PLAY BALL : 1985 Prep Baseball Preview
A round the baseball diamond at Edison High School, Coach Ron LaRuffa is keeping a sharp eye peeled for signs of what he calls “the fat cat syndrome.”
LaRuffa, who has guided the Chargers to five straight 20-win seasons, believes this malady may be the only thing standing between the Chargers and the type of season most teams only dream about.
The trouble with fat cats is they lack hunger and hunting instinct. They want to relax in the sun. That goal is not compatible with a winning baseball season, according to LaRuffa.
On the field, the symptoms of fat cat-ism are subtle--occasional pop-ups with men on base, a careless pitch, or perhaps a half-step of speed mysteriously lost in chasing a grounder.
But the cumulative effects can be devastating. Edison experienced them last week when it was upset by Western, 4-3, in the Loara Tournament.
Despite rumors to the contrary, LaRuffa confirmed that even a team as solid as Edison must to do more than step off the bus in order to win ballgames. “There is an idea that all we have to do is show up, and the talent will take care of everything,” LaRuffa said. “Western had a lot of desire, a lot of enthusiasm, and that’s what we lacked that day. The intangibles are very important in this sport.”
While the Chargers struggle with the intangibles, consider these tangibles. Edison has three returning pitchers with a combined 1984 record of 19-3, a returning shortstop with five school records to his credit, and four returning starters who hit above .325 last year.
“We have a lot of people coming back, and when you’re as successful as we were last season, complacency becomes your biggest problem,” LaRuffa said. “You have to realize that every team you play wants to knock off the top gun, and if we’re not as motivated as they are, that equals out everything.”
Edison--Chip Damato was an All-CIF selection last season, thanks to an 8-1 pitching record, a 1.10 ERA, and a .385 batting average. But the Chargers have such a wealth of pitching this year that LaRuffa will generally use Damato at second base, while seniors Lance Emma (8-2 and a 2.10 ERA in ‘84) and Todd Bridenball (3-0 in ‘84) command the mound.
With Damato, the other half of the Charger double-play combination is shortstop Dave Solarzano. He inserted his name in the school record book last year--five times--in such categories as steals, assists and on-base percentage. Last season, Solarzano hit .325, while returning centerfielder Pat Walker averaged .330, and right fielder Ron Chock hit .340 and stole 15 bases.
A couple of new Chargers also appear capable of holding their own in the batting order. Junior Jeff Kent, a third baseman, is described by LaRuffa as “an outstanding prospect,” with 10 RBI and 5 extra-base hits in Edison’s first four games. Junior first baseman Mark Miller has hit .450 so far. Edison also has one of the Sunset league’s top catchers in senior Greg Martin.
Canyon--The fortunes of the CIF defending 3-A champions received a boost when Leonard Damian, perhaps the most dominating pitcher in the county, transferred from Saddleback to Canyon this year. Damian, 9-3 with a 1.18 ERA as a junior, used his fastball and hard slider to record 95 strikeouts, second in the county, while his control limited walks to 23.
Three juniors will fill out the Canyon rotation, lefthander Mike Townley, and righthanders Wayne Elmore and Larry Houck.
The Comanches have three returning starters, and an intact outfield in Pete Weber, Eric DeGraw, an all-leaguer who hit .337, and Steve Milledge, who hit .309 last season and broke a school record with five hits in this season’s opening victory versus Brea.
Canyon’s infield is all new, which could pose a defensive question. But the Comanche outfield, which Coach Hi Lavelle calls the best in the county, has speed to spare. DeGraw stole 22 bases last year, while Weber and Milledge will also receive a frequent green light.
Fountain Valley--Baron Coach Tom DeKraii says he likes his team’s hitting ability, and few coaches could help but admire its pitching. Righthander Bob Sharpnack (10-2 and 1.4 ERA) is one of the county’s best pitchers, as well as a .330 hitter. The Barons also have lefthander Don Snowden, a reliever last year, and Sam August, a hard thrower from the junior varsity.
The Barons lost two all-county players to graduation, Ray Llamas and Gary Schoonover, but five starters return, including all three outfielders. Besides Snowden, who also plays right field, .320 hitter Jim Reach is back in left and .360 hitter Jeff Olson is back in center field. Fountain Valley will receive strong defense ay second base from Chris Bugbee, also an outstanding hitter at .370 last year.
Esperanza--The Empire League co-champs graduated two Division 1 college players, but they retain one of the county’s top prospects in catcher Eric Cox, who hit .395 as a sophomore on the varsity last season.
Most of the team consists of promising but inexperienced players. Besides Cox, the only Aztecs to start regularly last year are second baseman Paul Good, who hit .320, and pitcher Greg Haskell. As the Aztecs’ No. 3 pitcher, Haskell went 5-1 with a 1.3 ERA. Coach Mike Curran describes him as “crafty.” Dave Salcido and Steve Halweg will complete the staff.
Three returning lettermen lend solidity to the outfield--Greg Yarber, Ron McMillan, and Kevin Clancy. But Curran says the team has yet to establish reliable infield defense and pitching.
Western--The defending champions of the Orange League may have planned to creep up and surprise the teams with the hefty reputations. But the Pioneers blew their own cover by upsetting top-ranked Edison in the second-round of the Loara Tournament after scoring four runs on five hits against the formidable Damato in the first inning.
Last year’s league championship was Western’s first in 11 years, but it is unlikely the Pioneers will sink back into the pack this year. They have five returning starters, including league Most Valuable Player Chris Chase. Chase, a catcher who hit .421, and shortstop Paul Boucher (.414) were among the top hitters in the county last season.
Western has two experienced pitchers, both junior righthanders. Rich Lodding was 4-3 with a no-hitter last year, and Dave Tellers was 6-0 in 1984, and already has two wins this season, including a seven-strikeout performance against Edison.
Other veterans include center fielder Rob Harrison and right fielder Jim Cure, both of whom were .300 hitters last year, according to Coach Dave Bowman.
Mater Dei--The Angelus League defending champions return a starter at every infield position except third base, and not a single offensive slouch among them. Monarch shortstop Bobby DeJardin (.464) and third baseman Tony Gardea (.415) were among the leading hitters in the county, while second baseman Chris Gill hit .360 last season.
With the addition of former designated hitter Teddy Flores at first base, the Mater Dei infield is set. But the outfield is still in flux, with nine players competing for starting positions, and Coach Bob Ickes says pitching may represent the team’s “weak link.”
The varsity is carrying eight pitchers, but no returning starters. Righthander Jon Hulshof, who compiled a 3-1 record last year as a reliever, is the top prospect, and junior lefthander Steve Watson will probably be the No.2 pitcher.
“Pitching is the name of the game,” Ickes said. “Some of the kids have ability, but they don’t have any varsity experience. So one day they look good and the next they look terrible. If we get any consistency, we’ll be successful. If we don’t, we’ll struggle.”
Loara--Nearly everybody except the coach is back from last year’s Empire League defending co-champion team.
Among the six veteran players, pitcher Tim Hopper is Loara’s greatest asset. A lefthanded finesse type, Hopper won all 10 of his regular season games last year and was the county leader. Newcomers Jeff Patterson and Mike Golia will be the other Saxon starters.
In their first year under the guidance of Coach Ray Moore, who came to Loara after Scott Pickler moved to Cypress College, the Saxons appear to have consistent hitting ability throughout the lineup.
The top Saxon hitter is left fielder Rich Bravo, who averaged .340 last year as a designated hitter. First baseman Sean Angotti hit .320 in league last year, and has the speed to be among the league’s most prolific base stealers. Moore says that balance and a liking for hard work characterize his first Saxon team.
Foothill--The Century League co-champs have a distinct advantage in the form of two veteran lefthanded pitchers, junior David Fox (4-2 in ‘84) and senior Jon Rice (6-2). Rice and Fox won the most games in last year’s rotation.
Three other starters, each an all-around athlete who plays other varsity sports, will return to give the Knights defensive stability in the middle. Catching is Ken Briggs, while Jud Dutrisac plays shortstop and Stacy Parker is in center field.
All three are outstanding hitters. Briggs and Parker were among the county leaders at .418 last year, and Dutrisac hit .367. Newcomer John McTaggart, a first baseman, holds promise as a power hitter, having already contributed two homers this year.
Magnolia--Carl Holmes, one of the most exceptional players in the county, roams center field for the Sentinels. Holmes hit .330 last year, and stunned opponents with three triples and six doubles in this season’s first two games.
Magnolia is unusually experienced considering the youthfulness of its players. Of the five starters Coach Don Popovich has back, four are juniors. The infield is crammed with 11th graders, including first baseman Tim Schmidt, second baseman Jay Hannah, and shortstop John Hangartner. The trio is not only talented defensively, but each hit between .290 and .310 last year as a sophomore on the varsity.
Popovich has sophomores in right and left field, and a freshman at third base. The old man of the team is senior pitcher Carlos Gonzales, a third-year player. The lefthander had a 7-2 record and a 1.1 ERA last season.
El Toro--The Sea View League champions, who have moved into the South Coast League, are currently caught in a genuine paradox.
On the one hand, the Chargers have eight starters back--among them, one of the best pitchers and three of the best hitters in the county. On the other, they have somehow lost two of their four preseason games. Esperanza clobbered them 13-2.
But many coaches around the county, including the Chargers’ own Dan DeLeon, said they believe El Toro’s quality will reassert itself. The Chargers are still considered favorites in a competitive South Coast League race.
Lefthander Richard Faulks was 5-2 last year with a 2.6 ERA, and El Toro also has a second pitcher who won two games last year, senior righthander Scott Perkins.
But most obvious strengths reside in the Charger batting order, where all-county selection Frank Appice hit .472 last year, shortstop Doug Barron hit .324, and second baseman Eric Brass hit .472.
The best of the rest--Valencia, Katella, Huntington Beach, La Quinta, Mission Viejo, and Irvine.
1984 Prep Baseball Champions
Angelus League Mater Dei Century League Canyon and Foothill Empire League Esperanza and Loara Freeway League Sonora Garden Grove League Bolsa Grande Orange League Western Sea View League El Toro South Coast League Capistrano Valley Sunset League Edison