Okla.'s Bishop Kelly has strong ties to big leagues

	Charlie O'Brien spent 15 years as a catcher in the major leagues. Will his son, Chris, follow in his footsteps? AP

When Bishop Kelley (Tulsa, Okla.) defends its Oklahoma Class 5A state baseball championship next season, some of the names may sound familiar, as the team boasts five players with roots in the major leagues. The Comets, who finished the '06 season with a 38-2-1 record (including a victory over Class 6A champion Tulsa Union) are looking at a major rebuilding job next season as many of its top players graduate.

One of the key returnees, however, will be senior right-hander Parker Frazier, son of former major league pitcher George Frazier. This season, the 6-foot-3, 155-pound Frazier was 8-0 with a 1.32 ERA. In 41 innings, he struck out 40, walked only 13 and held opponents to a .200 batting average.

The elder Frazier, a commentator for the Colorado Rockies, believes his son "has got a chance" to some day make the major leagues. "Scouts have told me he has a big league slider right now," Frazier said. "I was a late bloomer (6-5, 160 in high school) and he's a lot like me. He's a very competitive kid."

Frazier's catcher will be junior Chris O'Brien, whose father, Charlie, was a catcher in the big leagues. The 6-0, 171-pounder is a switch-hitter who spent most of 2006 as a designated hitter. He hit .333 with eight doubles, two triples, a home run and 14 RBIs. He also had 83 varsity at-bats as a freshman in '04. 

Says Scardino: "[O'Brien] is a good hitter with the ability to really drive the baseball. He can take it out of the park anytime. He also has great arm strength."

Sophomore Will Wrona, the son of former major leaguer Rick Wrona, did not have any varsity at-bats. The 5-7, 158-pounder will be battling for a spot in the outfield. He was one of the leading hitters on an 18-4 junior varsity squad. Scardino said that Wrona "swings the bat real well, has a decent arm and speed."

Rick Wrona and Charlie O'Brien are Kelley graduates who helped win state championships in the 1970s.

Charlie O'Brien also has two nephews in the program. One is junior middle infielder Tommy Kelley, who had just one varsity at-bat, but started on the JV squad. The 6-0, 158-pounder has a good chance to be the starting shortstop. The other nephew is Benny Taylor, a 5-9, 150-pound sophomore outfielder  hoping to contribute to the varsity squad.