They used to call Jhames Holley III “Little Hurt” with a nod to former Chicago White Sox slugger Frank Thomas, who was known as the “Big Hurt.” He eventually grew too big for any moniker with the world “little” in it, so now they call the Homewood 13-year-old “Hurtcules.”
Whatever his nickname, Holley turned some heads in the World Power Showcase home run derby and 15U All American game last month at the Marlins’ loanDepot Park in Miami.
“This is the best thing I’ve been to. I haven’t been to anything this serious in my life,” Holley said. “This is the biggest thing to me. It was a great experience.”
Holley was invited to the event back in April. While playing in a travel tournament, he hit what he said was a 385-foot home run. That’s a long way for a middle schooler. The bomb was called back on a balk but video of it was sent to Power Showcase President Brian Domenico, who extended the offer to take some cuts in the Sunshine State.
Holley, his brother Matthew and his father Jhames Holley Jr. were in Miami for almost a week. They went sightseeing, attended a formal dinner with the rest of the participants, put their toes in the sand and watched some older players’ home run derbies.
It was Holley’s first time seeing live pitching since July but he said he was still seing the ball well. The big lefty hit four home runs during the derby and got on base twice out of his four at bats during the all star game. The biggest hit was an RBI triple that took one hop into the padding on the right field wall.
“I’m never happy with any performance. I always know I can do better,” he said. “I think it was pretty good for my first time. Next year I’m hoping to do much better but I’m just thankful for the experience in the first place.”
The event also included a showcase for MLB scouts. He talked to representatives from the Cubs, Padres, Royals and Giants. Holley described it as a “mock draft combine.” Scouts saw him field ground balls, run a 60-yard dash and gauged the exit velocity of the ball coming off his bat.
“They got to see our swing and tweak our tools a little bit,” Holley said. “That was a big deal. I was really hyped about that.”
Holley plays football, too. He said the sport that’s currently in season is his priority. He has no plans to give up either any time soon.
His next big event on the diamond is a Prep Baseball Report showcase in about a month. After that, he’s looking forward to playing for Homewood-Flossmoor High School. He said he talks to coach John McCarthy often and is excited to learn from him.
That’s just the start of his plan, though.
“I want to go to the Major Leagues and do my thing there. Honestly, I want to give back to my community and to my family,” he said. “I would love to thank my family and my parents. They get me to and from all these tournaments. They get me into them with all the money they have to spend. I’m glad they’re investing all this into me and I’m going to give it back.”