Kansas City Kansas Community College

Tim Doherty learned from some of the best – now he’s leading the way in trying to make the T-Bones the best in the Northern League.

“I never set a goal to be a manager but I got to play under Steve Burleson at Kansas City Kansas Community College and learned through Steve how to run a program and then was fortunate to work with Al Gallagher and Andy McCalley here at the T-Bones,” said Doherty, who will make his home debut as T-Bones manager Friday against the Fargo-Moorhead Red Hawks at Community America Ballpark.

Off to their best start in history (5-1), the T-Bones are home against the Red Hawks at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 5 p.m. Sunday and then host the Lake County Fielders Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Tuesday’s game has been designated as “KCKCC Night at the T-Bones” with the first 2,000 arrivals receiving T-Bones caps.

Doherty will be joined in the opener by another KCKCC product, shortstop Jimmy Mojica, who enjoyed two outstanding seasons with the Blue Devils in 2004 and 2005.

Closing out his 31st season as head baseball coach at KCKCC, Burleson thinks both Doherty and Mojica are ready for their jumps to new levels. “Tim is really baseball-wise about the aesthetics of the game and sees the bigger picture and how things effect a long season,” says Burleson. “I’m really impressed with Tim and how hard he’s worked. I think the sky’s the limit.”

Mojica matched a career high with four RBI including the go-ahead run in the T-Bones 8-2 win at Schaumburg earlier this week. A .368 hitter with nine home runs and 45 RBI in 52 games as a freshman in 2004, Mojica batted .395 with eight homers, 70 runs, 18 stolen bases and 58 RBI as a sophomore.

However, it’s his defensive skills that have earned him the starting shortstop job. “I’ve known Jimmy ever since he got out of KCKCC and have always wanted him as a shortstop to shore up the middle,” says Doherty. “He’s very good with the glove and his hitting is overlooked. He swings better than he’s given credit and can hit the ball in the gap and use his speed to take extra bases.”

“Jimmy has pure baseball talent, great range, plenty of arm and is great on pop-ups,” agrees Burleson. “He made plays going back on pop-ups we still talk about. And for a little scrawny guy, he has surprising power.”

There’s a third ex-Blue Devil in the waiting. Infielder Jake Bradshaw made the roster for the exhibition season but a need for pitching depth cost him a spot for the season’s opener. “I won’t say he won’t be with the T-Bones this summer what with injuries and guys getting picked up (by major league teams),” says Doherty. “He came in and had a good camp and is very versatile in that he can play both the infield and outfield. I would not hesitate in bringing him back.”

Bradshaw hit. 302 in 49 games as a freshman in 2005 and .364 his sophomore season with 31 RBI. Bradshaw played two years at Northwest Missouri after KCKCC and then was an assistant coach there last year. “Jake is one of the finest people and hardest workers I’ve ever coached,” says Burleson. “He’s a great utility player in that he can play both the infield and outfield and a great team guy.”

Certainly no one knows the T-Bones organization better than Doherty, who has been with the team every year since its formation, first as bench coach and then hitting coach before being elevated to manager late last fall.

A graduate of Lee’s Summit High School, Doherty played one year at Central Missouri State before playing the 1986 season with future major leaguer David Segui at KCKCC. “It was one of KCKCC’s better years (53-10),” remembers Doherty. “Not only was it a good team but a great bunch of guys.

“Playing for Coach Burleson at KCKCC opened a lot of doors and gave me the opportunity to sign with Oral Roberts, which had one of the top five Division I programs. One thing I learned from Coach Burleson was how to be a student, how to study properly and manage my time. He always made sure I was always on the right path to move on to college and was instrumental in getting my degree.”

Doherty played the 1987-88 seasons at Oral Roberts, earning all-regional honors and then coached there one year after earning his degree. He was also hitting coach at Seminole Junior College in Oklahoma three years and was as assistant one year at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette and three years at Texas State. In 1997, Doherty opened a baseball instructional facility called Hardball in St. Joseph, Mo., a facility he still runs when he’s not managing the T-Bones.