How Did Simi Rate? : The Pioneers Were Good Enough to Be Called No. 1 in the Nation, but Not in Valley

Early in the baseball season a few years ago, when the Toronto Blue Jays had the best record in the American League and the Houston Astros had the best National League mark, a broadcaster offered this line: “Just think. Toronto and Houston. It could be the first World Series ever played entirely outside the United States.”

He was joking. Well, he was probably joking. But the folks of Houston thought it was about as funny as a bathing suit full of cactus.

A similar thing happened this year on a local level. The Simi Valley baseball team was ranked No. 1 in the nation by Collegiate Baseball magazine. At the same time, The Times’ high school poll had Simi Valley ranked No. 2. In the Valley . There wasn’t a better baseball team in the country, it seemed, but there was a better team fewer than 20 miles away. Granada Hills, which at last check was in the United States, was ranked ahead of Simi Valley by The Times.

“All the kids joked about it,” said Simi Valley Coach Mike Scyphers. “It seemed pretty strange.”

It shouldn’t. Polls are conducted by humans. Humans rely on judgment. One man’s opinion is often different than another’s. Except, of course, in the case of Laker announcer Chick Hearn and sidekick Keith Erickson. If Chick said that Willie Shoemaker played center for the Celtics in the 1960s, Keith might add that Willie averaged 6.5 points per game one season.

But there was obvious disagreement in the case of Simi Valley vs. Granada Hills, or Simi Valley vs. America.

Collegiate Baseball, headquartered in Tucson, Ariz., began a national ranking system four years ago. Editor and publisher Lou Pavlovich sends ballots to 80 to 100 people nationwide. About 80% of the voters are high school baseball coaches. Some are sportswriters. Others are called “correspondents” by Pavlovich. He means friends. Pavlovich said he gathers the ballots that are mailed back, and determines the rankings based on them.

Simi Valley made its mark early this year by journeying to Florida for a tournament “featuring the best teams in the country,” according to tournament officials. Some people thought it was a bit strange that of the 16 best teams in the country, 15 were from Florida and one was from Simi Valley.

Actually, what the tournament featured was not the best teams in the country but rather the best teams that were able to get to Orlando, Fla., that week.

Simi Valley won the tournament. Shortly thereafter, the Pioneers were ranked No. 1 in the nation.

“I got very strong recommendations on Simi Valley from many California coaches,” Pavlovich said. “They had a very good team the year before, and had everybody returning. And they won that tournament in Florida.”

The Pioneers were bumped from the Southern Section 4-A playoffs this week, losing a semifinal game to Esperanza of Anaheim and losing the No. 1 national ranking to . . .. well, let’s make it Upper Arlington High of Columbus, Ohio. Upper Arlington was ranked No. 2. It is 30-1 and still in the playoffs.

Granada Hills, which lost four out of five games in one stretch and its No. 1 ranking by The Times to Simi Valley, begins City Section playoff action today.

And all the Pioneers (26-4) have are memories of nearly a full season of being top dog.

“The ranking put heavy pressure on us, but that was good for us,” Scyphers said. “Every team was looking to get us. We faced the top pitcher of every team we played. We knew that beating us would make anyone’s season. Our goal was not to make anyone’s season, not at our expense. Having that No. 1 ranking just made us better.”

Scyphers also commented, however, on the accuracy of any high school baseball poll.

“Collegiate Magazine asked me to vote in their poll,” he said. “I got their ballot, but I just couldn’t do it. I don’t know how anybody can write down 10 teams and rank them if they haven’t seen them. I know I couldn’t do it.”