Rocket, Chipper, Barry Wesson: Meet the Kansas Star you’ve probably never heard of
The numerous multi-millionaires playing for the Kansas Stars next month in the National Baseball Congress World Series likely only had to check their social calendars before committing to come to Wichita.
Barry Wesson had to ask his boss.
Wesson, who played 25 major-league games in 2002 and 2003, is probably the least-known name among the Stars’ 25 ex-MLB players. He works in the mental health field in his native Mississippi – for a baseball fan, thank goodness.
“He actually umpires some SEC baseball (in Mississippi),” Wesson said. “He’s like, ‘Shoot, yeah. Go enjoy it with your family.’ I’ve got two boys that are 12 and 8. To be around Hall of Famers and All-Stars, this is a great experience and a great opportunity.”
Wesson, a 39-year-old outfielder, spent most of his career in the minor leagues with the Houston Astros, for whom he made his major-league debut in 2002.
Ten seasons in the Astros’ system got him plenty connected, and he ended up with the Stars after being contacted by former Houston teammate and hunting buddy Roy Oswalt.
Wesson was interested and, after the go-ahead from his employer, ended up on a team with other former Astros Roger Clemens, Adam Everett and Rick Ankiel. Chipper Jones, Tim Hudson, J.D. Drew, Brad Penny and Adam LaRoche are among the Stars’ former All-Stars.
“It’s like I’m going to my first All-Star game,” Wesson joked. “I was in big-league camp with Roger in 2005 when he was in Houston. I played with Adam Everett and Jayson Nix in spring training. My boys will see me get on the field and I’ll play catch with them.
“I’m excited to bring my boys along and just take this opportunity to experience with my family and the guys. I can’t wait to get around them and shoot the bull.”
Wesson’s addition to the roster seems as unlikely as his path to the major leagues. After being drafted by Houston out of high school in Mississippi, he spent the next six seasons in the lower levels of the minors.
The advancement from there was swift. He reached Double-A for a full season in 2001 and was with the Astros by the end of the following season. He hit his only home run on the final day of the 2003 season with the Angels, and injuries contributed to his spending his final five seasons in the minors.
“I played a couple years in the big leagues but I still cherish that time in the minors,” Wesson said. “The grind of every day, the bus trips and the flights, getting up early. Looking back, I wouldn’t trade anything for the world. It’s not easy. People who have played the game know that.
“Dealing with the ups and downs, the travel, not playing well and going through trades and getting taken off the roster, you’ve got to love the game to go through it.”
Wesson’s family – wife Stacy and sons Dylan (12) and Luke (8) – is his primary motivator for playing baseball again five years after his career ended with 124 at-bats for Rockland of the independent Atlantic League in 2011.
Not far behind, though, is the chance to spend time with friends and former teammates, and some he’s never played with and probably thought he never would.
“You look at the roster and you pinch yourself,” Wesson said. “When they called me, shoot yeah, man, I’d love to go. Letting my family experience it and letting my boys come out and enjoy it, I thank them for the opportunity.”
Baseball may be a secondary factor for many of the players, who often spend time together but are trading their hunting gear for Stars uniforms even though the interactions will probably be the same.
“When you play for a long time, that’s your family,” Wesson said. “You get around with the guys and you talk about your offseason and hunting. But everybody there wants to compete, it doesn’t matter if they’re 53 or 19. You play that long, that competitive drive is still there.”
This story was originally published July 19, 2016 at 3:22 PM with the headline "Rocket, Chipper, Barry Wesson: Meet the Kansas Star you’ve probably never heard of."