Commentary : Award Choice Spurs Minor Disagreement

Organizers of the Cal State Northridge Pinnacle of Success baseball awards are to be commended for putting together a program that recognizes top players and coaches from the Valley area.

Unquestionably, all of the honorees performed at a level deserving of recognition during the past season. Unfortunately, they all don’t necessarily meet what was said to be the criteria for selection.

On Feb. 5, five players and a coach will be honored as the best Valley-area baseball had to offer in 1988.

The award winners: Rick Dempsey of the Dodgers (top major league player), Joel Wolfe of Chatsworth High and UCLA (high school), Jeff Flesher of College of the Canyons (junior college), Lenn Gilmore of Northridge and the Cleveland Indians (college), Bob Lofrano of Chatsworth (coach) and Andres Mota of the Houston Astros (minor league).

Originally, organizers said that players must have played or grown up in the Valley or its environs in order to qualify for an award.

Fair enough. But then where does Andres Mota fit in?

Mota, whose father Manny is the Dodgers’ first base coach, has a La Crescenta address but little else in terms of a tie to the Valley area. He played high school baseball in the Dominican Republic, then played at Fullerton College, Golden West College and Cal State Fullerton before signing a professional contract.

His statistics? No argument there. “His stood out like crazy,” said Joe Buttitta, an assistant athletic director at CSUN who helped make the selections. Mota, an outfielder, led the Class-A New York-Penn League with a .351 batting average and also stole 31 bases.

But if statistics--and an address--are what these awards are about--and they are not--then are not Eric Davis, Darryl Strawberry and Mark Gubicza more deserving than Dempsey? All 3 of those all-stars have off-season homes in the Valley.

There were several minor leaguers who had equally outstanding seasons as Mota but who also have stronger ties to the Valley area. Both third baseman Torey Lovullo (Montclair Prep, UCLA, Detroit) and pitcher Dana Ridenour (Sylmar, UCLA, New York Yankees) advanced from double-A to the major leagues.

Among former CSUN players, outfielder Jim Vatcher batted .302 with 12 homers, 72 runs batted in and 26 stolen bases for the Phillies’ Class-A affiliate in Spartanburg, S.C., and pitcher Jeremy Hernandez was 12-6 and allowed only 134 hits and 34 walks in 147 1/3 innings for the Cardinals’ Class-A team in Springfield, Ill.

“Of all the awards, the toughest choice was the minor leaguer,” said Lou Marino, chairman of the awards event.

Organizers hope that the annual $100-a-plate awards event will generate greater interest and support for Northridge baseball from within the Valley area. They may very well succeed in doing that.

But by staying closer to home, organizers might have hit a home run with their inaugural selections. Instead, give them a ground-rule double.