Living Mostly to Play Baseball, Pape Helps Valley Team Spring Back to Life

Saying that E. J. Pape likes baseball is somewhat akin to saying that Captain Ahab took a passing interest in white whales.

Pape’s mania is that he can’t stand being held to one hit. Baseball is his alpha and omega, his raison d’etre . Call him dedicated.

“I can’t really say I have any interests other than baseball,” said Pape, a sophomore second baseman at Valley. “I’ll do things like I’ll play golf, go bowling or something, but my life is baseball.”

Call him focused.

“I was never a great athlete in high school,” Pape said. “I can’t do nothing but swing a bat and play some defense. I can’t shoot a basket very well, I can’t throw a pass, I can’t skate.”

Call him nuts.

“My room is filled with nothing but baseball,” said Pape, who has devoted one wall to his hero, Brian Downing. “Some people say it’s not healthy, but I try to surround myself with nothing but baseball.”

Oh, it’s not that Pape doesn’t have other interests. He likes to read--about baseball. He has a hobby--collecting baseball bats. He hopes someday to become a doctor--”if I can’t be a ballplayer.”

Patients, have patience: Pape’s ballplaying days appear far from over. With a .340 batting average, 52 runs batted in and six home runs, he has helped a surging Valley team (16-19-2, 10-9) climb into fourth place in the Western State Conference.

Valley lost five of its first seven WSC games but has won 10 of its past 15, and Pape is working on a 16-game hitting streak.

A four-year starter at Burroughs High, Pape began his college career at USC. He soon learned how difficult it is to walk on to the Trojan baseball team.

As what is known as a “recruited walk-on,” Pape spent a semester at USC but didn’t receive the scholarship assistance he had been told might be available.

“I loved USC,” said the earnestly friendly Pape. “You’ve got a great baseball facility. You’ve got great coaches down there. To me, USC is one of the best places to play ball.”

However, tuition became prohibitive, and Pape matriculated to Valley for the 1989 spring baseball season. His USC baseball experience had been heady--he played alongside the likes of Bret Boone and Damon Buford during fall workouts--but at USC he also learned how to use his head.

“Out of high school I was an average student; I got my Bs and Cs, mostly Cs,” Pape said. “One thing I cannot thank USC enough for is teaching me how to study and making me a better student.”

In a study-skills program designed for athletes, Pape learned the basics of managing time, note-taking, underlining texts, tape-recording classes, and writing papers. Now, Pape says he carries a 3.7 grade-point average and usually takes more than 20 units a semester at Valley.

“I saw myself out of high school being, I don’t know, maybe a gas station attendant or something,” Pape said. “Believe it or not, I enjoy doing the schoolwork now. Before I used to hate it.”

Pape, 20, plans to major in biology at a four-year school. He has not ruled out returning to Troy, but USC has yet to recruit him. UCLA and Arizona recently have shown interest, but there may be complications in transferring to another Pacific 10 Conference school after his stint at USC.

Cal State Northridge has made no secret of its interest. Coach Bill Kernen offered a scholarship when Pape was in high school and, according to Pape, the offer still stands.

“He could very easily have hated me because I turned him down once,” Pape said. “I would like to play for him, but I can’t flat out say I’m going to play there.”

Having Pape at Northridge would simplify matters for his family. His parents have attended every game E. J. has played for Burroughs and Valley. His sister Shelly, a Valley freshman who Pape says is “like a best friend,” keeps score at his games.

However, the Papes are well-prepared for travel. Ed Pape Sr. (E. J. stands for Ed Jr.) earned his pilot’s license when E.J. went to USC just so he could fly the family to E. J.’s away games.

Pape pere may be mobile, but Valley Coach Chris Johnson believes E. J.’s limited mobility will force Pape to play either third or first base at higher levels. Pape already has played so many positions at Valley that he takes three gloves--infielder’s, outfielder’s and first baseman’s--to every game. Hitting is Pape’s forte. A stocky 5-feet-11 and 180 pounds, he does not have a classic power hitter’s build, but he hits more ropes than Tarzan.

“I do not try to hit the ball deep but ever since I was in high school I’ve always hit the ball out of the ballpark,” said Pape, who clubbed nine home runs last spring. “My main goal is to drive in RBIs. I love to drive in RBIs. My biggest thing is doubles.”

His confidence in his hitting is so absolute, Pape talks of playing in the minor leagues in terms of when, not if.

“He believes in himself,” said John Stephens, Valley’s third baseman. “Definitely not one to not believe in himself. He has high expectations of himself, really high.”

Although Pape’s numbers are similar to those he posted last season, Johnson says Pape has been more consistent this spring. According to Johnson, the curve no longer throws Pape for a loop, and he has worked to straighten out his mental approach to the game.

“Through a lot of long talks, he’s made some great progress in just playing the game,” Johnson said. “He had a little trouble being a baseball player in this way: He was paralyzed by the future. ‘Where am I going? What am I doing? What school will I sign with? . . .’ He got so worried about the future, he forgot about the present.”

Pape’s analysis paralysis was not reflected in his statistics last year. He hit .376 with 46 RBIs and had a 15-game hitting streak before a late-season wrist injury, but he knew he needed a new attitude.

“I had to grow a little bit,” Pape said, “If you get out or boot something it’s not the end of the world. (Johnson) just rode me. All year from Day One till now he has been on me to basically grow up.”

A relatively quiet guy on the field, Pape tends to retreat within himself after a mistake.

“Being a freshman, I get a lot of first impressions. . . . Truth is, I didn’t know about E. J. He was all right; he was a friendly guy but when something would go wrong he would be all quiet,” Valley shortstop Chad Ratliff said. “You can see he really holds it in. He sits in the dugout and doesn’t say a word. I think it’s a lot of concentration.”

Fortunately for Valley, there haven’t been many silent spells from Pape or his bat.

“He hits a ton,” Ratliff said. “I like him when he’s up there (at the plate) because I always think he’s going to come through.”

Call him a player.