You remember them as teammates on the 1996 AL West Champion Texas Rangers squad.  Eleven years later, they are on opposite sides of the diamond facing off as the managers of the 2007 Texas Collegiate League All-Star Game.  Rusty Greer and Mike Henneman were key elements in the Ranger’s 90-win season, but how will they adjust from being MLB stars to being All-Star skippers?Greer manages a Tris Speaker Division roster full of bright young stars.  He will have the pleasure of starting

Brazos

Valley pitcher Casey Whitmer (

Florida

State ) on the bump.  Whitmer has been nearly unhitable leading the league in strikeouts with 44, which is 19 more than the next closest pitcher.  Greer will also be able to coach some of his own players including Kyle Hardman from Cal-State Fullerton, who leads the division in RBI.Henneman has the opportunity to get out of the owners box and into the dugout.  The Marshals president will be very familiar with his starting pitcher, McKinney’s Justin Murray (

Kansas

State ). 

Murray has been impressive in every outing this summer posting a 3-0 record with a miniscule 0.39 ERA, 25 strikeouts and only one walk in 23 innings pitched.  The Brookshire’s McCormick All-Star Game begins at 7:05 p.m. on July 9th at Lupton Stadium on the campus of TCU.  The mid-summer classic will be televised live by FSN-Southwest. There will be a pre-game Home Run Derby sponsored by PlainsCapital Bank that will begin at 6pm.  For tickets and more information, please call the TCL league office at 817-339-9367.  Additional information can also be found by going to texascollegiateleague.com.Tris Speaker ManagerRusty Greer – Colleyville LoneStars coachGreer enters his first season with the Colleyville LoneStars, his first ever stint as a head coach.  Prior to Greer signing with the Texas Rangers in 1990 after being drafted in the 10th round, he attended the

University of

Montevallo (

Ala. ) and received his summer ball experience with the Springfield Rifles in the Central Illinois Collegiate League.  The Rangers’ crowd favorite literally laid his body on the line with spectacular catches in the field and daring base running during his nine-season baseball career from 1994-2002. He was among American League rookie leaders in ’94 with a .314 batting average, 16 doubles, 10 homers, and 46 RBIs in 80 games. From 1995-99 Greer averaged just under 20 homers per season (93 in five years), drove in 100 or more runs three times, had a slugging percentage at or near .500 each season, and was among the Top Three in almost every offensive category for Texas’ playoff-contending teams.  He belted a career-high 26 home runs in ’97 and batted in 108 runs while playing in 155 games in 1998.  His arm accuracy and fielding skills continued to develop throughout the late 1990s and twice he had nine outfield assists. The Ozark,

Ala. , native also was a key backup first baseman in three of his nine Ranger campaigns. Greer and his wife, Lauri, have three children and live in Colleyville.

Rogers Hornsby ManagerMike Henneman – McKinney Marshals presidentFormer 11-year major leaguer Mike Henneman serves as the Marshals’ Team President and Pitching Coach. A native of Festus, Missouri, Mike attended

Jefferson

Junior College for two years where he was an all conference and all American selection in baseball. After his two year stint at Jefferson, Mike attended

Oklahoma

State

University where he was an All American and led his team to the College World Series two years in a row. The Detroit Tigers then drafted Mike where he spent the next ten years. During his stay in

Detroit , Henneman was the Rookie of the Year in 1987, selected to the All Star team in 1989, and is currently the Tigers all time leader in saves with 154. After a year with the Astros and Rangers, Mike announced his retirement at the end of the 1996 season. In 2001, Mike was placed on the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame ballot.After retirement from baseball, Henneman started the North Texas Red Hawks amateur baseball club for his two sons. What started out as two team operation grew into more than 15 teams ranging in ages 8-18. When Mike was approached about the possibility of bringing a Texas Collegiate League team to

McKinney , the decision was easy to make. Henneman hopes to provide the community with the opportunity of watching future major leaguers at The Ballfields at Craig Ranch, a 75-acre facility located just north of the intersection of
Alma Road
and State Highway 121.