TOP HIGH SCHOOL CATCHERS

Four catchers from Valley-area high schools have been scouted heavily by major league teams. They have similar builds, yet have built different portfolios of credentials.

A look at each follows:

JIM HENDERSON

WESTLAKE

In the singular world of professional baseball, where Yogi Berra’s fractured English helped him become perhaps the most famous of catchers, Henderson’s 4.0 grade-point average is a source of concern.

“I hear Henderson’s so smart there’s no way he’s not going to college,” commented a National League scout to a small group of scouts at a recent game.

The scout purposely might have planted the rumor to reduce the interest of other teams in Henderson, who is batting .438 with 5 home runs and 28 RBIs in 19 games.

Told of the scout’s comment, Henderson let out an exasperated sigh. Sure, he would someday like to become a lawyer, following in the footsteps of his father, Jim, an attorney with the U.S. Dept. of Justice. But he doesn’t want scouts reaching a verdict on him without weighing all the evidence.

“If I’m a high pick, I will sign,” said Henderson, who at 6-3, 200, is built like a butcher’s block. “Rumors like that hurt. Teams won’t draft a guy who isn’t going to sign.”

Dodgers catcher Mike Scioscia would remind Henderson, who has been recruited by USC, Stanford and Arizona State, that the glamour of the minor leagues wears off quickly. But the Dodgers catcher agrees that brains are useful behind the plate.

“The more a catcher is able to absorb about the game, the better he will be,” Scioscia said. “I am constantly learning.”

Henderson’s most immediate concern is his throwing arm, which has bothered him since he reported late for baseball after helping the Westlake basketball team to the Southern Section 4-A Division final.

“The muscle is what hurts, so it’s nothing permanent,” he said. “But it’s frustrating when scouts are there to see me throw.”

A sore arm will heal, but if a player--especially a catcher--is a sorehead, he won’t be recommended. Scouts try to peer into the future. Will a player remain dedicated years from now?

“Henderson is a quality kid,” said Guy Hansen, a Kansas City Royals scout. “He carries himself well. I’d say he’s a good bet to develop major league abilities.”

MIKE URMAN

CANOGA PARK

A scout who discusses catchers with the front office invariably is engaging in arms talks.

“The No. 1 thing with a catcher is his arm strength,” said Steve Flores, a St. Louis Cardinals scout. “You can’t teach that.”

The consensus among scouts is that Mike Urman (6-3, 200) has the best arm among local high school catchers. Hansen likens him to Phil Lombardi, a Granada Hills’ High graduate who plays for the New York Yankees’ Triple-A team in Columbus, N.Y.

“And Lombardi is the best catcher to come from around here in a long time,” Hansen said.

Urman has an even disposition and is batting an agreeable .529 with 3 home runs and 18 RBIs in 14 games. Yet until this season, his attitude was a concern.

“There was some question about Mike’s mental makeup last year, but he has overcome that completely,” Canoga Park Coach Doug MacKenzie said.

Said one scout, who asked not to be identified: “I wouldn’t doubt if someone--a coach or a scout--sat him down and said, ‘Hey, you have a chance to get a bonus if you show effort.’ ”

Nothing of the sort occurred, according to Urman. He found out for himself that playing with intensity and enthusiasm is as important as his rocket right arm.

“I guess that came up during American Legion games last summer when I was playing outfield,” he said. “Maybe I wasn’t intense enough for a while, but playing baseball is exactly what I want to do.”

Urman, Henderson and Montclair Prep’s Frank Charles were showcased in successive games at the recent Thousand Oaks Tournament. About a dozen scouts were seen against the backdrop of quality backstops. Urman, who helped Canoga Park to the championship, was impressive throughout.

“He has natural strength and an excellent swing,” one scout said. “His throws are effortless, but that isn’t to say he isn’t working hard. In my mind, he’s dispelled those doubts completely.”

TIM LAKER

SIMI VALLEY

Adding to the uncertainty of the draft is the fact that a scout rarely contacts a player who interests him.

Said Scioscia: “My being drafted in the first round was a complete surprise. I never had any direct contact with scouts. As far as I was concerned, I was headed for Clemson.”

Laker, who is batting .493 with 7 home runs and 23 RBIs in 22 games, is not ignorant about the intricacies of the draft. Two of his teammates last season, Scott Radinsky (White Sox) and Dave Milstien (Red Sox), were drafted and signed.

“I haven’t been contacted but Mrs. Milstien and Mrs. Radinsky have told me the Red Sox and White Sox have some interest,” Laker said.

Said Simi Valley Coach Mike Scyphers: “Scouts seem to be pretty high on Tim. His arm is a strength, he’s an excellent hitter and his foot speed is better than average for a catcher.”

Simi Valley has a 42-6 record the past two years and scouts regularly have attended games. Laker can’t ignore their presence.

“It’s hard to forget them, especially when we take infield,” he said. “I don’t seem to play my best when scouts are there. But I always hustle.”

Hustling burns calories, something Laker finds easy to do. Only 175 pounds are attached to his 6-3 frame, raising the question of how durable he would be catching 120 games or so in a season.

“I guess I need to put on a few pounds,” he said, laughing. “I eat and eat and can’t seem to gain.”

Laker’s lanky build helps him as a pitcher--he has a 4-0 record this season--but his real love is curling up behind the plate.

“The physical aspect doesn’t bother me,” he said. “I enjoy blocking the ball. It’s a nice feeling to get hit in the chest.”

Being a pitcher helps Laker settle teammates when they are struggling on the mound. “I know what to say to relax them. Something like, ‘What do you want to do after we win this game?’ ”

FRANK CHARLES

MONTCLAIR PREP

Like Laker, Charles has his coach in his corner.

“If you sat down and invented a big league catching prospect, you’d have Frank,” Montclair Prep Coach Jeff Pressman said. “Scouts come to all of our games and tell me he is very draftable.”

Should Charles not be drafted, the reason will be his widely known intention to attend Pepperdine, where Coach Dave Gorrie is in Charles’ camp partly because Charles has attended Gorrie’s camp the past three summers.

“Coach Gorrie called me last week and said they still want me,” Charles said during the Thousand Oaks Tournament. “I’d like to go to college unless I get a great offer from a pro team.”

His stock hasn’t dropped in the days since Gorrie’s call. Charles (6-3, 190) hit three home runs and drove in 10 runs last week against Marshall Fundamental and is batting .397 with 7 home runs and 31 RBIs in 19 games.

The caliber of Montclair Prep’s Small Schools Division competition, however, is suspect.

“Who is to say if he can hit good pitching?” one scout said. “Who is to say he can’t, either? The point is, no one really knows.”

Gorrie is confident Charles can hit top pitching.

“Frank can hit,” Gorrie said. “And, hey, lots of fine players come out of small schools.”

Gorrie added that Charles’ scholarship might hinge upon whether the Waves’ starting catcher Pete Kuld is drafted and signs in June.

One former Wave suggests that Charles wave goodby to a professional contract.

Chuck Fick caught at Pepperdine in 1979, Gorrie’s first year as coach. The Waves finished third in the College World Series and Fick was drafted that year in the 17th round by the Montreal Expos. He signed for a $5,000 bonus and spent five years in the minors.

“The life style at Pepperdine makes it an easy choice over the minor leagues,” Fick said. “There aren’t many beaches in the New York-Pennsylvania League.”