‘Rodney Rule’ Keeps One Man From Ruling : Because of Change in City Playoff Schedule, Teams Must Use 2 Pitchers to Win Title

Because of a change in the City Section playoff schedule, one pitcher no longer can carry a team to the title the way Rodney Beck did for Grant High last season, the way Bret Saberhagen did for Cleveland in 1982, the way Willie Naulls nearly did for San Pedro in 1951.

Willie Naulls? The same 6-7 Willie Naulls who played basketball for the New York Knickerbockers and Boston Celtics from 1956 to ‘67?

Naulls pitched nearly every regular-season game in ‘51, and every postseason game as well, until the City schedule threw San Pedro a curve--two games had to be played the last day for the title of the Dorsey tournament, which at the time served as the unofficial City playoffs.

Naulls beat Garfield in the first game, but couldn’t go the second against Washington, which mauled San Pedro, 27-2.

“They pitched everybody but the catcher and second baseman,” recalls Al Calce, a Canoga Park High teacher who played for Washington that day. “The game was called for darkness in the sixth inning. We were still batting.”

Since the City adopted a playoff format in 1959, the semifinals and final haven’t been held the same day--or even the same week. Beck and Saberhagen each won all four 4-A playoff games, and pitched the final at Dodger Stadium with six days rest.

“The schedule dictated riding my horse all the way through,” Grant Coach Tom Lucero said.

The tournament, in fact, always has been a one-horse show.

“The playoffs have been famous for teams using one pitcher,” said Doug MacKenzie, who is in his 37th season as coach at Canoga Park.

But the playoff schedule has been changed this season, which is good timing as far as MacKenzie is concerned because Canoga Park is well-armed to give him his first City championship. It will take a team of horses to pull the wagon through four games in nine days, and MacKenzie has three thoroughbreds in Mike Kerber, Adam Schulhofer and Mike Roberts.

The playoffs begin Wednesday, the second round is Friday, the semifinals are Tuesday, June 2, and the final is Thursday, June 4.

Lucero has heard the change in the schedule referred to as “The Rodney Rule,” as if it was altered because of Beck’s 28-inning, four-victory blitzkreig last season. “I don’t know if Rodney was the reason, though,” Lucero said, “No one from the City said anything to me about it.”

City administrator Lee Joseph maintains the change had nothing to do with the mustachioed former Grant right-hander and his availability for every playoff game. Rather, it had everything to do with the availability of Dodger Stadium.

“The Dodgers said we could use the Stadium on June 4 and that was that,” said Joseph, who made the schedule. “It has nothing to do with what coaches like. Personally, I like a week between the semifinals and final so we can get publicity out and get the programs printed.

“Pitchers were the farthest thing from my mind.”

Yet, pitchers are foremost on the minds of coaches whose teams are playoff-bound.

“Everybody has to consider the schedule difference,” said MacKenzie, whose team tied Chatsworth for the West Valley League championship. “You have to make plans for games one and two, not just game one.”

While coaches with only one strong pitcher must agonize the next few nights, MacKenzie probably will sleep peacefully. Adam Schulhofer is 7-2 with a 2.44 earned-run average, Mike Kerber is 5-0 with a 1.91 ERA and Mike Roberts, who became academically eligible midway through the season, is 2-0 and has allowed one earned run in 12 innings.

MacKenzie said Schulhofer will start Wednesday against Fairfax. If Canoga Park wins, Kerber will pitch Friday, with Roberts ready to use in relief both games.

Several teams other than Canoga Park (15-4, 11-4), which is ranked No. 2 in the Valley by The Times behind Crespi, a Southern Section team, are making pitches for the championship. A look at the best of the rest:

Poly wants a crack at the title. The Parrots (18-4, 16-2), ranked No. 4 in The Times Valley Poll, won the East Valley League title behind two strong junior pitchers.

Left-hander Greg Nealon (9-2, 2.15 ERA) and left-hander Nick Lymberopolous (7-0, 1.60) have accounted for all but two of the team’s decisions. They don’t necessarily have to alternate starts, either. If an opponent leans on Nealon, Coach Jerry Cord can always limber up Lymberopolous.

“It’s a nice position to have two good pitchers,” Nealon said. “We may split each game or each go seven innings. It doesn’t matter to me as long as we get to Dodger Stadium.”

Chatsworth (17-6, 11-4), which tied Canoga Park for the West Valley League title, lost its distinction as the favorite when Mark Bowen, who had won his first four league starts, was lost to academic ineligibility at the spring break. The day after Bowen was declared ineligible, Chatsworth lost to Cleveland, 22-14, in the Holt-Goodman tournament.

“We went through five guys looking for somebody to replace Bowen,” Coach Bob Lofrano said.

Junior left-hander Pierre Amado (6-3, 2.13) moved into the stopper role and senior right-hander Jeff Rubenstein (5-1, 3.97) has become the second starter. Rubenstein, however, will start the first playoff game.

“Most coaches will start their No. 2 guy and come back with No. 1 in the second and third games,” Lofrano said. “It’s a gamble because you don’t want to lose the first game, but it’s the only way I feel we can win the tournament.”

San Fernando (12-7, 11-4), the Mid-Valley League champion, has one proven stopper--sophomore Frank Serna--and has the most interesting second pitcher in senior Bobby Aparicio.

A 6-3 left-hander, Aparacio was touted before the season as the best pitcher in the area. Shoulder and control problems have given him less than glowing statistics--a 1-3 record and a 5.70 ERA. But Coach Steve Marden hopes Aparicio can finish his career with a flourish.

“Three months ago he was the quality pitcher in the City,” Marden said. “You don’t just lose that. He’s been worried about blowing out his shoulder again, but if he decides to cut loose, he might surprise us all.”

If Aparacio falters, Serna (7-1, 1.58) will be followed by Rudy Vargas (2-2, 3.03), who has pitched well lately.

Sylmar (14-8, 12-6), which finished second in the East Valley League, relies on junior left-hander Olonzo Woodfin (9-3), who may be the best pitcher in the City. Sylmar would be a stronger contender under the previous format, especially because Woodfin, who has struck out 141 batters and allowed only 42 hits in 81 innings, has overcome a sore shoulder.

“The pain is gone,” Woodfin said. “I’ll be in form during playoffs. I can’t wait to start.”

Sylmar has no experienced pitchers after Woodfin, however. Carlos Armenderez has thrown only 26 innings and Nino Romo has thrown 12.

“Sylmar would have a legitimate shot if the schedule hadn’t changed,” Granada Hills Coach Darryl Stroh said. “But with the format the way it is, there isn’t much chance.”

Still, the presence of Woodfin gives Sylmar better odds at making it to Dodger Stadium than most of the 16 teams that qualified for the tournament.

El Camino Real has solid pitching in Mike Teich and Denny Vigo, but has little offense. Cleveland suffers a severe drop in pitching quality after Kirk Surabian. Granada Hills, Kennedy, Birmingham and North Hollywood all lack a superior front-line pitcher.

As for the four teams from the Marine League and Fairfax, which finished fourth in the East Valley League, they will have to beat history as well as Canoga Park, et al , to win the title. Teams from the Valley have captured the last 14 City baseball championships. Last season, the final four teams were all from the Valley.

Granada Hills has been the most dominant team, winning five of the last 12 titles. Stroh recalled that in 1976 the playoff schedule helped the most. Left-hander Dave Cicero won all four playoff games.

“Cicero was injured at the beginning of the season and we were 0-6 in practice games and 1-6 in our first seven league games,” Stroh said. “We got him back and won 13 in a row.

“It’s happened so often. One great pitcher makes a City champion.”

This year, however, it will take two to become No. 1.

CITY PITCHING COMPARISONS

TEAMS WITH TWO QUALITY PITCHERS

Name YR TH IP HA SO BB ER W-L ERA Poly Greg Nealon Jr. LH 65 61 40 14 20 9-2 2.15 Nick Lymberopolous Jr. RH 48 32 32 14 11 7-0 1.60 Canoga Park Adam Schulhofer Jr. RH 51 42 49 34 18 7-2 2.44 Mike Kerber Jr. RH 36 27 46 15 10 5-0 1.91

TEAMS WITH ONE QUALITY PITCHER

Name YR TH IP HA SO BB ER W-L ERA San Fernando Frank Serna So. RH 57 57 29 22 13 7-1 1.58 Sylmar Olonzo Woodfin Jr. LH 81 42 141 48 16 9-3 1.38 Chatsworth Pierre Amado Jr. LH 62 52 51 27 19 6-3 2.13