Sports Envoy Program
Baseball
Raúl Casanova is a former Puerto Rican Major League Baseball player who was a catcher from 1996 to 2008. Casanova belonged to the Detroit Tigers, Milwaukee Brewers, Baltimore Orioles, Chicago White Sox, Tampa Bay and New York Mets teams with whom he ended his career in the 2008. Casanova earned a world championship ring with the Chicago White Sox team in 2005.
Baseball
Tim Gebhart graduated from the University of Hawaii, Hilo with a degree in education. For 8 years following college, he worked alongside MLB Hall of Fame Shortstop Cal Ripken Jr and 12 year MLB player Bill Ripken where he traveled the world teaching baseball “The Ripken Way”. Throughout his time in Baltimore, he was able to complete his masters degree in special education at Northcentral University.
In 2013, Gebhart was introduced to Sean Casey, the President and founder of the Miracle League of the South Hills. Gebhart helped him start Sean Casey’s Champions Camp during the summer to help raise money for the field and the playground located in Boyce Mayview Park. In 2016, Gebhart moved to Pittsburgh to become the executive director of the Miracle League of the South Hills and Casey’s Clubhouse.
Baseball
A native of Covina California where he attended Edgewood high school and was rising star in baseball. Ron was drafted four times: the Oakland A’s in 1974, San Francisco Giants in 1975, Detroit Tigers in 1976 and the Atlanta Braves in 1976. Ron declined to sign all four years and elected to play collegiate baseball at UCLA. In 1977 was drafted by the Dodgers and chose to sign with one of the top franchises in Major League Baseball, and eventually made his Major League debut at the age of 24 in 1981.Ron played 8 years in the Majors for 6 different teams and played in 527 games with a career batting average of .238.Since retiring from baseball as a players Ron has worked his way through the coaching ranks over the years and is now the manager for the Boston Red Sox.
Baseball
Pedro Juan Feliciano Molina, nicknamed “The Perpetual Pedro”, is a former professional baseball left-handed pitcher who played in Major League Baseball for the New York Mets between 2002 and 2013.
Baseball
Orlando grew up in Cartagena, Colombia, a country that is more known for its rich soccer tradition than it is baseball, Orlando is the younger brother to Jolbert Cabrera, who also played in the major’s for 8 years. Both Orlando and his older brother grew up with a strong baseball influence in the family, their father. Who was the first MLB scout in Colombia. From a young age the talent that Orlando was present and that lead him to get signed by a Major League Team. He made his Major League debut at the age of 22 and his decorated career encompassed 15 years of Major League Baseball, played in over 2,000 games, accumulated over 2,000 hits, 2004 World Series and 2 time gold glove winner playing for 10 MLB teams. Upon retiring from baseball in 2011 Orlando spends time with his family in South New Hampshire and is a consultant for a wealth management company who helps educate young and upcoming baseball players.
Baseball
While in the U.S. Marine Corp Reserves from 1992 to 2000, Matt Krause pursued his undergraduate degree in exercise and sports science at East Carolina University. With the help of Jeff Connors, ECU’s strength coach, Krause went on to Graduate school at the University of Central Florida to obtain his Masters in strength and conditioning. After graduating, Krause’s first job was with the Knights. Krause’s first involvement in the major leagues was as an Intern with the Chicago Cubs. From there, he became a minor league coordinator with the Pittsburgh Pirates and then the Cincinnati Reds. In 2014, the New York Yankees’ hired Krause to be their Director of Strength and Conditioning, a position he held until 2019. Currently, Krause serves as the President of the Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society.
Baseball
Matt Backert played baseball and soccer from 2002 to 2006 at Neumann University in Ashton, Pennsylvania. During this time, he earned various All-Conference and team honors in both sports. After graduating from Neumann, Backert spent seven years overseeing baseball operations for Ripken Baseball, including leading its instructional programs, such as camps and clinics. From 2007-2010, he served as a Baseball Coach Ambassador for the U.S. State Department, a position that led him around the world, including China and Nicaragua, to facilitate camps and coaching clinics to teach baseball to youth and coaches. From 2014 to 2017, Backert was the head baseball coach at The John Carroll School in Bel Air, Maryland. In 2018, Backert joined Community College of Baltimore County Essex Athletics as an Assistant Head Coach for the Knights. In late 2019, Community College of Baltimore County Dundalk Athletics announced Backert would become the Lions’ new head coach of their baseball team.
Baseball
Born on the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico, one of baseball’s most prominent talent hotbeds, Luis began playing baseball from an early age which eventually led to him playing baseball at Florida State University in Tallahassee Florida. Where Luis set a school record with a 27 game hit streak earning him All-American honors. Luis was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals with the 23rd overall pick in the 1st round of the 1986 amateur June draft. Luis played 13 seasons in the Majors with 5 teams which encompassed 1,341 total games and a career .260 batting average. Upon his retirement from the game in 2002 Luis began to coach and managed the Boston Red Sox affiliates, Lowell Spinners in 2004 and 2005 and in 2006 was back in the Majors when Boston hired him as a first base coach, then the Mets in 2009. Now Luis spends his days “learning as much as possible and to teach others about life after sport”. Luis also enjoys giving back to his community and teach youth about the game of baseball, and also recently created the “Luis Alicea Scholarship Fund to help raise money and help kids in need”.
Baseball
John was born and raised in Kansas City Missouri and was a standout athlete at Rockhurst High School. His stellar performances on the led him being drafted by the Seattle Mariners as the 28thoverall pick of the 1stround 2002 Amateur Draft. However, he chose to take a baseball scholarship to Stanford University in Palo Alto California. With his continued success on the field John was drafted a second time by the Texas Rangers as the 19thoverall pick of the 1stround in the 2005 Amateur Draft. John accumulated 7 years of Major League Baseball experience playing for three different teams at the Major League level: Phillies, Blue Jays and Mets. Upon his retirement in baseball in 2015 john enjoys playing baseball and spending time with his family
Baseball
Joe Logan was All American pitcher for Florida Southern College when the Moccasins won the NCAA Division II National Championship in 1988. He had previously played for Chipola Junior College where he also won All American honors.
The Montréal Expos took him in the 28th round of the 1989 amateur draft. Joe played minor league ball in the Montréal Expos organization from 1989-1991, then played one year in the independent Northern League in 1993. He was 4-7 with a 2.88 ERA in his pro debut for the Jamestown Jammers to help them to the New York-Penn League title. He split 1990 between the Rockford Expos (10-2, 2.63) and West Palm Beach Expos (1-0, 1.88). Had he qualified, he would have been 5th in the Midwest League in ERA, just ahead of Pat Rapp. Back with West Palm Beach in 1991, he fell to 6-12, 3.18. In 1993, he was 0-1 with a 10.80 ERA for the Sioux Falls Canaries to finish with a 21-22, 3.13 record in pro ball.
After his Major League Baseball career ended, Joe was a minor league pitching coach for the Anaheim Angels from 1994-2000. Since 2002, Joe Logan has served as coach for the Orlando Reds AAU organization and he continues to work with collegiate and professional baseball players on a regular basis.