The Truth

If Cy-Ridge quarterback Russell Shepard was the SuperStar of 2008 (see October cover), then Klein pitcher Matt Purke is the Truth in 2009. The truth. The whole truth, and nothing but the truth. "I hear all of the expectations and it adds pressure, but that's where I want to be," he said. "I dream about playing in the big leagues all the time. I grew up loving the Atlanta Braves, so I can really imagine myself in their uniform pitching against the best." His dreams could quickly become a reality as Purke enters his senior season for the BearKats. After the season, he will be hotter than a Houston summer day as the Major League Draft nears. The 6-foot-3, lefty could potentially be the top draft pick, taking his three-pitch repertoire to the league. He throws a fastball and breaking ball in the low to mid-90s, and circle-changeup to make facing him unfair. Just in case, however, he has signed a Letter of Intent to pitch for TCU, but he will probably never don the Horned Frog uniform. "He's Randy Johnson at the high school level," Randy Byers of 5A Texas Baseball.com said. "I've been doing this for over 10 years and the only ones that compare are Josh Beckett and Scott Kazmir. He's bigger than Kazmir and has better stuff. He's just dominating." It's interesting to note that Beckett (Spring) and Kazmir (Cy-Falls) are the aces of the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays, respectively. ... Purke's road to this point has been a well-travelled one. He grew up in Lukin, Texas -- the cradle of deep east Texas football. At the age of nine years old, his older brother would work with him at the game he's come to love. "I'd take him out to the fields and just let him throw at nine-years-old," Jason Purke, who is nine years older than Matt, said. "He had velocity when he threw the ball at that age. We kept working and working at it and he just developed a knack for the game. He wasn't great back then, he'd throw it in the dirt or maybe hit the backstop, but he was competitive and had a great work ethic at that age." At age 11, Matt had a slight frame and knew he was not cut out for football. "When everyone was deciding to play football, he made a decision to play baseball," father Lawrence Purke said. "I didn't understand his potential at that age, but Jason did. Jason thought it was time to make a change and up the competition, so we reached out to Baseball USA in Houston and got an opportunity to try out for some select teams. He was called by a coach in Beaumont and was asked to play." His mother, Margaret, who still owns a Tea Room in Lufkin shuttled Matt three times a week to Beaumont for practice and games. "I really think that when they pulled up to Baseball USA the first time and got Matt into competitive baseball, they knew it was going to be a commitment," Jason said. "It was a two-hour drive both ways, three times a week for him to practice and just play league games. That is a passion." Jason Purke now coaches baseball, basketball and football at Corrigan-Camden High School, which is 90 miles northeast of Houston. "Am I surprised at the attention that surrounds him now?" Jason said. "Yes, but I'm not surprised that he throws in the mid-90s and will play Major League Baseball. He's always loved to practice and to be around the game. He's got a tremendous work ethic, but mostly he has a God-given gift." ... Lawrence moved the family from Lufkin to the Klein-area in 2006 after receiving a promotion within UPS. Matt's baseball career was trending upward as well. He played varsity baseball at Lufkin as a freshman and as a sophomore at Klein. He made the USA Baseball Team as a freshman, and his team won Gold in 2006 at the international event in Venezuela. He won Bronze in 2007 in Mexico and last summer took silver in Canada. "That was an honor to represent our country," Lawrence said. "To not play in the United States was interesting. We weren't loved everywhere we went and I think the boys got some good perspective about how much of an honor it is to live in American." In the high school ranks, the urban legend of a lanky lefty arriving at Klein, a traditional-power in Houston, was a reality. Klein is home to Josh and Jeremy Barfield of the Cleveland Indians and Oakland A's, respectively. Texas Ranger centerfielder David Murphy is also a BearKat, but Purke could be the best coach Barry Smith has seen. "Matt is the worst loser I've ever had," Smith laughs. "That's a good thing. When you have a kid with that competitive of a spirit to match that talent, that's very rare. "We are going to enjoy this year," he said. "Everyone has an off night and he's human. I know everyone is going to expect perfection, but he's not going to be perfect. I can tell you that he strives to be perfect and that's what sets him apart. It's great for our other kids to see him strive like that because it makes them work that much harder. That is what makes him special." - WHAT THEY ARE SAYING "I've been around Houston for a long time. I've seen the best around here. Matt is the second best I've seen. The first is (Boston Red Sox) Josh Beckett, but Matt is right there." Katy coach Tom McPherson "Purke is the ideal prospect because he has a great physical frame, the God-given ability and he knows how to pitch. He has upside and will only get better. He's very competitive and did very well for us. He's outstanding." Ray Darwin, USA Baseball "Matt is a young, talented, projectable left-handed pitcher who throws 94-miles-per-hour. He has a real projectable body and he's only going to get bigger and better. I'd compare him to a young Randy Johnson. He has a whip-like motion with a loose arm. I'd project him as a top five pick." Jason Greer, St. Louis Cardinal scout "He just blows people away. Katy was really good last year and he nearly threw a perfect game. When I witnessed that I knew he was legit. It's funny to see our opponents watch him warm up throwing 95 mph. You can see that they don't want to go in there to face him." Teammate and Louisiana Tech-commit Tyler Boss