1989 ALL-STARS : Close-Up Glimpses of South Bay’s Best

Rick Clark, El Segundo--Named the Most Outstanding Pitcher in the Camino Real League, Clark emerged as the ace of El Segundo’s staff after missing his junior season with an arm injury. The right-hander posted a 10-0 record, including complete-game victories in the semifinals and finals of the CIF 2-A playoffs. He had nine complete games and a 2.60 ERA.

Chico Limas, Banning--Selected Co-Most Valuable Player of the Pacific League, Limas was 8-3 and boasted an impressive strikeout-to-walk ratio. In 74 innings the right-hander struck out 87 and walked only 27. His ERA was 1.61. He also played catcher for the Pilots, who finished second to San Pedro in the Pacific League.

Dale Johnson, San Pedro--The latest in a long line of outstanding San Pedro catchers, the strong-armed Johnson shared MVP honors with Banning’s Limas in the Pacific League after leading the Pirates to the title. He batted .432 with five home runs, three triples and 33 RBIs. With Johnson behind the plate, teams rarely ran against San Pedro.

Chad Somers, Miraleste--Twice named to an all-league first team (Pioneer in 1988, Santa Fe this season), Somers ranked among the area’s most devastating hitters. The first baseman led his team with a .423 average, seven home runs and 34 RBIs, helping Miraleste to an 18-9 mark and a CIF 2-A playoff berth. An honor student, Somers will attend Northwestern.

Mike Houck, Redondo--The top hitter and pitcher for Redondo, Houck led the Sea Hawks to third place in the Ocean League and a berth in the CIF 5-A playoffs. The 6-foot-4 senior played shortstop and posted an 8-2 mark as a pitcher. He hit .384 with seven doubles. Houck was an All-CIF forward in basketball.

Chris Jones, Serra--A 17th-round draft choice of the Kansas City Royals, Jones enjoyed an exceptional season. The muscular third baseman played consistent defense and hit .368 with a team-leading six home runs and 31 RBIs. Perhaps the highlight of his season came on April 12 when Jones hit a grand slam off St. Bernard’s Melendez.

Antone Williamson, Torrance--Although just a sophomore, Williamson established himself as one of the area’s most feared hitters. He finished among the South Bay leaders in batting average (.463), doubles (seven), home runs (four) and RBIs (37). In 26 games, he committed only seven errors at third base. Williamson was named to the All-Bay League first team.

Erik Evans, El Segundo--An All-CIF running back in football, Evans came through with a banner senior year. The rangy center fielder led the Eagles with six home runs, 37 RBIs and 25 stolen bases to earn All-Camino Real League first-team honors. He batted .396 and led the South Bay with 47 runs scored, the fifth-highest mark in Southern Section history.

Armando Fernandez, Hawthorne--”The best prospect I’ve ever coached,” says Hawthorne’s Lester Sakurai of Fernandez, who blossomed into a dominant player as a sophomore. The 5-11, 200-pound outfielder hit .413 with five home runs, 24 RBIs and 19 stolen bases to help the Cougars finish in a four-way for the Bay League title.

George Pisano, Mary Star--Named the Most Valuable Player of the Santa Fe League, Pisano was a versatile performer for the league champion Stars. The outfielder hit .481, including a 16-game hitting streak to end the season, and posted a 6-1 pitching record with a 2.54 ERA. He had three home runs, including a game-winning grand slam against Miraleste, and 28 RBIs.

Dan Melendez, St. Bernard--The Times South Bay Player of the Year.

Mike Hoye, Palos Verdes--The top hitter for the Bay League quad-champion Sea Kings, Hoye’s prowess with the bat earned him the league’s Most Valuable Player award. He finished with a .439 average, four home runs, four triples and 35 RBIs. Hoye, a catcher, and his brother Steve, a junior right-hander, formed an impressive battery.

Name: Rick Clark Position: Pitcher School: El Segundo Year: Senior W-L/Avg.: 10-0 Name: Chico Limas Position: Pitcher School: San Pedro Year: Senior W-L/Avg.: 8-3 Name: Dale Johnson Position: Catcher School: Banning Year: Junior W-L/Avg.: .432 Name: Chad Somers Position: First Base School: Miraleste Year: Senior W-L/Avg.: .423 Name: Mike Houck Position: Infield School: Redondo Year: Senior W-L/Avg.: .383 Name: Chris Jones Position: Infield School: Serra Year: Senior W-L/Avg.: .368 Name: Antone Williamson Position: Infield School: Torrance Year: Sophomore W-L/Avg.: .463 Name: Erik Evans Position: Outfield School: El Segundo Year: Senior W-L/Avg.: .396 Name: Armando Fernandez Position: Outfield School: Hawthorne Year: Sophomore W-L/Avg.: .413 Name: George Pisano Position: Outfield School: Mary Star Year: Senior W-L/Avg.: .481 Name: Dan Melendez Position: Utility School: St. Bernard Year: Senior W-L/Avg.: 11-3/.527 Name: Mike Hoye Position: Designated Hitter School: Palos Verdes Year: Senior W-L/Avg.: .439 SECOND TEAM

Name School Position Year W-L/Average Steve Hoye Palos Verdes P Jr. 7-3 Greg O’Riordan Chadwick P Sr. 7-0 Garret Quaintance El Segundo C Jr. .460 Ted Golden Hawthorne 1B Sr. .418 John Clem North Torrance INF Sr. .402 Jesse Espinoza Banning INF Sr. .382 Willie Sanchez Mary Star INF Sr. .423 Richard Guilfore Narbonne OF Sr. .519 Erik Russell B. Montgomery OF Sr. .391 Torrie Sweet Serra OF Sr. .426 Victor Darensbourg Westchester UTL Sr. 7-5/.306 Tony Pruett North Torrance DH Jr. .359