If you ever wanted to know what it must feel like to play baseball in the Major Leagues, ask Clay Puckett, of Texas City.
Puckett was one of 34 young men on the Alvin Community College Dolphins Baseball Team to earn a trip to the JUCO World Series in Grand Junction, Colo. in May.
“It’s hard to put into words; it was the experience of a lifetime,” he said. “You can’t explain playing in that kind of environment.”
“Having kids come up to you constantly and asking for autographs, even after we were eliminated, it makes you feel like a ‘Big Leaguer’ – at least for a week,” he added with a smile. “They wanted to strip you down; they wanted your hats, they wanted your shirts, they wanted your shoes – it was crazy.”
The Dolphins caught everyone’s attention when they won their first two games against the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the nation. Despite excellent performances by all the players, ACC couldn’t keep the streak going and returned home without a World Series title.
“They had a tremendous amount of fan support; they were an instant crowd favorite,” Grand Junction Mayor Gregg Palmer said of the Dolphins. “We think they went home too early.”
“I so wanted them to win,” said Kathy Schmoldt, a Grand Junction resident who supported the team and became their “self-appointed, unofficial photographer.” “They did win; being here is winning in itself.”
According to Schmoldt, the JUCO World Series experience is so much more than 10 teams competing for a national title.
“It’s a beautiful week of sports and friendship,” she said. “The kids need heroes, someone to look up to – the JUCO players fill that spot.”
“When you talk to the Little Leaguers, they can’t wait for JUCO to start,” Palmer mentioned. “They crave the attention; they get to see a brand of baseball they don’t get in the community otherwise – and the players are so warm and receptive.”
In addition to providing kids with a positive learning experience, Palmer said, Grand Junction’s goal is to create a lifetime of memories for everyone involved.
“The JUCO World Series has been here every year of its existence except the first year; we’re proud of the type of tournament we put on. The entire community gets caught up with JUCO fever,” he said. “The service clubs and local businesses help sponsor teams and residents offer to drive the players around to see the sights. Everybody just has a great time.”
“We hear back from people years later about what the tournament meant to them and how important it was,” he added.
The ACC Dolphins were “adopted” by Grand Junction in many ways during the tournament. Businesses displayed support messages on marquees, fans talked with players regularly and the Grand Junction Lions Cub hosted the team to make sure they felt at home and enjoyed their experience in Colorado.
Lions Club members, including Palmer, also entertained the Dolphins players, their family members, friends and fans with a huge cookout and outdoor activities.
“As a Lion and past president, we have hosted a lot of teams over the years,” Palmer said. “None have been more personable than the Alvin team this year.”
“I spoke with the hotel management where Alvin Community College stayed and I was told, unequivocally, they were the best team they have ever hosted,” he added. “That really reflects so well on your school, your community and the way the kids are taught; it reflects on your program and it speaks volumes about the young men you have as student athletes.”
The JUCO World Series is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year in Grand Junction.
“It’s a baseball town; they’re all about baseball,” Puckett stated. “I have never seen so many fans.”
For Puckett, as well as many of the Dolphins, the World Series run created numerous memories outside of Grand Junction, as well.
“I had never even seen snow before,” Puckett mentioned. “We stopped on the side of the road and had a snowball fight.”
“We saw elk, moose, bighorn sheep,” he continued. “And, our drive through Vail from the airport – it was gorgeous.”
The Dolphins earned a trip to the JUCO World Series after making a clean sweep in the National Junior College Athletic Association Region XIV Baseball Tournament and clinching the championship for the first time in the college’s history.
“The whole year was just great,” Puckett said. “I’ll remember it my whole life.”
“I want to thank the coaches and tell them that they made a difference in our games – and in our lives,” he concluded.
Puckett is a pre-med biology major with plans to “take baseball as far as it will go” and become an orthopedic surgeon.
