Preserving Pressman’s Principle : Coach’s Successor Will Adhere to ‘My-Way’ Philosophy

Montclair Prep Coach Jeff Pressman always has given his baseball players choices. For the past 12 years, the choice has never changed--do things his way or don’t play.

“I think I have a system that works well,” Pressman said. “I stress discipline, being organized, concentration and intensity. The kids have got to do it my way.”

For the past four years, assistant Coach Walt Steele has helped Pressman do things “his way.” Steele will develop his own methods next season when he succeeds Pressman, who will resign at the end of the season.

Yet Pressman’s influence still will be felt.

“Jeff is real strict on his philosophy and discipline,” Steele said. “He makes sure you understand and then, if you don’t do things, it’s lights out. At Montclair Prep we have always had really good kids. Obviously, things have paid off.”

If discipline is a Pressman trademark, winning is also indicative of Pressman-coached teams. His Mounties have won the Alpha League each year since the league was formed in 1983. Pressman’s teams won Southern Section championships four times between 1978 and 1982 and won league titles 10 of his 12 years.

Montclair Prep (21-4) is seeded No. 1 in the Small Schools Large Division going into today’s second-round playoff game at Fillmore. The Mounties, who won the league with a 13-1 record, advanced by routing Aquinas last week, 18-3.

In addition to churning out winning teams, Pressman has developed players of major-college quality. Stanford has signed pitcher/outfielder Jeff Light and catcher Frank Charles has accepted a scholarship from Pepperdine.

Charles is batting .400 with 9 home runs and 47 runs batted in. Light is 7-1 and has 9 home runs, 29 RBIs and a .415 batting average. He credits Pressman with improving his mental approach to the game.

“I was a little disappointed that he was leaving,” Light said. “He’s a good coach. I think he will miss baseball. He always helped me with the mental game--being mentally ready all the time.”

Pressman told the team in a meeting before the first game of the season that he would not return. He said he resigned because of the time demands and stress of coaching Montclair Prep and helping run the Mark Cresse School of Baseball in Huntington Beach. Pressman is a co-founder of the school he started in 1984 with the Los Angeles Dodgers’ bullpen coach.

“I wanted to put more time and energy into what’s important to my future,” Pressman said. “I really love coaching, but I wanted to relieve my mind of the extra stress of having both the camp and Montclair Prep.”

If private baseball camps are in Pressman’s future, they are also in his past. Pressman, 35, has been involved with youth camps since he was 19. He founded the Valley Cardinals Baseball Camp in 1972 and directed it until 1983, when it was purchased by major-league pitcher Rick Rhoden.

Cresse was a guest instructor at the Valley Cardinals camp when Pressman suggested he start his own camp.

“Jeff said that I really care about what I’m doing and that I should start a camp myself,” Cresse said. “I had never really thought about it.”

Cresse contacted Pressman soon thereafter eager to follow up on the idea. Despite being reluctant to start a new camp so soon after selling one, Pressman joined the Dodger catcher in the venture.

Pressman’s camp duties begin about four months before it opens in late June, causing the conflict with coaching Montclair Prep. At least twice a week during the high school season, he makes trips to Huntington Beach after practice to work at the camp.

Although the dual role has been tough on Pressman’s personal life, it hasn’t taken a toll on Montclair Prep’s won-lost record. And he’d like to go out a winner.

“It has been a real emotional year for me,” Pressman said. “A good part of my life has been coaching at Montclair Prep. Nothing could be greater than to go out a champion.”

Montclair Prep’s winning tradition may continue anyway. Pressman believes Steele is an ideal replacement.

“I think Walt is a great guy for the job,” Pressman said. “He is an excellent hitting coach and a real student of the game.”

Steele played two seasons in the Milwaukee Brewers system after playing at Pepperdine. He returned to Pepperdine as an assistant coach in 1983 after he was released by the Brewers following a shoulder injury.

“We work real well together,” Pressman said. “We have a mutual respect for each other and our styles have kind of blended together. I really appreciate the way he does things. There are a lot of things that he has taught me and I hope that he learned a lot of things from me.”

The main thing that Steele learned from Pressman is how to coach high school baseball as opposed to the college level. Steele concedes that his strength is coaching the offense.

“I think the players really mold the style you have,” Steele said. “We are going to have to generate runs next year, pressure the defense to make mistakes and be aggressive on the basepaths.”

When Steele takes over the Mounties, he will blend the philosophies of Pressman and his former coach at Pepperdine, Dave Gorrie. He hopes the mixture will be potent.

“With all of Pressman’s CIF championships and league titles,” Steele said, “the pressure is on me to maintain the kind of excellence he has had.”

While several players expressed surprise at the time of Pressman’s decision to leave, they believe Steele is an able replacement.

“I knew it was his last year and that Steele was going to take over,” said junior second baseman Pat Huston, one of only four returning players. “Pressman is a good coach, but I’m glad Steele is going to be here my senior year.”

The players may barely notice the difference.