9 Dudes Staff


Blake Grant-Parks

Head Coach - Player Development Specialist 

Blake is a skilled and dedicated baseball player whose professional journey has spanned multiple leagues and teams, showcasing his versatility, work ethic, and passion for the game. 

Blake was drafted Twice by Tampa Bay Rays: 2011: Selected in the 28th round out of Yuba City High School. 2014: Drafted again in the 39th round out of Cal State Monterey Bay. 

Minor League Experience (Tampa Bay Rays Organization): 2014: Princeton Rays (Rookie Ball Affiliate). 2015: GCL Rays (Rookie Ball Affiliate). 2016: Returned to Princeton Rays. Independent League Success: 2017-2018: Played for the Cleburne Railroaders (American Association). 2019: Competed with the Rockland Boulders (Can-Am League). 2020: Represented the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks (American Association). 

Return to Affiliated Baseball (Texas Rangers): 2021: Signed as a free agent and assigned to the AAA Round Rock Express. Spent time on the Taxi Squad/Developmental List with the Rangers’ Major League team, contributing to team workouts, catching bullpens, and providing veteran support. Frontier League and Beyond: 2022-2023: Played for the Schaumburg Boomers (Frontier League). 2023: Earned Mid-Season All-Star recognition. 2024: Signed with the Chicago Dogs and later rejoined the Cleburne Railroaders (American Association).

Blake is dedicated to coaching and mentoring young athletes, emphasizing skill development, mental toughness, and fostering a love for baseball, passing on the knowledge and experience gained throughout his career. Blake resides in Fort Worth, Texas 


Tim Crabtree

Founder/Director of Player Development - Coach - Pitching Coordinator 

Tim was recruited and committed to Michigan State University (MSU) as a catcher. During his Redshirt Junior year at MSU Tim was converted to a pitcher. This turned out to be great position change for him as he went on to become the 63rd selection overall in the 1992 Amateur draft by the Toronto Blue Jays.  Tim spent two and half years in the minor leagues with stops at St. Catherine’s, Ontario, Knoxville, Tennessee and then Syracuse, New York before getting the call to the Big Leagues in the Summer of 1995.  Tim finished 8th in ROY voting in 1996 which was his 1st full season in the majors. 

In 1998, Tim was traded to the Texas Rangers during Spring training of 1998 and became the set-up man for closer John Wetteland and became a valuable member of the bullpen for Johnny Oates in the Division Championship years of 1998 and 1999. Tim was a reliable bullpen arm over seven big league seasons, pitching for the Toronto Blue Jays and Texas Rangers from 1995 to 2001. Tossing 342 games (and 394 innings), he crafted a 21-22 record with a 4.20 ERA and 288 strikeouts. In 2001, Tim was named the closer for the Rangers and saved his first 4 games before suffering a herniated disc that put him on the Disabled List.  

Tim retired in 2003 and followed another passion, Law Enforcement. Since 2004 Tim has had a successful career as a Police Officer at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. In 2005, Tim made a brief comeback in the Rangers system before officially retiring in 2006 after an elbow injury. Tim enjoys coaching and providing a professional perspective to youth about the game of baseball and was the founder of DFW Express Baseball in 2010.  A Founding Member of 9 Dudes Baseball, Tim resides in Keller TX, he has three children: Kylie, Averey and Jackson. 

Darrell Evans

Hitting Instructor, Special Advisor for Player Development & Coach

Major League Veteran Darrell Evans brings to 9Dudes Baseball over 50 years of professional baseball experience including 21 years as a Major League Baseball Player, and many years as a professional Field Manager, Hitting Instructor and Coordinator. 

Darrell’s playing career includes being managed or coached by Eddie Matthews, and Ted Williams, hitting in the lineup in front of Hank Aaron, and hitting 414 career home runs, an average of 25 HR’s per year over 21 years, placing him 54th on MLB’s All-Time Home Run Leaders list. During his 21-year playing career Darrell played in 2,687 games, collecting 2,223 hits and never spent a day on the disabled list. 

Darrell Became a World Series Champion in 1984 as a key figure of the Detroit Tigers. A two-time All-Star, he led MLB in home runs in 1985 at age 38, becoming the oldest player to lead the American League in home runs and the first in MLB history to have a 40-homer season in both the American and the National Leagues. Darrell was the 22nd player in MLB history to hit 400 home runs and the second to hit at least 100 home runs with three different teams. 

His 1,605 walks ranked eighth in MLB history at the time of his retirement. His skill in drawing walks contributed to a .361 career on-base percentage. Defensively, Darrell played 19,758 innings over his career, primarily a third baseman, Darrell played first base in the middle of his career as well as Left field. Over 21 years Darrell posted a .973 fielding percentage including a .992 as a first baseman in 856 games at that position. 

Darrell played for three teams during his career, Atlanta Braves, San Francisco Giants and Detroit Tigers. Upon retiring in 1990 Darrell began a 20-year run Managing and Coaching in the Big Leagues, Texas-Louisiana League, South Atlantic League, Double-A Southern League, Atlantic League, Northern League, Golden Baseball League and California Winter League.      

 Darrell resides in Fort Worth, Texas 

Robbie Fenyes

Founder/Director of Business Operations - Head Coach

Robbie’s’ passion for the game of Baseball, coaching, teaching, mentoring, and developing players the right way, is the cornerstone of his involvement with 9Dudes Baseball. Robbie shares methodology and philosophy, teaching approach and business oversight with the founding members. 

Robbie has experience coaching baseball at various levels, as well as managing organizations and teams with successful results. In addition, Robbie has been in Operations Management roles in Transportation, Global Logistics and Supply Chain with organizations such as Fed Ex and DHL 

Robbie has coached at the Select, High School and College level. 

Robbie’s career in Professional Baseball includes Fort Worth Cats Professional Baseball Team, Texas Rangers and President of Neltex Sports, overseeing the operations and implementation of Three Independent Professional Minor League Baseball Teams. 

In 2016/17 Robbie was a Co- Founder, Co- Owner, President and General Manager of the Cleburne Railroaders and President of the Texas Airhogs Professional Baseball Teams in the American Association.   

Robbie resides in Fort Worth, Texas with his Wife Stephanie, he has three Daughters: Lauren, Isabel and Victoria.