Player of the Week : First Baseman’s First Love Is Baseball : Hamelin Rejects Football Scholarship to Stick With His Sport

Bob Hamelin of Irvine High School doesn’t understand what all the fuss is about. Sure, he gave up a full scholarship to play football at Notre Dame. But he likes baseball.

“It’s no big deal,” Hamelin said. “I like baseball a lot more than football. I’ve played it longer and I’m more comfortable with it.”

And he must have had a baseball scholarship already lined up. Right?

Wrong.

“There have been no offers that way, either,” Hamelin, a first baseman, said. “I’ll just wait around until after the season is over to see if anyone wants me to play baseball for them.”

Hamelin, The Times’ Player of the Week, went a long way toward getting some recognition for his baseball talents last week. In two games, he went 5 for 9, with 2 home runs and 9 runs batted in. He hit a three-run home run to help beat Laguna Hills.

A Times’ All-County defensive tackle, Hamelin was named the South Coast League’s Defensive Player of the Year. But he had gone virtually unoticed as a football prospect until Notre Dame Coach Lou Holtz discovered him in January while looking at game films of Capistrano Valley quarterback Scott Stark.

Hamelin visited Notre Dame and the University of Utah, but neither could persuade him to give up baseball for football.

He didn’t agonize over the decision, either.

“It didn’t take a lot of time to think over,” Hamelin said. “I had told them up front that I wanted to play baseball. I had my mind made up, and they couldn’t change it, I guess.”

Bob Flint, Irvine baseball coach, calls Hamelin a great practice player.

“Most of your better players kind of take it easy in practice and save everything for the games,” Flint said. “But he’s out here every day, always working on something different. He sets a great example.”

Flint said Hamelin also has put some of his football talents to good use on the baseball diamond.

“He might be the fastest guy on the team,” Flint said. “He stole two bases last week.”

And instead of intimidating offensive linemen and quarterbacks, Hamelin is busy intimidating opposing pitchers.

He drew four intentional walks last week and two more in the Vaqueros’ 10-8 victory over Santa Ana Tuesday. He also tripled and singled twice in that game.

Hamelin said he doesn’t mind all the walks because they usually end up turning into runs for Irvine.

“Hey, I’ll take getting on base any way I can,” Hamlin said. “I’ve got a lot good hitters behind me, and they usually bring me around to score, so I can’t really complain.”

Bob Hamelin

Irvine High School

Position: First baseman

Height, Weight, Class: 6-2, 220, Sr.

Last Week: Had two home runs and nine runs batted in. Had five hits in nine official at-bats and was intentionally walked four times.

Season: Has four home runs and 19 RBIs.