Orange County Player of the Week : Baseball Career Blossoms From a Little Apple Toss

At 2 years, Brett Snyder of Capistrano Valley High School tossed out a family tradition to begin his baseball career.

The tradition was picking, salting and eating the tart, green apples that grew in his great-grandfather’s orchard in Fountain Valley.

It was something Snyder’s mother, Connie, had enjoyed since she was small, as had her mother and father before that.

But Brett would have none of it, and upon his mother’s encouragement to taste the salted fruit, took one in his hand and hurled it over the eight-foot fence.

“We couldn’t believe it at first,” Connie Snyder said. “But then he started picking them up, one at a time, and throwing them over. He loved it. I’ve had to keep him from throwing toys and wagons and everything else ever since.”

Everything except baseballs. Especially the fastballs, sliders and curves on which Snyder relies. Last week, he used these and his batting skills to help the Cougars to the Southern Section 2-A championship.

Snyder, The Times’ Player of the Week, drove in the game-winning run and gave up six hits and two unearned runs to lead Capistrano Valley to a 6-2 final victory over La Serna in Dodger Stadium Saturday. His victory tied a school record for 12 wins in a season.

Last Tuesday, Snyder pitched two scoreless final innings and had two hits in an 8-6 semifinal victory over Arroyo.

“I’ve been looking forward to something like this for a long, long time,” Snyder said of the championship game. “Playing and pitching in Dodger Stadium was the biggest thrill of my life.”

Bigger than his best Little League game in which Snyder, 12 at the time, had four home runs--three of which were grand slams--with 15 RBIs.

Bigger than his outting at a Cypress street fair, where Snyder, 13, surpassed all contestants by throwing a pitch clocked at 77 m.p.h. A fair throw, indeed.

And a bigger thrill than the entirety of his senior season, in which Snyder (12-1) struck out 88 and had a 1.15 earned-run average. He hit .352 (31 for 88) with 1 home run and 16 RBIs for the Cougars, who finished 27-3.

“To have him go out there (Dodger Stadium) and win was his dream come true,” Connie Snyder said. “I think he went into a coma when he walked into the stadium, he was that excited.”

For Snyder, the final success was sweet. Sweeter than any apple he could ever throw.

Brett Snyder

Capistrano Valley High

Position: Pitcher/Third Base

Height, Weight, Class: 6-2 1/2, 185, Senior.

Last Week: Snyder tied a school record with his 12th victory of the season and had the game-winning RBI single to lead Capistrano Valley in a 6-2 win over La Serna for the Southern Section 2-A championship Saturday. Tuesday, Snyder pitched two scoreless innings and had two hits in an 8-6 semifinal victory over Arroyo.

Season: Snyder (12-1) struck out 88 and had a 1.15 earned-run average. He hit .352 (31 for 88) with 1 home run and 16 RBIs for the Cougars (27-3).