Check out photos of Jesse Crain and friends from his Knight of Strikes fundraiser on Saturday, January 21.
No Comments »JesseCrain.Net The offical fan site of Jesse Crain!
Bowling for Kids
January 19th, 2012Knight Time Baseball, Inc. a 501(c)3, in good standing is raising money to build an indoor hitting and pitching facility. Bowl with a Major Leaguer for a good cause!
On January 21, 2012 at Fat Cats – Westminster, Colorado from 8:00pm to 10:00pm
Come “Throw Some Strikes” with Jesse Crain (Chicago White Sox)
Visit http://knight-of-strikes.org/ for more details
Knight-of-Strikes.org
January 19th, 2012By Joshua Lindenstein BoCoPreps.com
Securing an indoor training facility for the winter months has never been easy for Knight Time Baseball.
Chicago White Sox reliever Jesse Crain can remember the location being different every year even when he was a kid coming up through the Fairview High feeder organization.
Sometimes it was the basement of Carlson Gymnasium at the University of Colorado. Sometimes it was a barn. As Fairview coach and head of Knight Time notes, “We’re gypsies. I can’t remember being in the same place twice.”
So when Crain — he helped lead FHS to a state title in 1999 — decided he wanted to help give back to the program, it didn’t take long for he and Fairview coach Rick Harig to target a regular indoor facility Knight Time could call its own.
The first major step toward reaching their $100,000 fundraising goal comes Saturday when Crain puts on the Knight of Strikes fundraiser at Fat Cats Bowling in Westminster.
“I’ve wanted to do something and give back, and I just felt like this was the biggest need we had,” Crain said in a phone interview Monday.
For $1,000, supporters of the program can reserve one of 29 lanes for five people and bowl and mingle with the likes of Crain and American Idol notables Ace Young — another Fairview grad — and Young’s girlfriend, Diana DeGarmo. Former Chicago Bears football player and FHS grad Dustin Lyman and Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Matt Guerrier are expected in attendance. And new Colo´rado Rockie Michael Cuddyer could also make an appearance, among others.
As of Monday morning, all but two lanes had been reserved.
Those who don’t get the chance or don’t wish to reserve a lane can purchase $30 admission to the event at the door to mingle with the celebrities and participate in a silent auction that includes several autographed Major League Baseball jerseys and things like mountain bikes and hotel stays.
“If we could get a third of the way (to $100,000), we’d be doing well,” Harig said Monday.
Harig said no determination has been made yet as to a location for the facility or whether the organization would lease a space or try to buy a piece of property. Buying, especially in Boulder, clearly would add to the price tag.
But Harig feels fortunate with the start the efforts have gotten off to. And for that, Crain and his wife Becky (formerly Hill) — another FHS alum — are largely to thank.
Just a couple of weeks ago, several lanes were still available. Along with working out and keeping his arm in shape, Crain turned fundraiser, working the phones every day and calling everyone back home that he knew to try and coax them into helping with the event.
“It’s worked so far, and we’ve had some people step up,” Crain said.
Crain, who paid to secure the bowling alley for the occasion, also reached out to his friends in the baseball world to join in to help attract participants. Young and Crain, meanwhile, grew up together, and Crain said Young — a baseball player until ninth grade — was more than happy to help out.
For Crain, he and Becky have been involved in plenty of offseason community initiatives going back to Crain’s time with the Minnesota Twins. But both felt the timing was right to reach out to their own roots.
“I think it’s always important to give back to people who have helped to get you where you are and to make things better for the young generation coming up,” said Crain, who now spends his offseasons in Sugarland, Texas. “It’s something that should be done by everyone who prospers from where they come from.”
Harig knows his program is lucky to have the close ties to Crain.
“All the kids in the organization get so excited that they get to meet a major leaguer,” Harig said. “He’s so personable, and he’s giving back to the community.”
More information on the Knight of Strikes fundraiser can be found online at knight-of-strikes.org.
Get Ready for SoxFest
January 2nd, 2012Come see Jesse Crain and all your favorite White Sox at SoxFest 2012. Please visit www.whitesox.com for updates and details on SoxFest 2012. Fans also may call the SoxFest Hotline at 312.609.1915. SoxFest 2012, presented by Miller Lite and Pepsi takes place at the Palmer House Hilton, January 27-29, 2012
Here is a quick link to find out more at whitesox.com
Approximately 48 more days until Jesse and the rest of bullpen report to Arizona for Spring Training
Getting Ready for 2012
November 18th, 2011As if Jesse Crain needed more ways to intimidate opposing batters than his wicked slider or blazing fastball. Jesse was found at Virtue Tattoo in Meadows Place, TX getting inked up by owner/tattoo artist Lana. Visit their website and check back to see more of the finished artwork.
Post Season Break
October 5th, 2011After years of making the post season with his former team, Jesse Crain finally gets some much needed time off. He has been work horse. Working 65.1 innings in 67 games, throwing to over 260 batters, Jesse allowed hits to 50 of them while holding opponents to a .215 batting average. He struck 70 and walked only 31. He kept his to ERA 2.62 and amassed 8 wins to 3 losses while holding 24 games for his team. Suffice to say, Jesse was a great investment for the Chicago White Sox.
2 Comments »Last Stretch
September 18th, 2011With 11 games left in the regular season, Jesse Crain has many chances to give the White Sox fans what they want. Ks and Ws. Jesse already has 66 k in 62.1 innings of work to go along with his 2.31 ERA. Not to mention the impressive 8-3 record and 19 holds during that time, he also went 11.2 innings with an earned run. That was a month span without an earned run for the second time during the season. Look for #26 and the rest of White Sox to give Bruce Chen and the Royals a run for their money.
No Comments »Crain Train Rolls Back to MN
September 5th, 2011Jesse Crain and the Chicago White Sox are spending Labor Day at Target Field for day/night doubleheader. The White Sox took game 1 and Jesse looks to put up some good relief numbers in Game 2.
No Comments »Jesse Plays with Toys
August 30th, 2011
Brett Ballantini, CSNChicago.com White Sox Insider, spoke to Jesse Crain in Seattle about what is the reason behind all the mini action figures in his locker. Though his son Hunter keeps them there to periodically play with them and find dad’s locker, Jesse uses them as good luck charms and to remind of what he has waiting for him at home. Read the whole story on csnchicago.com. Watch for another stellar performance from Jesse as he continues his dominace against his old the team, the Minnesota Twins.
No Comments »What does Jesse Have to Say
August 28th, 2011In Seattle, Jesse Crain was asked about his win column. ‘‘Wins are luck of the draw,’’ Crain said. ‘‘Every game we’ve played has been tight. We’re either up or down a run or two or tied. When I’m in, we happen to score runs.’’
Crain, who led all major-league relievers with 12 wins as a Minnesota Twins rookie in 2005, has 41 victories in his career, all in relief. He leads American League relievers in wins this year. Read the whole article here and be sure to watch Jesse and the White Sox take on the M’s today before starting a seris at home against the Minnesota Twins tomorrow