Beaumont, Texas

Beaumont is a city in and county seat of Jefferson County, Texas, United States, within the Beaumont–Port Arthur Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's population was 118,296 at the 2010 census. With Port Arthur and Orange, it forms the Golden Triangle, a major industrial area on the Gulf Coast.

Lamar University with its 15000 students is located in Beaumont. The city's daily newspaper is The Beaumont Enterprise, while The Examiner is published weekly.

Gulf States Utilities had its headquarters in Beaumont until its absorption by Entergy Corporation in 1993. GSU's Edison Plaza headquarters is still the tallest building in Beaumont (as of 2011). Since 1907, Beaumont has been home of the South Texas State Fair. In 2004, the venue for the Fair changed to Ford Park, a new, larger facility on the west end of Beaumont.

History
In 1824 Noah and Nancy Tevis settled on the west bank of Neches River and organized a farm. Soon after that, a small community grew up around the farm, which was named Tevis Bluff or Neches River Settlement. In 1835 the land of Tevises together with nearby community of Santa Anna (in total, 50 acres or 200,000 m2) was purchased by Henry Millard (1896?—1844), Joseph P. Pulsifer (1805—1861) and Thomas B. Huling (1804—1865), who began planning a town to be laid out on this land. This town was named Beaumont, after Mary Millard (born as Mary Dewburleigh Barlace Warren Beaumont), the late wife of Henry Millard (she died in May 1834).

Beaumont became a town on December 16, 1838. Joseph Perkins Pulsifer was a founding citizen of Beaumont. His firm, J.P. Pulsifer and Company, donated the first 50 acre upon which the town was founded. Beaumont's first mayor was Alexander Calder.

Schaadt (2006) examines the entrepreneurship that made Beaumont thrive in its early years. From its founding in 1835, business activities included real estate, transportation expansion, and retail sales. Later, other businesses were formed, especially in railroad construction and operation, new building construction, lumber sales, and communications. They made Beaumont a successful regional shipping center. Beaumont was a small center for cattle raisers and farmers in its early years, and with an active riverport by the 1880s, it became an important lumber and rice-milling town. The Beaumont Rice Mill, founded in 1892 by Joseph Eloi Broussard, was the first commercial rice mill in Texas. Beaumont's lumber boom, which reached its peak in the late 19th century, was due in large part to the rebuilding and expansion of the railroads after the Civil War. By the early 20th century, the city was served by the Southern Pacific, Kansas City Southern, Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe, and Missouri Pacific railroad systems.

Oil was discovered at nearby Spindletop on January 10, 1901. Spindletop became the first major oil field and one of the largest in American history. With the discovery of oil at Spindletop, Beaumont's population grew from 9,000 in January 1901 to 30,000 in March 1901. Oil is, and has always been, a major export of the city, and a major contributor to the national GDP.

Captain William Casper Tyrrell was a leading philanthropist in the 1920s. His generosity contributed to such projects as the opening of a commercial port in the city, the development of the local rice industry, the development of suburban property, and the donation of the First Baptist Church for use as a public library, which in 2002 housed the Tyrrell Historical Library.

The city became a major center for shipbuilding during World War II, as tens of thousands of rural Texans poured in for the new high-paying jobs. Housing was scarce and racial tension high when a race riot took place in Beaumont in June 1943 after workers at the Pennsylvania shipyard in Beaumont learned that a white woman had accused a black man of raping her.

In 1996, the Jefferson County courts, located in Beaumont, became the first court in the nation to implement electronic filing and service of court documents, eliminating the need for law firms to print and mail reams of documents.

In 2005 and 2008, Beaumont and surrounding areas suffered extensive damage from Hurricane Rita and Hurricane Ike. A mandatory evacuation was imposed upon its residents for about two weeks.

Local Government
According to the city’s most recent Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the city’s various funds had $177.5 million in Revenues, $164.5 million in expenditures, $633.2 million in total assets, $332.7 million in total liabilities, and $122.2 million in cash and investments.

Politics
Beaumont is a council-manager form of government. Elections are held annually, with the Mayor and Council members each serving two-year terms. All powers of the City are vested in the Council, which enacts local legislation, adopts budgets, and determines policies. Council is also responsible for appointing the City Attorney, the City Clerk and Magistrates, and the City Manager. The city council is composed of two councilmembers-at-large, and four councilmembers representing four Wards of the city.

State representation
The Texas Department of Transportation operates the Beaumont District Office in Beaumont. The Texas Ninth Court of Appeals is located in the Jefferson County Courthouse in Beaumont. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) operates the Beaumont District Parole Office in Beaumont.

Federal representation
The Federal Bureau of Prisons operates the Beaumont Federal Correctional Complex in an unincorporated area in Jefferson County, near Beaumont.

Economy
According to the City's 2009 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report the top employers in the city are:

A significant element of the region's economy is the Port of Beaumont, the nations 4th largest seaport by Tonnage, and the 2nd largest military seaport in the world. The 842d Transportation Battalion, and the 596th Transportation Group are both stationed at the port in Beaumont.

Conn's Appliances and Jason's Deli have their headquarters in Beaumont. Originally Sweet Leaf Tea Company had its headquarters in Beaumont. The headquarters moved to Austin in October 2003.

Businesses associated with Beaumont

 * Conn's - Chain of Appliance and Electronic stores
 * Gulf Oil - Gulf Oil Company founded 1901, now Chevron
 * Humble Oil - 50% of Humble Oil sold to Standard Oil of NJ to build its first refinery in Baytown. Merged and renamed Exxon 1972. Now ExxonMobil
 * Jason's Deli - Fast Casual chain with locations in 20 states.
 * Magnolia Petroleum Company - Startup began in Corsicana in 1898, but became a major company in Beaumont in 1901. Owned KFDM radio, now 560 KLVI in the 30s through the 50s. Its refinery in Beaumont along with Texas Oil Co. & Gulf's in Port Arthur, TX were 3 of the largest in the world. Magnolia later sold 45% ownership to Standard Oil of NY, Socony. Combined companies years later into Mobil now ExxonMobil
 * Port of Beaumont - Young town of Beaumont grew quicker around this harbor about 1840 and would mark the spot that would become the port. Ranks consistently among the top 5 ports in the country for tonnage
 * Sweet Leaf Tea - A ready-to-drink organic tea company started in Beaumont in 1998 by Clayton Christopher and David Smith, later moved to Austin, TX.
 * The Texas Oil Company - Founded in 1902 just west of Beaumont (Sour Lake, Texas) became Texaco;, now owned/part of Chevron formerly Standard Oil Company of California.
 * The Texas Coffee Company - Home of Seaport Coffees and Texjoy Steak Seasoning among other products distributed regionally. The company was founded in 1921 by Charles J. Fertitta, Sr. In 1968, the Texas Coffee Company became the first company in the United States to begin packaging coffee in vacuum-packed foil bags.

Transportation
Southeast Texas Regional Airport, located 9 miles south of Beaumont's central business district, serves the region with flights to Houston, Texas

Intercity Amtrak rail serves the city via the Beaumont Amtrak Station.

The city operates a city wide bus system called Beaumont Mass Transit (BMT).

Major Highways

Geography
Beaumont is located at °N, °W (30.079912, -94.126653). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 85.9 square miles (222.6 km²), of which, 85.0 square miles (220.2 km²) of it is land and 0.9 square miles (2.4 km²) of it (1.07%) is water.

Beaumont is on Texas' coastal plain, about 30 mi inland from the Gulf of Mexico, and just south of the dense pine forests of East Texas. The city is bordered on the east by the Neches River and to the north by Pine Island Bayou. Before being settled, the area was crisscrossed by numerous small streams. Most of these streams have since been filled in or converted for drainage purposes. The island directly across from Riverfront Park is called Trinity Island. There are also three other islands in the Neches River around the downtown area/port: Harbor, Smith and Clark.

Climate
The city of Beaumont, Texas is within the humid subtropical climate regime. This city is within the Piney Woods, which cover the eastern region of Texas, as well as adjacent Louisiana. This region of Texas receives the most rainfall in the state, with more than 48 in annually. This is due to the warm gulf waters that carry humid air to the region, where it condenses and precipitates. Hurricanes also strike the region, the most disastrous of which was the Galveston Hurricane of 1900 as well as Hurricane Ike in 2008. Hurricane Ike was the largest and most damaging hurricane to hit Beaumont to date, striking September 13, 2008. Causing $32 billion in damage, it is the third most costly hurricane in United States history. The humidity of the region greatly amplifies the feeling of heat during the summer. The winters are kept moderate by warm gulf currents. Wintry precipitation is unusual, but does occur. A recent snow event was December 24, 2004, the first such occurrence since 1989. However, more recently, Beaumont and the surrounding areas received a light snow on December 11, 2008. Up to 4 inches in the west end. And almost a year later, Beaumont and the surrounding areas received a trace to half an inch of light snow on December 4, 2009. These are the earliest measurable snowfalls at the airport since the late 19th century. And even more recently the Beaumont area had a trace of snow on February 24, 2010 that only lasted for only 30 minutes and quickly melted on contact with the ground. The area suffered a severe ice storm in January 1997.

On August 18, 2009 a tornado hit the west end of Beaumont, and caused damage to several local businesses and cars. Injuries were minimal.

The Beaumont-Port Arthur region is cited as one of the most polluted urban areas in the United States due to various energy industries and chemical plants in the area. The pollution is believed to have caused some residents to become sick and has generated debates throughout the media.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 113,866 people, 44,361 households, and 29,100 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,339.4 people per square mile (517.2/km²). There were 48,815 housing units at an average density of 574.2 per square mile (221.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 46.39% Caucasian, 45.85% African American, 0.24% Native American, 2.48% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 3.55% from other races, and 1.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.93% of the population.

There were 44,361 households out of which 31.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.5% were married couples living together, 18.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.4% were non-families. 29.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.12.

In the city the population was spread out with 27.1% under the age of 18, 10.4% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 21.2% from 45 to 64, and 13.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 90.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $32,559, and the median income for a family was $40,825. Males had a median income of $35,861 versus $24,255 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,632. About 16.4% of families and 19.6% of the population were below the poverty line.

Arts and theatre

 * Art Museum of Southeast Texas (AMSET), with its Perlstein Plaza, dedicated in memory of pioneer real estate developer Hyman Asher Perlstein (1869–1947), who arrived in Beaumont in 1889 as a poor Jewish immigrant from Lithuania and eventually became one of the city's major builders. The museum stands on the site of the Perlstein building, which was the tallest structure between Houston and New Orleans when it was erected in 1907. Only one column still remains from the building. AMSET, formerly the Beaumont Art Museum, exhibits 19th-21st century American art and offers 10-14 educational programs in any given year. Admission is free, and the museum is open seven days per week.
 * Dishman Art Museum is the University Art Museum located on the campus of Lamar University the museum features 19th and 20th century European and American Art as well as Tribal Art from Africa and New Guinea.
 * Spindletop-Gladys City Boomtown Museum
 * Red Lobster's historical marine museum
 * Edison Museum - about inventor Thomas Edison
 * John Jay French Museum. The John Jay French Museum is an historic home that has been converted into a museum. Its purpose is to illustrate the life of a prosperous Texas pioneer family from 1845-1865. The home, built in 1845 by French, a tanner and merchant, showcases period furnishings, clothing and pioneer household utensils. Outbuildings on the grounds include a blacksmith shop, tannery, privy and smokehouse.
 * Babe Didrikson Zaharias Museum. Museum dedicated to the life of the Beaumont native and accomplished athlete.
 * Fire Museum of Texas - Home of one of world's largest fire hydrants. Antique fire trucks and equipment chronicle the history of firefighting in Texas. Educational programs stress the importance of fire safety.


 * The Art Studio, Inc. (TASI), a non-profit arts cooperative and art gallery space that rents subsidized space to visual artists. Also hosts poetry readings, music events, film screenings. Housed in a converted warehouse in the industrial district of Beaumont's downtown.
 * Julie Rogers Theater, formerly City Hall and Auditorium
 * The Jefferson Theatre, built in 1927, is an historic theater that presents musical and stage performances as well as limited revival screenings of classic films. It is featured on the National Register of Historic Places and recognized as a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark.


 * The McFaddin-Ward House, was built in 1905-06 in the Beaux-Arts Colonial style and is located in the Oaks Historic District. The structure and its furnishings reflect the lifestyle of the prominent family who lived in the house for seventy-five years. A very large historic home with a substantial carriage house. The entire grounds are currently a public museum with a substantial permanent collection of antique furniture and household items. Educational programs focus on history and are geared toward children and adults.
 * The Clifton Steamboat Museum opened its doors on October 26, 1995 with construction beginning in the earlier months of 1994. The theme of the museum is Heroes... Past, Present, and Future and honors our military and civilian heroes. The Clifton Steamboat Museum consists of a  24000 sqft, two-story museum that is handicap accessible, and contains various exhibits. Our museum art exhibits bring to life the wars fought in Southeast Texas and Louisiana, as well as the Steamboat Era, World Wars I and II, Korea, and Vietnam. Upper art galleries of the museum feature original bronze sculptures; Native American artists, wildlife, and frontier paintings from famous artists. A special gallery in the museum is dedicated to the Boy Scouts. This boy scouts gallery features many historical scouting artifacts, some dating back before the 1960s, and is sure to spark the interest of boy scouts past and present. There is also the tugboat, "Hercules", standing at 36 ft high, 22 ft wide, and 92 ft long which is included on the museum tour.
 * Tyrrell Historical Library, formerly First Baptist Church
 * St. Anthony Cathedral Basilica
 * Temple Emanuel (Beaumont, Texas) has a notable set of stained glass windows by Israeli artist Ze'ev Raban
 * Jefferson County Courthouse, an excellent example of Art Deco architecture.
 * Jack Brooks Federal Building
 * Beaumont's Sister City in Japan Beppu, Oita
 * Beaumont Commercial District A collection of historic buildings in downtown, a national historic district registered with the NRHP.

Tourism and recreation
Golf Courses
 * Crockett Street Entertainment Complex
 * Beaumont Botanical Gardens
 * Beaumont Country Club
 * Tyrrell Park
 * Brentwood Country Club

Events
The South Texas State Fair is held at Beaumont's Ford Park during March. It is the 2nd largest fair in the state with over 500,000 visitors in 2009. The fair features a livestock show, a commercial exhibition, a carnival midway and numerous food choices. The Fair moved from the Fair Park Coliseum to Ford Park in 2004. The fair was previously held in the fall but had to be moved to spring after Hurricane Rita caused its cancellation.

The Gusher Marathon formed in 2010 by the local nonprofit Sports Society for American Health is the city's first annual marathon. The Gusher takes place in march and includes a 5K, half marathon and full marathon. The course begins at the Montagne Center of Lamar University and tours Downtown and Lamar before returning to the Montange.

The Beaumont Jazz & Blues Fest is a Jazz festival held in downtown Beaumont since 2005. The Boomtown Film and Music Festival is a film and music festival that began in 2008 to replace the Spindletop Film Festival.

Dog Jam is a rock concert held annually at Ford Park.

On the first Saturday of December downtown host the Downtown Winter Parade. The parade features floats that travel down Main, College and Pearl streets. In recent years the parade has also featured a lighted boat parade that travels down the Neches River, spectators can watch from Riverfront Park.

Professional Sports

 * The American Basketball Association's Southeast Texas Mavericks play at Ford Arena.
 * The Beaumont Golden Gators were a minor league baseball team that played at Vincent-Beck Stadium from 1983-1986.
 * The Beaumont Bullfrogs were a minor league baseball team that played in Beaumont.
 * The Texas Wildcatters were an ECHL Hockey team based in Beaumont from 2003 to 2008
 * The Beaumont Drillers were an IPFL football team that played in Beaumont from 2003 to 2007

University Sports
The sports teams of Lamar University compete in Division I NCAA athletics as the Lamar Cardinals. The athletics program is a full member of the Southland Conference. The Cardinals and Lady Cardinals compete in 14 varsity sports. The Cardinals Basketball team plays in the Montagne Center and Cardinals Baseball Team plays in Vincent-Beck Stadium. In 2010 the university is bringing back its dormant football program and renovating Provost Umphrey Stadium. The Cardinals Football team will begin Southland Conference play officially in 2011.

Newspapers
The Beaumont Enterprise is the only daily newspaper serving Beaumont. Operating since 1880 The Enterprise is one of the oldest continually operated business in Beaumont. It is operated by the Hearst Corporation. Two weekly publications The Examiner and The Southeast Texas Record. The Examiner is primarily an investigative reporting paper. the Southeast Texas Record is a legal journal that covers Jefferson and Orange County courts.

Television
The region currently has no PBS station of its own; Houston's KUHT is the region's de facto PBS station.
 * KBTV 4 (Fox)/DT 40
 * KFDM 6 (CBS)/DT 6.1 with (CW Network) on 6.2 (digital RF channel 21 / PSIP 6)
 * KBMT 12 (ABC)/DT 12.1 with (NBC) on 12.2 (digital RF channel 50 / PSIP 12)
 * KITU-TV 34/DT 33 (TBN)
 * KUIL-LD 64 /K36ID-D 36 (Independent) (operated by KVHP, the Fox affiliate in Lake Charles, Louisiana)
 * LUTV Lamar Universities Television station that provides C-Span coverage on local government proceedings, and original programming from students.

Radio

 * KIOC 106.1 Rock (Big Dog) Clear Channel
 * KCOL 92.5 Oldies (Cool 92.5) Clear Channel
 * KVLU 91.3 NPR located at Lamar University with HD-Radio
 * KYKR 95.1 Country (Kicker) Clear Channel
 * KAYD 101.7 Country (KD 101) Cumulus
 * KTCX 102.5 Urban (Magic 102.5) Cumulus
 * KQXY 94.1 Top 40 (Q94) Cumulus
 * KKMY 104.5 Adult Contemporary (Mix) Clear Channel
 * KQBU 93.3 Party 93 Univision (Based out of Houston; licensed to Port Arthur)
 * KQQK 107.9 Spanish Top 40 (XO "Equis O") Libermann (Based out of Houston; licensed to Beaumont)
 * KFNC 97.5 Sports/Talk (ESPN 97.5 The Ticket) Cumulus (serves Houston market; 2000 ft tower south of Winnie)
 * KHJK 103.7 Variety Hits (103.7 Jack FM) Cumulus (serves Houston market; 2000 ft tower NW of Winnie)
 * KTJM 98.5 Regional Mexican (La Raza) Liberman (Based out of Houston; licensed to Port Arthur)
 * KHPT 106.9 "Best of the 80s and more" COX (serves Houston market from 2000 ft Splendora tower)
 * KLVI 560 AM Talk/Fox News  Clear Channel
 * KOLE 1340 AM //KRCM 1380 Gospel
 * KBPO 1150 AM Port Neches (off air)
 * KZZB 990 AM Martin Broadcasting; poor range and low audio
 * KDEI 1250 AM Catholic / Radio Maria
 * KIKR 1450 AM Regional Mexican "La Gran D" (simulcast on KBED 1510)


 * The Lone Star Bagpipe Band is out of Beaumont and plays traditional Scottish and Celtic music on the bagpipes and drums from Lake Charles to Galveston.

Architecture
Beaumont has 8 buildings over 100 feet tall, the tallest being the Edison Plaza, which is 254 feet tall. The old Edson Hotel, built in 1928 is nearly the same height at 240 feet. One of the most prominent downtown buildings is the 15 story San Jacinto Building. Built in 1921, it sports one of the largest four faced clock towers in the nation, each dial being 17 feet in diameter. In 1922 the 11 story Hotel Beaumont was built across the street from the San Jacinto. The Hotel Beaumont bears a resemblance to the old Winecoff Hotel in Atlanta. The second oil boom of 1925 brought more people and wealth to Beaumont, the same year the 12 story American National Bank Building (now Orleans Building), was erected, and in 1926 Forrest Goodhue built the 12 story Goodhue Building which included a penthouse. In 1928, the Edson Hotel was built. No other buildings were built until Century Tower in 1962 and in 1987 Edison Plaza was built. In 1994 the 12 story LaSalle Hotel, built in 1927, was demolished. The Jefferson Theatre was built in 1927 by the Jefferson Amusement Company for $1 million and was Beaumont's showpiece for many years. In 1928 the City Hall and Auditorium was built. It is now the Julie Rogers Theater.

Beaumont's Jefferson County Courthouse is one of the tallest county courthouses in the state and is an excellent example of Art Deco architecture. Across the street from the Jack Brooks Federal Building is the Kyle Building, built in 1933. The storefront was recently restored and is considered to be one of the best examples of Zig-Zag architecture in Texas.

The Oaks Historic District has many restored historic homes.

Lamar University
Beaumont has one state university, Lamar University, which belongs to The Texas State University System. Lamar University was established in 1923 as South Park Junior College. Lamar University is a Doctoral granting institution with over 100 degrees offered. The school's main academic offerings are in Business, Nursing, Teaching and Engineering. Lamar University's enrollment has grown tremendously in the first decade of the 21st century. This has prompted a building boom at the campus. The school's enrollment as of 2010 was above 14,000 students. In the fall of 2010 the school will field its first football team in 21 years.

LIT
Lamar Institute of Technology is located directly adjacent to Lamar University and serves as the region's technical college for two-year degrees and certificates.

Primary and secondary schools
Beaumont is served by the Beaumont Independent School District.

High Schools
 * West Brook Senior High School
 * Ozen High School
 * Central High School

Premier High School of Beaumont, a public charter school, is in Beaumont.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Beaumont runs three Catholic elementary schools in Beaumont, St. Anne Catholic School, St. Anthony Cathedral Catholic School, and Our Mother of Mercy Catholic School. Monsignor Kelly Catholic High School is the city's lone Catholic high school. Cathedral Christian School on US 69 enrolls kindergarten through 6th grade, and Legacy Christian Academy, on Highway 105, enrolls 6th through 12th grade. All Saints Episcopal School, on Delaware St., enrolls Kindergarten through 8th grade.

Notable residents
For a full list of people associated with Beaumont Texas see: People from Beaumont, Texas


 * Chip Ambres, Minor league baseball player
 * Bob Pollard, NFL Football Player
 * Jerry Ball, NFL Football Player
 * Charlotte Beers, American businesswoman and former Under Secretary of State
 * The Big Bopper, American rock-and-roll artist and disc jockey
 * James Brown, starting quarterback of the Texas Longhorns from 1994 to 1997
 * Jay Bruce, Major League baseball player
 * Tracy Byrd, American country music artist. Grew up in Vidor
 * Henry E. Chambers, Louisiana historian and educator; was a school principal in Beaumont from 1884 to 1885.
 * Mark Chesnutt, American country music artist. Grew up in Nederland
 * Debra Jo Fondren, American model and actress
 * Herman Fontenot, NFL football player
 * Slade Ham, stand up comedian and writer
 * Harry James, American big band leader
 * Blind Willie Johnson, Baptist minister and seminal gospel/blues bottle-neck guitarist
 * George Jones, American country music artist
 * Bruce Lietzke, American professional golfer
 * Barbara Lynn, American R&B music artist
 * Kevin Millar, Major League Baseball Player
 * Vamsi Mootha, Indian-American physician-scientist
 * David Ozio, professional bowler who won 11 titles on the PBA Tour; now General Manager for the bowling division at Etonic Shoe Company
 * Kendrick Perkins, NBA basketball player
 * Mark Petkovsek, retired Major League Baseball Player
 * J.P. Richardson, Rock & Roll star, "The Big Bopper". Killed with Buddy Holly in Plane Crash
 * Frank Robinson, retired Major League Baseball Player and member of the Baseball Hall of Fame
 * Brian Sanches, Major League Baseball player. Grew up in Nederland, TX
 * Jason Tyner, Major League baseball player.
 * Clay Walker, American country music artist. Grew up in Vidor, Texas
 * Edgar Winter, American rock music artist
 * Johnny Winter, American blues and rock music artist
 * Will Wynn, former mayor of Austin, Texas
 * Mildred Ella ("Babe") Didrikson Zaharias, American athlete
 * Gus Zernial, Major League Baseball player.