Nokes More Than One of Spokes in Detroit : Tiger Catcher From San Diego Plays in All-Star Game in His Rookie Season

Mention computer chess games and Detroit Tigers rookie catcher Matt Nokes is as animated as his bat is powerful. Bring up chocolate chip mint ice cream and Nokes breaks into a boyish grin.

Playing home run derby with a tennis ball as a youngster growing up on Linfield Avenue in the Del Cerro community of San Diego was “the funnest time,” said the 23-year-old former Patrick Henry High star.

And hitting base-line jumpers for the Patriots was really special. It was even better than hitting line drives, says the guard-catcher who helped lead Patrick Henry to San Diego County 3-A baseball and basketball titles in 1980.

But being selected to the American League All-Star team as a rookie was, well, nice, according to the player Tiger Manager Sparky Anderson fondly calls “IBM Executive.”

“It’s like people expect me to do somersaults, but I don’t feel that,” Nokes said at the time. “I don’t feel anything. I’m sorry, but if I try to get excited, it would be fake.”

Nokes is definitely not fake. This All-American type guy admits he didn’t even like baseball cards or watching baseball games on television when he was growing up.

“I never collected a baseball card in my life,” he said. “I threw away the cards and kept the gum. I never liked to watch sports. I would watch the game of the week for one inning, say, ‘This is boring,’ and go out and throw the ball against the wall.”

Tuesday night at the Oakland Coliseum, Nokes was one of two American League catchers in the All-Star game. The starter was Terry Kennedy of the Baltimore Orioles, the leading vote-getter among the catchers. Nokes wasn’t even among the top eight vote-getters, but he did receive the third-most write-in votes. Nokes got 33,688 votes, behind only Mark McGwire with 93,287 and Tim Raines with 86,571.

“I really wasn’t that concerned about (the All-Star game),” Nokes said. “If it was at the end of the season, it would be different. But I’m in the middle of the season.”

Nokes leaves the celebrating to his family. To his father, Jackson, who raised him after his mother died of cancer when he was 13; his brothers, Mark and Mike, both of whom played baseball at Patrick Henry before Matt; his sister, Jan, and his wife, Kristy, and 6-month old boy, Kory.

“There are a lot more people excited for me than I am for myself,” Nokes said.

The Nokes family have become devoted viewers of Tiger games on satellite television. So has Bob Imlay, Patrick Henry’s baseball coach who worked with Matt for three years.

“I watch some of their games and always check the box scores to see what he’s done,” Imlay said. “It’s been a real thrill for me.”

Imlay has been coaching baseball at Patrick Henry for 19 years, and he has turned out some pretty good players, but Nokes is his first player to make it in the major leagues. Imlay said he didn’t expect Nokes to be this successful.

“Ninety-eight percent of the kids who sign don’t make it,” Imlay said. “It’s such a long shot. You can’t predict. But I’m elated. He was an ideal kid to coach. Supportive, tough as nails--physically and mentally--unselfish, strong, a silent team leader and very popular.”

Nokes is still popular at the school.

“During the spring, the first thing people in school would ask each morning, was, ‘What did Matt do last night?,’ ” said Walt Baranski, the former Patrick Henry football coach and a former neighbor of Nokes.

Going into tonight’s game against Seattle at Detroit, the left-handed-hitting Nokes is in the top 10 in the American League with a .316 average. He has 49 RBIs, his 18 homers lead American League catchers and his .565 slugging percentage puts him fifth in the league.

Not bad for a guy who had played in five minor leagues in six years and had appeared in only 26 major league games at the start of this season. Not bad for a guy who never hit more than 16 homes runs in one professional season.

Not bad for a guy who was selected by the San Francisco Giants in the 20th round of the free-agent draft in 1981 and was only a throw-in, along with pitcher Eric King, in the 1985 trade that sent pitcher Dave LaPoint, King and Nokes to the Tigers for pitcher Juan Berenguer, catcher Bob Melvin and a player to be named later, who was pitcher Scott Medwin.

Not bad for a guy who was fourth on the Tiger depth chart and headed for the Toledo Mud Hens of the American Assn. before his bat started talking in spring training. And before he got a really big break. When Lance Parrish, an All-Star in six of his nine seasons at Detroit, signed as a free agent with the Phillies, the Tiger catching spot was open.

“Maybe I was being optimistic, but I thought this year--with Parrish gone--he’d start,” said Matt’s brother Mike. “He’s great. The kid is good.”

In spring training, Nokes hit about .350 and was used at first and third base, left and right field, catcher and designated hitter. During the season, he has platooned with Mike Heath at catcher and been used at those other positions in some of his 70 games.

Anderson, who says Nokes will probably be his regular catcher next season, was as impressed with Nokes’ talent as his character.

“He’s a super person,” Anderson said. “He’s a real fine person.”

The Nokes family all point out, chuckling, that Matt was so hyper as a child that his father was called into school to find out why his son was throwing spitballs. Wonder if Sparky knows about that?

Spitballs aside, terms such as dedicated, hard-working, complete immersion into the game and pursuit of excellence are often used to describe Nokes.

“There are a lot of people with talent but the mental aspect of the game is where you really need to grow,” Nokes said. “You need to learn and concentrate.”

It was that mental discipline that helped Nokes survive minor league stints at Great Falls, Mont.; Clinton, Iowa; Fresno; Shreveport, La., and Nashville. During his first two minor league seasons, he earned only $2,400 and $3,600, respectively, and hit only .226 and .215. But only once, during a brief period during his second season, when he was at Clinton in 1982, did Nokes have second thoughts about continuing.

“I wondered if I was wasting my time,” Nokes said.

The next season, he hit hit .322 with 14 home runs and 82 RBIs at Fresno in the California League.

“I knew he’d stick it out,” said brother Mike. “He always wanted to be a professional baseball player. He tried harder and harder. He deserves it.”

Matt Nokes was prepared to play in the minors again this season, but he was also optimistic heading into spring training. He had paid his dues and he had hit .333 in a brief period with the Tigers last season.

“I had nothing to lose (during spring training),” Nokes said. “I played almost recklessly. I wasn’t worrying about anything. Spring training was a great feeling. It was a dream come true.”

What? Was that really Matt Nokes talking?

Making the All-Star team may be nice, but making the major leagues is something Nokes has strived for since his days on Linfield Ave. And he recalls those days fondly.

“I would run out to the circle (the cul-de-sac on his street) to show everyone I could tie my shoes,” Nokes said. “I was pretty young. But I always played with older kids. I was really aggressive.”

Those were the days when Jackson Nokes left his CPA practice early so that he could play baseball with his sons and manage them in Little League, Pony League and Babe Ruth League games. Jackson managed all his sons’ teams, but Mark, Mike and Matt never played together on the same team.

“It would have been fun,” Mike said. “Especially now, I wish I could play with him.”

Jackson encouraged his sons to play baseball and he turned Matt into a left-handed hitter because he thought it would give him an advantage, but he says he never put pressure on his sons to succeed in baseball. And although he always believed in Matt’s ability and he went to see him play in all his minor league stops except Clinton, Jackson says that he still can’t believe the season Matt is having.

And he really can’t believe that Matt is on the Detroit Tigers, of all teams. Jackson Nokes grew up just 30 miles from Fenway Park in Boston and was a big baseball fan, but he was a Tiger fan because he idolized Tiger slugger Hank Greenberg and he loved the D on the Detroit uniform. Now, his son plays for the Tigers, and Matt’s agent is Steve Greenberg, the son of Hank Greenberg.

The relationship between Matt, the youngest child, and Jackson was particularly close because Matt’s mother died of cancer when he was 13 years old. “My dad did everything,” Matt said. “He had orange juice when I woke up. He did the cooking, the laundry. He took care of us. When I was in high school, I didn’t have to worry about anything.”

At Patrick Henry, Nokes had a grade-point average around 3.5, was a part-time starter on the basketball team and one of the top baseball players in the county. He hit .429 during his junior season and spent countless hours after practice taking extra batting practice and working on his throws to second.

Nokes still considers himself a line drive hitter rather than a home run hitter. He is 6 feet 1 inch and 190 pounds, used to be called Bones and sometimes loses as much as 10 pounds in a week. And he doesn’t attribute his recent home run power to added strength as much as to increased knowledge.

“I didn’t know how to get the bat in the right spot,” he said. “That comes with experience.”

Defensively, Nokes has a strong arm, but he has thrown out only 5 of 33 base-stealers, and the Tigers hope he develops a quicker release.

Nokes really is enjoying himself, even though he might not come right out and say it. Just ask his brother.

“He says he’s really having a good time,” Mark said. “He’s confident. He’s relaxed. I’m really impressed. He seems to be taking things in stride.”