3 for 3 is a look at players from around the league and their stories that we never hear.
-PART I (Order Of Holy Kolek) –
January 10th 2016
Tyler in the offseason works out 6 days a week about 2 miles away from his home in Shepherd,Tx. He is known to love a little place on the corner of Walbash and Chester, a diner called ”Stacks”. We talked to the owner of Stacks, Mark Webber about the hard throwing righty.
“He is a hometown superstar, every Monday and Friday he stops in after his workouts and orders 2 dozen of his favorite wings, the Holy Kolek. We named them after him cause for the longest time, even before his career in CBL started, he always asked for this custom flavor. A fiery mix of flavors that stings the tongue and makes any unknowing person who orders them to sit back on first taste. During the season we send the sauce to Syracuse,so he can make his own, but he swears they are better in Shepherd. He is a great person with a big heart and somebody we all look at and say that is our boy.” We finished up our dozen of the Holy Kolek wings and made our way out. From Shepherd to Syracuse one thing you can always count on near Tyler is a side of Holy Kolek sauce near by.
-PART II (My Name Is Tyler Kolek) –
June 5th 2014
“Never seen it before.” “At first we didn’t think it was right, so he threw again and posted it again. We looked at each other and thought man should we ask him to do it a third time?” “One of my buddies from another organization said, with some more training he thinks he could add a few more ticks to the gun, I was like that is crazy.”
The scouts that day were in awe and after that day, Kolek’s stock went through the roof.
His 102 mp/h fastball was not only the fastest of the day, he also posted the top 4 fastest pitches. When Tyler left the compound a kid came running up to him and ask who are you. Tyler replied, “My Name Is Tyler Kolek”. That day the legend began, the hype, the possibility and the endless media watching to see if this kid is the next Ryan or Strasburg. When asked years later what he remembers most about that day Kolek replied, “I remember something, most don’t know, I was so nervous because I left my glove at the hotel. I had to use the pitching coaches glove for my throwing and fielding session. I guess it didn’t matter in the end.”
-PART III (A Grease-Down And A Shiatsu) –
August 18th 2016
Tyler Kolek suspended 4 games for fighting. “That was the headline we all saw in the paper.”, manager Chris Holt said. “It was all over the news and media outlets. He is a head hunter, dirty player, and cocky, all terms the haters started to use to describe Tyler. One minute you are untouchable, and the next, everyone wants to jump on you like your the worst thing in sports”, Holt says as he shakes his head.
“It was a heated game, both teams hated each other with a passion. Earlier in the game there was a play at second base, which I thought was dirty,it sent our second baseman down with an injury. That is when everything went downhill.”
Holt looks back across the field and smiles.
“I told Kolek before he went out to keep everything in check. He went out to pitch the 4th and sent a warning shot over the head of their first baseman. That is when the benches cleared and Kolek got into a little scuffle with their first baseman. It was a decent size fight between the teams. Tyler got a shot on him and he cracked Tyler in the jaw and cut his lip. I remember looking at Tyler after the fight was broken up and his jersey had drops of blood on it. Tyler looked like a dog when he gets caught stealing food. He knew I told him right before he went out there to keep the game in check”
Holt laughs
“After the game I pulled Tyler over to the side in the locker room. He said, I didn’t expect that. I laughed I said what did you expect, a grease-down and a shiatsu.”