Tyrone Scott Pro’s 1st South Bay Pick

The first South Bay player taken in the major league baseball draft Monday didn’t even make the All-Bay League first team.

That was the type of season it was for left-handed pitcher Tyrone Scott of Leuzinger High.

The erratic Scott, who led the South Bay in strikeouts and walks, was a fourth-round pick of the Houston Astros. He met Tuesday with the Astros and passed on their first offer.

“They were talking about giving me $30,000, then they went up to $35,000,” he said. “I want a little more money than that.”

Redondo pitcher-shortstop Scott Davison, the 1988 South Bay Player of the Year, was a fourth-round pick of the Montreal Expos and signed for about $65,000, according to sources.

That, however, was considered an exceptional deal. Scott will most likely have to settle for less.

The hard-throwing southpaw was considered a possible first-round choice early in the season, but his stock reportedly dropped because of inconsistency and a brief layoff due to an elbow injury.

He says his arm feels fine now.

“I didn’t really perform the way I wanted to this year,” he said. “If I pitched the way I know I could, I think I would have been taken in the first round.”

Scott was 5-4 with a 1.95 ERA, striking out 106 and walking 76 in 68 1/3 innings. He was named to the All-Bay League second team.

Scott said he is leaning toward signing a professional contract. If he doesn’t, he will probably play for El Camino College next year.

Dan Melendez’s selection in the seventh round by the Baltimore Orioles came as a pleasant surprise for the St. Bernard pitcher-first baseman.

“At the beginning of the season, I thought I was going to go kind of high,” he said. “But then they came up with the lists of the top prospects and my name wasn’t on them. I didn’t think I’d get taken this high.”

Melendez, who has signed a letter of intent with Pepperdine, now must decide between college and an early pro career.

What is it going to take for the Orioles to sign him?

“It’s going to have to be a convincing price,” he said. “They’re going to have to buy me out of college. I just have to listen to what they have to say. I have a lot of thinking to do in the next couple of days.”

Other Southland players drafted included:

Serra third baseman Chris Jones was selected in the 17th round by the Kansas City Royals and signed Tuesday. His coach, Darren Fleming, is a scout for the Royals. “He got a scholarship plan that will pay for his college and he got a nice bonus,” Fleming said, adding that Jones will report to the Royals’ rookie league team in Florida on Friday.

Arizona State second baseman Kevin Higgins, formerly of Torrance High and Harbor College, was taken in the 10th round by the San Diego Padres. Harbor Coach Jim O’Brien said Higgins has signed and will report to the Padres’ minor league affiliate in Spokane on Saturday.

Eric Albright, an All-Southwest Conference catcher for Texas A & M and a former standout at Rolling Hills High and Harbor College, was a seventh-round pick of the Detroit Tigers.

Pitcher-outfielder Eric Alexander of University High in West Los Angeles was a third-round choice of the Baltimore Orioles. The muscular right-hander pitched University to an 8-3 win over San Pedro in the opening round of the L.A. City 4-A playoffs.

First baseman Tim Mitchell and outfielder Todd Steverson of Ocean League champion Culver City were drafted. Mitchell was taken in the fourth round by the Boston Red Sox and Steverson, who has signed with Arizona State, was picked in the sixth round by the St. Louis Cardinals.

Beverly Hills outfielder Michael Moore was taken in the second round by the Toronto Blue Jays. Moore now must decided between baseball and a football career at UCLA. The nephew of former all-Pro Ahmad Rashad, Moore was an all-CIF wide receiver.

San Pedro’s softball season ended in disappointment last week with a 1-0 loss to El Camino Real of Woodland Hills in the L.A. City championship game.

But the setback didn’t detract from the fine career of Pirate pitcher Meagan Moore, who accounted for 34 of San Pedro’s 49 wins in the last three years.

“She will be remembered as one of the finest softball players in the school’s history and one of the best in the South Bay,” said San Pedro Coach Tony Dobra.

After sharing pitching duties her first two years, Moore became San Pedro’s workhorse as a senior. She posted a 16-4 record with an 0.89 ERA and struck out 171 batters in 133 innings.

Other highlights this season included 18 complete games, five shutouts, seven games of 10 strikeouts or more, one no-hitter and three one-hitters.

A three-time all-league and All-City choice, Moore completed her career with a 34-13 record. San Pedro was 49-16 during the period.

And Moore also excelled in the classroom.

Said Dobra: “She is one of the most talented student-athletes I have coached.”

PREP NOTES--Texas Tech pitcher Jeff Beck, a former standout at Mira Costa High and El Camino College, was named to the United Press International All-Southwest Conference baseball team. He was the first Red Raider pitcher selected to the postseason squad since David Carroll in 1982 . . . El Segundo’s baseball team finished the season with the state’s No. 1 ranking among 2-A Division schools, according to Cal-Hi Sports. The Eagles (26-5), who won the CIF-Southern Section 2-A title Saturday with a 7-4 win over San Marino, had a batting average of .358 . . . The South Bay Athletic Club Baseball Classic, featuring the area’s top seniors, will be played at 7 p.m. Friday at El Segundo Recreation Park.