Although it now seems hard to
imagine, there was a time when Roger Clemens was
just another ballplayer on a summer team. The
same could have been said at one time for future
stars such as Phil Garner, Craig Reynolds, Chuck
Knoblauch Mike Stanton and Doug Drabek. Natural
talent does not always reveal itself
immediately. For many, it only begins to emerge
only through hard work and repetition. The key
ingredient for each of them and countless others
were a love of the game and a desire to keep
playing for as long as the opportunity was
available.
That is what the Karl Young
College League has been about, providing the
opportunity for baseball players to continue to
play and gauge themselves against a higher level
of competition.
The league grew and prospered
thanks to the dedication of Lee Egalnick, who
founded the league in 1966 and enlisted the
support of Clark Nealon, Houston Post Sports
Editor, Head coach Doug Osborn of Rice
University, Tal Smith of the Houston Astros, Hub
LaGrone, Gene Howard and Hal Wadsworth. These
individuals along with the board of directors
give unselfishly of their time and talents to
make the league unique and a special summer
baseball experience. The league is now
experiencing a wave of second generation
players.
While the immediate focus is on
improving the quality of a players skills, the
league has helped many players continue to play
at the next level of baseball. The league has
served as a springboard for many players to
obtain a college scholarship.
Not every player who plays in the
Karl Young College League is destined to play in
the major leagues, but every player who plays
has the opportunity to improve his baseball
skills into something that otherwise might be
out of his grasp along with receiving a college
education.
Founder Lee Egalnick
After the unexpected death of Lee
Egalnick before the start of the 2000 season,
the Board of directors realized the necessity of
having a full time dedicated baseball person
managing the baseball operations of the league.
Good fortune struck when prominent, highly
successful baseball coach Charlie Maiorana
retired from Spring Woods High School after 33
illustrious years. He has coached many talented
players with three of the more notable being
Roger Clemens, Rayner Noble and Chris Snyder.
Charlies familiarity and support of the Karl
Young College League resulted in a grand slam
when he accepted the position of League
Commissioner, and filled this position with
passion and dedication until he passed away
December 13, 2010.
With heavy hearts the Board of
Directors then again searched and found a
qualified true veteran of the Karl Young League
in Kyle Van Hook as he was named league General
Manager in January 2011.
The league is able to continue
its growth thanks to the foundation on which it
was built. It always has been and will continue
to be a team effort of many volunteers, sponsors
and a strong alumni base who now pass along the
lessons they learned on the baseball field to
another generation of players.
Mission Statement
The mission of the Karl
Young College League is to provide top level
competition and instruction to improve
individual playing skills. The league will
showcase talent for college coaches and
professional scouts with a professional coaching
staff. The league will promote college baseball
in the community.
Objective
The Karl Young College
League will maintain a summer baseball program
based on quality, integrity and the pursuit of
excellence. The league will provide the student
athlete with a summer program that will be
highly competitive. The league will provide each
student athlete guidance and direction in the
development of baseball skills. The league will
also provide the student athlete with guidance
and assistance in his pursuit to continue his
baseball career.
Code of Conduct
The actions of all
individuals involved in the Karl Young College
League affects and represents our total program.
Therefore, it is imperative that those connected
with our program always engage in conduct that
is representative of our mission and our
objectives.
