Last week, I was in Dallas, Texas for work (ABF Freight). It was a very busy week, I had very little personal time to explore. Not complaining, it happens from time to time. Plus, the weather was not exactly cooperative for baseball park exploring, with several days of heavy rainfall and some local flooding. Luckily, I had some free time and sunshine Thursday afternoon to check out a historic high school in the Dallas area with a very impressive baseball program. And discovered its alumni list reaches far past the baseball diamond. The school – Highland Park High School.

From my hotel, Highland Park High School was a very comfortable 10 mile drive. Highways look very different in Texas than they do in the Northeast (where I learned to drive), so I learned. Without much trouble, I got to the high school’s entrance driveway, then over to the baseball park known as Scotland Yard with plenty of sunshine to spare for exploring and photography.

The front gate to Scotland Yard pointed me to another gate which led to the fan section of the park. There was a baseball practice going on, so I focused on signs, plaques, and memorials in the short term after entering the park. I got the sense that the Highland Park High School Scots were a darn good baseball team, past and present.

I mentioned that Highland Park had an impressive baseball program, past and present. Chris Young, Clayton Kershaw probably top the baseball alumni list. Their numbers are retired out in right field and their names are etched into the bricks behind the home team’s dugout. #23 for Kershaw, #25 for Young. Here are some other names you might recognize from the world of sports and entertainment who called Highland Park High School home early in their lives – Matthew Stafford, Scottie Scheffler, Doak Walker, Bobby Layne, Angie Harmon. And the list goes on and on. Very impressive alumni list to say the least.

After exploring the spectator section of Scotland Yard, I decided to find a coach or player to get their input on the team. As I was positioning myself on the left field bleachers, a Highland Park High School assistant coach came over and chatted with me. He spoke highly about the program, its past contributors, and the state of baseball at the famous Texas high school. I learned that Matthew Stafford and Clayton Kershaw were battery mates on the baseball diamond prior to High School, but not during high school. Kershaw did play football alongside Stafford for the Scots Football Team, so that’s pretty cool. As practice was going on, and I could tell the coach’s attention was rightly on the field, I mentioned that I would just snap a few photos and be on my way. I really appreciated the time he spent with me and was true to my word, snapping just a few more photos from my spot in LF.

It was a great afternoon for a baseball practice in Texas that Thursday and the Highland Park High School team seemed to be taking full advantage. The team appeared to be playing an intrasquad scrimmage, in near 70 degree weather, probably just weeks from their first Spring season games. The field was in amazing shape, definitely game ready condition. With all the history surrounding Scotland Yard and the fact that the team is championship quality year after year, I bet those bleachers and stands will be packed with fans in just a few short weeks. Huge thanks to the assistant coach for coming over to chat. I didn’t catch his name, but he was very good to me and was respectful of my baseball obsession, I mean baseball experience seeking ways. Overall, it was an incredible Dallas baseball experience there at Scotland Yard, home of the Highland Park High School Scots.