Jarrod Dyson, a former member of the Southwest Bears baseball team, adds some local flavor to this year’s World Series as the Kansas City Royals make their first appearance in the Fall Classic in 29 years.

The Royals will face the San Francisco Giants in the Series, which gets underway Tuesday night in Kansas City.

Dyson, an outfielder for the Royals, played at Southwest under Coach Butch Holmes in 2005 and 2006. In his final season with the Bears, Dyson tied the team record with seven triples. The same year, he scored a then-team record 47 runs.

A graduate of McComb High School, Dyson was drafted by the Royals in 2006 and has since played parts of five seasons in the majors. In 2014, he batted .269 and had 36 stolen bases.

Holmes said Dyson, like “most juco players, was a raw talent. He was a dead pull fly ball hitter and didn’t use his speed. We worked with him on hitting ground balls, bunting and swinging at good pitches.”

“His speed was the door opener for him,” Holmes continued. “Kansas City emphasizes speed, so they were the right fit for (him). The key to his success has always been his mindset. He has self-confidence and has no fear of failure. I’m very proud of Jarrod, because he figured it out and became the baseball player he was meant to be.”