way. It could not have gone any better."
Sports on 01/31/2016