American Legion : A Once-Sketchy Infield Now Drawing Rave Reviews

When Tom Pedersen first looked at his team this summer, the left side of the infield appeared a little sketchy.

But Tuesday morning, two months into the season, Pedersen’s Newhall-Saugus (Santa Clarita) team was 16-4 and running away with the Northern Division. And the left side of the infield has been sturdier than a pair of denim work jeans. With brass rivets.

“To tell you the truth, at first I didn’t really know what we had,” Pedersen said. “But they’ve been really steady, real solid.”

Brad Anderson, who last month graduated from Canyon High where he played as an outfielder, was converted to shortstop.

“We were concerned about his defensive play, but it hasn’t been a problem at all,” Pedersen said.

His offense has been problematic only for opponents. Anderson is batting .403 and has 6 doubles, 3 home runs and a division-leading 20 runs batted in.

Third baseman Cory Byers, who will be a senior in the fall, makes some of Anderson’s numbers look anemic. Byers is batting .432 and has a district-leading 12 doubles, 4 home runs and 19 RBIs.

Add Newhall-Saugus: As if the numbers weren’t enough of an indication, even the most biased observer had to concede that the performance of Newhall-Saugus (Santa Clarita) right-hander Roger Salkeld against Woodland Hills (East) on Sunday was overpowering.

Salkeld, who will be a senior at Saugus High, threw a one-hitter and struck out 12 in a 10-0 win.

“He’s the best we’ve seen all year, no question,” said Tom Glassman, the Woodland Hills (East) assistant coach.

Glassman should know. He keeps track of the team’s statistics and dulled a pencil or two keeping track of the grisly details.

“That’s a lot of Ks,” he said.

Add Glassman: Tom’s son, Dan, spent the first part of the season batting eighth in the lineup. But a hot bat proved you can’t keep a good man down.

Through Tuesday, Glassman was 12 for 26 and had 11 walks and an on-base percentage of .622. He recently was moved to the cleanup position.

Statwatch: Burbank pitchers might not be as dominating as Salkeld, but they aren’t exactly hurting themselves.

In 18 games, Burbank pitchers have struck out 107 batters and walked 52.

Comfort zone: For the second year in a row, Camarillo won its own July 4th tournament, the Gene Waid Memorial at Rio Mesa High.

Camarillo (16-3) defeated the Scottsdale (Ariz.) A’s, 12-3, in the final Monday after each team went 2-1 in bracket play.

Camarillo’s Gil Valencia led the team offensively: He was 5 for 13 and had 3 home runs and 5 RBIs. Kenny Knight, who had six home runs in the Cherry Creek Classic in Denver, added another to give him eight for the season.

Doubleheader drought: Van Nuys-Notre Dame spent Sunday at Antelope Valley High playing a doubleheader against Lancaster.

All day. In 90-degree heat.

“There was a Wrigley Field wind blowing out,” Van Nuys-Notre Dame Coach Jody Breeden said. “Balls were flying out all over the place. We got there at 9 in the morning and the last out came at around 6 at night.”

With the dry heat, the desert wind and baseballs launched like rockets, safety was a factor. At least for certain breeds, Breeden said.

“They had these farm animals out beyond the fence,” Breeden said. “They were out there mooing and making all this noise or whatever it is they do.

“The whole day was an ordeal. The umpire looked like he was right out of a Bartles and Jaymes commercial. It was a drain.”

Breeden’s team dropped both games by the unsightly scores of 15-14 and 20-17. Outfielder Matt McElreath was 8 for 10 and shortstop Vinnie Orlando was 8 for 16 in a losing cause.

Bowled over: Van Nuys-Notre Dame lost catcher Bobby Hughes on Saturday when Duane Braxton of North Hollywood slid headfirst into Hughes’ ankle on a play at the plate.

“He tried to pull one of those Mike Scioscia moves,” Breeden said. “Braxton didn’t try to bury him or anything, but Bobby just got his leg out in front of the plate.”

In this case, however, Hughes was the bowlee. His left ankle has been placed in an inflatable cast, Breeden said, and he will miss most of the regular season. Hughes was batting .348 and had 2 triples, 3 home runs and 15 runs batted in.

Hughes, who will be a senior at Notre Dame and is the expected starter at quarterback for the football team, was under consideration for the local “area code” all-star team coached by Bob Lofrano of Chatsworth High. The team is composed of standout players from the 818 and 805 telephone area codes and will play other similarly selected teams next week at San Diego State.

Add injury: Chatsworth right-hander Derek Wallace, a Times All-Valley and All-City Section pitching selection, broke the thumb on his non-pitching left hand during a pickoff play at second base last week and is lost for the season.

Wallace also will miss the U. S. Baseball Federation Junior Championships this week in Sioux Falls, S. D. He was the only Valley-area player selected to compete in the event, which unites the best 17- and 18-year-olds in the country.

Wallace, who was 7-0 and had 8 saves and a 3.17 earned-run average for Chatsworth High last season, had a pin placed in the hand Monday and will wear a cast for at least four weeks.

All-star gazing: The annual District 20 East-West all-star game will be held at Cal State Northridge on July 17 at 1 p.m.

Pedersen will coach the West and Breeden will coach the East. Coaches from throughout the district selected the rosters Tuesday night. Names of players will be released this week.

On a roll: In the talent-stocked Western Division, three teams are on hot streaks.

Woodland Hills (West), after a 2-2 start, had won 15 in a row through Tuesday to improve to 17-2 and leads the division by two games. Reseda (12-8) had won five in a row and 9 of 11 through Tuesday and Sepulveda (11-8) had won four in a row.