That He Came Back Is More Power to Him : High school baseball: A year and a half after accident, Ferguson hit four home runs in one game.

Swinging a baseball bat was second nature for Jeff Ferguson, so much so that when he could no longer do it, tears welled in his eyes.

After injuring his back and pelvis in a car accident 1 1/2 years ago, Ferguson was told by doctors and coaches that his chances of playing baseball again for La Serna High in Whittier were slim at best.

They looked slim a year ago. Ferguson’s memories of trying to make the team last season are not pleasant.

And La Serna Coach Vern Brock remembers seeing his young star hobble to the plate in practice, trying to hold a bat.

“He would try to do a little bit each time he came out, but the progress was very slow,” Brock said. “The first time he hit the ball, he dropped the bat behind him, walked slowly to the dugout and started crying. He was in such great pain that I think he realized for the first time that he might not ever play again. That’s not an easy thing to accept when you love the game. He didn’t want to believe it.”

Ferguson, 17, has battled back. Through 17 games, his batting average is .667, and he has 41 runs batted in and 12 home runs. In a Whitmont League game against Sante Fe last month, the senior had four home runs, tying a CIF Southern Section record.

Those who know Ferguson call his comeback a miracle.

“My life without baseball wouldn’t mean nearly as much,” said Ferguson, who plays shortstop. “Right now, this game is everything to me. When I was down and out, I just kept hoping that I would make it back. Well, here I am, and believe me I no longer take this game for granted.”

On Nov. 26, 1989, Ferguson, his father, John, and two others were driving back from a Thanksgiving vacation in North Carolina. Frank Carrasco, Jeff’s cousin, was driving the family pickup early that Sunday morning when he fell asleep at the wheel on Interstate 20 near Monahans, Tex. Police estimated the pickup was traveling 60 to 70 m.p.h. when it went off the road and rolled twice.

Jeff went through the windshield and landed 100 feet from the pickup. He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he stayed for six days.

John’s injuries were more severe. He also went through the windshield and landed 150 feet from the truck. He was transferred to a hospital in Midland, Tex., suffering from internal injuries, a collapsed lung, a ruptured eardrum, a broken jaw, broken ribs and a broken leg. He was unconscious for more than a week.

John returned to Southern California 17 days after the accident, 50 pounds lighter because a broken jaw had limited his diet to liquids. He has not worked since the accident and still needs a cane to walk.

Carrasco and Kelli Carlson, John’s fiancee, suffered only minor injuries.

When John and Jeff were reunited in mid-December, it was an emotional time. John has raised Jeff alone since a divorce seven years ago. He coached his son in Little League and still gives him pointers and attends every game.

“It’s funny, but the accident may have been a blessing in disguise,” said John Ferguson, who played baseball at Bell High and later for a semipro team. “It made Jeff see that he has a lot of natural-blessed talent in baseball and not to take that for granted. It really put things in perspective.”

Jeff dislocated the bone that connects his pelvis and spine. Two months after the accident he went to see Joel Matta, a Los Angeles pelvic specialist. Matta said the dislocation was not wide enough to require surgery, so he recommended a rehabilitation program that included riding a stationary bicycle, swimming and jogging in a pool.

“I normally recommend six months of recovery for someone with this type of injury,” Matta said. “It potentially can be very dangerous. Age and motivation were definitely on Jeff’s side.”

Ferguson followed doctor’s orders, but he was determined to play on the La Serna team last spring. As a sophomore, he had batted .437 and hit six home runs. The Lancers advanced to the second round of the 3-A playoffs, and Ferguson was voted to the first-team All-Southern Section squad. He felt he had something to prove as a junior.

When not riding the bicycle or swimming, Ferguson spent his spare time on the baseball field, taking ground balls and trying to jog.

“He wanted to be a part of the team so bad, but he just didn’t have the same physical strength he had the season before,” Brock said. “We talked about just taking the season off and waiting until next year, but he wouldn’t hear of it.”

John Ferguson said he is proud of his son for not quitting.

“What Jeff did was amazing,” he said. “He is only 17, but he knows what he wants to do with his life. There aren’t many 17-year-olds in this world who are that directed.”

By Easter vacation, Ferguson had surprisingly worked his way back into the starting lineup. Brock said he was the best defensive shortstop he saw all season.

La Serna, loaded with talent, had struggled early, but Ferguson’s return apparently supplied a needed lift. The Lancers finished 28-5, defeating Tustin, 1-0, in the 3-A championship game. Ferguson batted .360 for the season and received all-league and second-team All-Southern Section honors.

“Jeff was only at three-quarters strength, but Jeff at three-quarters strength is better than most players at full strength,” Brock said.

Ferguson continued his comeback over the summer, playing on the La Serna American Legion team.

His performance this season, however, can no longer be termed a comeback. Ferguson is having a dream season. He is four home runs shy of the Southern Section season record, and La Serna is 14-3 and ranked No. 2 in 3-A.

“I saw Jeff after his accident last year and he looked pretty bad,” said Peter Garcia, La Serna’s starting second baseman. “To see him today, it’s like two different people. His stats only tell half the story.”

Ferguson claims he is 100% recovered. In his first game this season, he hit two home runs against Norwalk Glenn. Although he never had more than one home run in a game before this season, he also hit two in games against Whittier and Montebello. His four-homer performance against Sante Fe on April 10 still has people talking.

“I just kept scratching my head that day and kept telling my pitchers to walk him,” Sante Fe Coach Jesse Serrano said. “He hit home runs against three different pitchers, and none of them could figure out how to keep the ball away from him. It’s like he was being pitched grapefruits of something.”

Ferguson didn’t gloat.

“I was on top of the world, but my accident showed me that with a wink of an eye it can all be taken away,” Ferguson said. “Hitting four home runs in one game is something I never thought about, so I just took it in stride when it happened.”

Said Montebello Coach Bill Drulias: “He does everything you ask of him. He even filled in at catcher in our last game because they had some injury problems.”

The future looks bright for Ferguson. He signed a letter of intent with Cal State Fullerton two weeks ago, but he says he will turn pro if the team, draft round and signing bonus all are right.

“Baseball has been my love for as long as I can remember,” he said. “Of course, I want it to be my future.”