FORT WORTH, Texas -- Texas Rangers pitcher Tanner Scheppers is a natural fit for being the team's spokesman for the Cowboys Santa Toy Drive.
He already has experience.
Growing up in California, the Texas reliever's family would adopt families around the holiday to make sure they had toys and the essentials during the holiday season.
Now Scheppers is carrying on the family legacy with the Cowboys Santa program, which donates toys to around 10,000 children in low-income families in Tarrant County.
"It's the time of giving," said Scheppers, whose wife Jessica is also an honorary spokesperson. "It's a hard time for a lot of families and it's kind of stressful. To be able to take some of the stress of some of the families and be able to give them a nice Christmas is what it's all about."
Tanner & Jessica Scheppers unloaded the truck @CowboySantas. Drop off toys now thru 12/16 at Rangers Team Stores. pic.twitter.com/2cmzwmIaCn
— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) December 2, 2014
Texas Rangers Tanner Scheppers & wife @JSchepp77 today along with @CowboySantas staff take a tour of the warehouse. pic.twitter.com/4A0pMYymho
— Cowboy Santas, Inc (@CowboySantas) December 2, 2014
Scheppers said he was a video-game player as a child in Laguna Niguel, Calif. His mother and her three sisters adopted families from Glendora, Calif. Scheppers said his family helped around four families a year when he was in high school, opted to help other families instead of giving to each other.
"We still do it," Scheppers said. "They help out different families. My grandma, she's been a librarian for 30-plus years, in the mix of things. We just kind of help out the families. I'm hoping I can continue it and help other families."
It's been easier for Scheppers to be involved in the program this offseason because he's spending his offseason in the Metroplex and because he's healthy. Scheppers, who was limited to eight games because of right elbow problems, is 100 percent healthy now. He'll start his regular offseason throwing program Dec. 15 along with starter Derek Holland.
While his last offseason was trying to get ready to make the transition from being a reliever to a starter, that's not the case now. Scheppers knows he'll be in the bullpen in 2015 and he's ready to go now.
"I just want to play again," he said. "I got the itch and I want to get moving forward again. I'm just focused on feeling good again. I'm back to feeling healthy again so I want to keep going."
