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Former pro baseball player to helm Mountain Home's boys varsity team
A former Glenns Ferry High School baseball all-star who went on to play in the professional ranks will take over as the head coach of Mountain Home High School's varsity baseball team.
Zach Simons, who played with the Glenns Ferry Pilots before he graduated in 2003, takes over for Matt Bundy, who led the team for one season.
"Mountain Home High School is extremely excited about this hire," said high school activities director Mark Cotton. "With Coach Simons' professional pedigree and incredible ability to relate to kids, we feel that he will be able to do great things for our baseball program and community."
During his high school baseball career, Simons was named the Idaho Gatorade Player of the Year before he was drafted in the 38th round by the Oakland A's. He chose to go to Everett Community College after high school and was drafted in the second round by the Colorado Rockies in 2005 as the 55th overall pick.
Through his eight years in the professional ranks, Simons also played for the Colorado Rockies, Detroit Tigers, Miami Marlins and the Texas Rangers.
Simons finished his professional career on a high note but admits he was looking for a new challenge in his life. At the same time, he choose to step away from the world of professional sports to concentrate on his family.
"The family life is a hard life to live when you're always on the road playing," he said. "You're never at one place, and I felt it was time to step away."
With his wife recently hired as a counselor in the local school district, he sought ways to share his love of the game with the local baseball clubs.
"I really want to bring some direction as far as baseball to the community and help with its baseball programs all the way up," he said. "I want to... 'strike some fires' and do some really good things here."
Simons is setting up a coaching staff that is expected to include at least one additional professional player. Joining him this coming season is Kurt Alderman, who previously played for the Astros.
Also joining the team is Mike Hobgood, who will serve as the high school's junior varsity baseball coach as well as the assistant coach for the varsity squad. Simons credited Hobgood's years of experience in the Mountain Home sports community, calling him a valuable asset to the Tigers' baseball club.
Knowing the Tigers have had their ups and downs in recent years, Simons is looking at building a strong team.
"I have a wealth of knowledge that I gained playing for so many years that I feel that I can give to a lot of our youth."
Simons understands how a baseball team is supposed to function during each game in addition to when the players are not on the field. Those traits help create what he called a "fundamentally sound" club.
"A lot of people don't understand the intangibles that come along within a game," said Simons, who wants to educate his players on those fundamentals.
At the high school level, the players need to understand that they only have one opportunity in their lives to play on a high school team.
"High school baseball and high school sports are where it's at," he said. "Some of my greatest memories come from playing in high school, and when they're gone, they're gone. So cherish those moments and do everything in your power to try to achieve something great as a group."
Simons emphasized that it takes an entire team to create success.
"One of the things that I always tell my friends about the game of baseball is that if you look at defining moments in sports -- the last out of the final play -- it doesn't come down to the best player on the team," he said. "It always comes down to that one player that may not be your strongest player."
Creating a well-rounded team is his goal for the Mountain Home Tigers.
"If we can get a group of guys working together down from the best player to the weakest player down the line and helping that weakest link get better... we can achieve some amazing things," he said.
As a coach, he will provide the tools and guidance to make the Tigers stronger. But ultimately, the team's success all comes down to how much work each player is willing to invest during and after each practice and game, Simons said.
"As coaches, we're only going to have so much time with these guys," he said. "If you want to become a better player, you're going to have to put some time and effort in yourself."
When baseball practice ends, the players have to continue working, he emphasized.
"Just because the (stadium) lights are being turned off doesn't mean you can't turn them back on and take another hundred 'hacks' (swings) by yourself."
It's when people aren't looking that helps define a winning team, he added. The best players are those willing to invest the time to not only improve their own skills but to help build a solid team. Simons admits that he's ready to tackle the challenges of being a coach.
"Being a coach and being able to get 20 guys on the same page and working together and being able to manage so many different personalities is extremely challenging," he said. "Ultimately though, if you can get that rolling and get those personalities to mesh, there's nothing greater within a team."